1. Public Participation in Community Decision-Making
CTAP Conference
September 29, 2007
Jim Gruber, Antioch New England Institute
Michele Gagne, UNH Cooperative Extension
Charlie French, UNH Cooperative Extension
Dan Reidy, UNH Cooperative Extension

2. Why Engage the Public?
To identify and assist in addressing community needs
To educate and empower citizens so they can more fully understand the complexities of issues you must address
To educate decision-makers
To broaden the asset base
To make implementation more likely by building ownership of the citizens on the agreed upon approach
To build accountability and effective feedback
We have several projects ongoing with WIU and SIU, and C-FAR crosses university boundaries.

3. Different Approaches of Community Engagement for Different Purposes
Is the purpose…
Community Building?
Public Information?
Deliberation?
Decision Making?

4. Structure the Public Participation Process
Determine the purpose of the Process
Determine the Role of the Public
Identify and Involve Key Stakeholders
Determine how to engage the public
Develop a process
Build Accountability (how will info be used)
We have several projects ongoing with WIU and SIU, and C-FAR crosses university boundaries.

5. Public Participation Approaches
Strategic Planning
Community Visioning (Vision to Action)
Interest-Based Problem Solving
Citizen Advisory Committees

6. Strategic Planning Advantages Challenges
Strategic planning enables a group to come to a shared vision of its desired future and to create a detailed, participant-owned plan of action.
Advantages
Brings community together around issues
Results-oriented process
Addresses both short and long-term issues
Components of plan adoptable by other plans
Challenges
Requires skilled facilitator
Participants may get frustrated with the process
There is not always consensus re objectives and strategies
Results may be long term

7. Vision
“Dream” of where the community/group wants to be far in the future
Example:
Our town is committed to improving the quality of life for our residents by building a community in which all people have access to economic opportunity, the ability to pursue that opportunity, and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

8. Mission The “what” and “why” Example:
To build a healthy community through a comprehensive initiative to promote jobs, education, and housing

9. Objectives The how much of “what” will be accomplished by “when”
Example:
Quality Affordable Housing is housing that is free of significant structural defects, meets the basic living needs of residents, and is reasonably safe and secure. To be “affordable,” the cost to live in quality housing should be within the financial reach of residents (30 percent of income) at various income levels. Quality affordable housing must be profitable for the builder, developer, landlord, etc., or it will not be built and/or maintained.

10. Strategies and Actions
The “how” and specifics of who will do what and when
Examples:
The City of ---- should enforce existing health and building codes encouraging rental property owners to recognize problems and take action.
Form a committee to determine problem areas in town and report this back to town committees by March 2008
Selectmen will make a determination after hearing report about expanding code enforcement officer hours to full-time by town meeting 2008

11. Advantages Challenges
Community Visioning…the first step of a vision-to-action process
This approach can be used to either “map” the current condition (called a mind map) or to create a shared, collective vision of the future.
Advantages
Builds a broad ownership of where the community wishes to go
Sets broad priorities of the created vision
Inclusive…100s can participate in one hour
Challenges
Must have a broad cross-section of the community “in the room”
Must have a plan to translate the vision into tangible objectives and actions
This is only the 1st step

12. Step One: The Vision Map
Twenty Years form now….if there is sustained growth…How do you want your community to look, to feel, to have as a home?

13. The Vision Map
Develop a shared vision of where you want to be in 20 years based upon:
the characteristics of your community that you value and wish to sustain
changes you wish to encourage and
changes that you wish to discourage
prioritize key elements of the vision

14. Step Two
Review previous successful (and unsuccessful) approaches, actions, and events that were effective (or not effective) with planning, managing, and directing growth.
Assess resources currently lacking that are needed to plan for growth.

