ParticipationGuide.com Your guide to effective and efficient public participation

How to involve the public in governmental decision-making Too often, when faced with a need for public participation, planning staff and municipal decision-makers decide on a public hearing. Although these kind of formal events have their place, they are usually not the most effective means of obtaining public input. Among the many different activities that can be used to involve the public in governmental decision-making, here are twelve: • Focus group • Open House - Surgery • Meeting with existing groups • Participatory theatre • Public opinion survey • Public hearing • Town hall meeting • Charrette - Studio • Citizen advisory committee • Concerted effort roundtable • Consensus conference • Referendum No matter whom your audience, no matter what the purpose of your public participation activity, one of them will be appropriate. Depending on what stage of project development and review, what kind of input you seek, you will need to choose a different method. Text continues below... A word about Joshua Wolfe  In addition to his work as a urban planner and lecturer on urban issues, Joshua Wolfe has decades of experience in public participation from all points of view – as a member of community organizations, as staff and consultant to municipal governments, and as Commissioner with the City of Montreal’s Public Consultation Board. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Université de Montréal and received American Institute of Certified Planners registration in 1990. In 1997, he moved to California to be the Coordinator of the Model Sustainable Communities Project - US for ICLEI (the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), and went on to conduct environmental impact assessments with the Berkeley-based planning firm Design, Community & Environment. Mr. Wolfe helped draft the American Planning Association’s Sustainable Community Policy Guide, adopted in April 2000. Previously, he had been Executive Director of the Heritage Montreal Foundation, taught urban studies at Concordia University and was a regular contributor to the architecture and urban issues column of The Gazette. The book Discover Montreal, published by Libre Expression (1983, 1987, 1991), was co-authored by Mr. Wolfe and Cécile Grenier. For further details, to request help in choosing which public participation tool to use, or to plan your next public participation activity, please contact Joshua Wolfe at: josh@ParticipationGuide.com

More about public participation tools... Primary use    • Obtain comment    • Provide feedback    • Share information    • Build sense of cohesion    • Provide policy direction    • Take the decision How will the tool be evaluated by decision-makers?    • Financial cost    • Time required of organizers    • Time required of participants    • Cost effectiveness How is the tool perceived by public?    • Representativeness    • Independence of participants    • Potential for early involvement    • Influence on final activity    • Transparence to the public Resources Needed Population group targeted Every public participation event has three phases:    • Preparation    • Staging    • Compilation

In order to create a successful public participation event, you will need to carry out 20 different steps. For further details, to request help in choosing which public participation tool to use, or to plan your next public participation activity: josh@ParticipationGuide.com Top of page

Looking for a French-to-English translator? Go to superphrase.com