Engaging the Public in Sustainable Decision Making

1. Engaging the Public in Sustainable Decision Making Steven Wolf, MCP3

2. The Decision Making and Public engagement Environment

3. 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

4. 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

5. Hope is on the way

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Discussion Source: Dr. Covello, Director Center for Risk Communication

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