Engaging the Public in Sustainable Decision Making Steven Wolf, MCP3

The Decision Making and Public engagement Environment

Public Decision Environment Assumption you have a public mandate Assumption public is well informed and understands the need Assumption public is not paying attention Overwhelming task and limited resources Decide and Defend

Community Engagement Challenges Only formal government decision making processes are used for public information and engagement Over reliance on technical analysis only Failure to plan and budget for engagement

Hope is on the way

Public Participation Industry & Standards Public participation (P2) is an established industry and growing professional practice It’s not PR, public affairs or simple public information The International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) is the standard bearer of P2 Initiated in the USA, 30 years in practice P2 Foundations Training (certificate) Certified and Master Certifications (CP3 and MCP3) Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

P2 Trends P2 is routine and common component of public decision making particularly with infrastructure projects in majority of U.S. states IAP2 credentials (either training or certification) is showing up in RFPs for required credentials IAP2 practices and techniques are required by municipal code in Canada and Australia Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

IAP2 Core Values Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. Public participation includes the promise that the public’s contribution will influence the decision. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers. Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

IAP2 Core Values Public participation seeks out and facilitates the participation of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision. Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

P2 Keys to Success Have a P2 plan or strategy Public Meetings are not a strategy Leading vs. following regulations Citizen panels are the most credible means to achieving community buy-in Transparency and high visibility of P2 process Distinguishing between wants and needs Be humble and let citizens take as much ownership and credit for the decision as possible Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

Discussion There are six key considerations in formulating a message, knowing: What to say; Who to say it to; Why to say it; Where to say it; When to say it; and How to say it. Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

Steve Wolf, MCP3 JEO Consulting Group swolf@jeo.com 402.392.9907