15. Step 3 Translate the Vision Map into prioritized objectives
Identify existing barriers that are in the way of achieving these objectives (economic, political, social, organizations, knowledge, etc.)
Develop preferred strategies/ approaches that are most likely to address these barriers

16. Step 4
Identify the specific types of resources/ strategies that are needed to fill the gap between the current resources of local government and what are needed to achieve the shared vision (prioritized objectives)
Revise community’s master plan, capital budget, and other actions needed to proceed towards prioritized objectives

17. Ground Rules Rules: All ideas are valid
The person with the idea says where it goes
Give an example to clarify
Everyone has one contribution before a second contribution to the vision
Opposing ideas are OK

22. Interest Based Problem Solving
Interest-Based Problem Solving is an issue-resolution process that addresses individual and group differences in a problem-solving environment.
Advantages
Focuses on common interests – win-win
Fosters creativity
Solutions weighed with objective criteria
Builds leadership
Challenges
Not all issues can be resolved
Process can be frustrating and take a long time
Some parties intentionally work to corrupt process

23. When you hear the word “conflict” what images come to mind?

24. Positive aspects of public conflict:
Mutual gains solutions
Addresses problems and promotes action
Builds long-term relationships
Stimulates creativity
Strengthens democracy
Leadership emerges

25. Positions Are… Emotions – how someone feels about an issue
A pre-determined solution

26. Problems with positions:
Predetermined way to resolve problems.
Does not deal with interest of parties in dispute
Limits creative options.

27. Interests are… Needs, beliefs, values behind the positions.
Why something is important.

28. Why focus on interests? Gets to heart of issue.
Moves people beyond polarized positions.
Sets stage for mutual understanding.
Leads to group cooperation.
Sets stage for issue re-framing.
Sets stage for generating creative options.

29. Examples of interests & positions:
Community pride Value historic school Educational quality
Cost-efficiency Educational quality Stretch resources
Interests
Want school consolidation
Oppose school consolidation
Positions

30. Citizen Advisory Committee
Citizen advisory committees foster positive relations with the community by engaging citizens in the development of policies and programs to ensure that they are enriched by diverse perspectives.
Advantages
Diverse representation
Based on local assets
Directly engages citizens in policy-making
Challenges
Committees often don’t have jurisdictional power
Requires much time/effort
Can suffer low return rates
We have several projects ongoing with WIU and SIU, and C-FAR crosses university boundaries.

31. How are they helpful?
Help anticipate public reaction to proposed decisions
Provide communication to constituencies
Organize a forum for building consensus
The advisory committee becomes more educated and their feedback is more informed

32. When are they used? Master Plans
Representative of various groups in community with a chair to coordinate meetings and report back to town boards
Can work to develop public involvement opportunities for Plan update

33. Even More Approaches to Engage Community Members
Search Conferences
Collaborative Decision Making
Study Circles
Deliberative Dialogue
Public Information Outreach
Citizen Surveys
Youth Involvement Programs
Public Listening
District Council
Community Celebrations
Volunteerism
(See handout for a description)

34. Further Resources re Public Participation Tools:
Asset Mapping:
Concerns Survey:
Needs Survey:
Focus Groups:
Interviews:
Public Forums:

35. Break Out Activity

36. Strategies for Enhancing Public Participation
An Example: Involving the public in a community master plan and capital budget planning and implementation process

37. Specific Goals
All approaches should support overall community building and…
Informs the Public (provides public information)
Solicits input from the public (that includes public deliberation processes)
Engages the public in “the work” (including the decision making process)

38. Three Break-out Groups
Group A) Informs the Public (MG facilitates)
Group B) Soliciting Input from the Public (JG facilitates)
Group C) Engaging the Public “In the Work” (CF facilitates)

39. Impact vs Feasibility
Each group brainstorms potential, specific approaches of engaging the public including:
both what your can do and how you can do it.
Each approach is written on a sticky note.
Each sticky note is placed on an “Impact vs Feasibility Grid” (Low, Medium, or High” feasibility and Low, Medium, and High Impact”