Public Involvement what engineers need to know

1. Public Involvementwhat engineers need to know Anne Brooks, P.E. Brooks & Associates Community Building through Conversations and Collaboration

2. Public participation • Define public involvement • What skills are needed for public involvement • Who is the publicand why is public involvement important? • What is effective public involvement? • What happens when you don’t engage the public? • Tips, hints and lessons learned

3. The easy project… • No controversy • Timely and effective process • Project proceeds on schedule • No delays

4. The challenging project… • Project initiated • Stakeholders complain • Stakeholders get mad and organized • Stakeholder delay • Project eventually gets built

5. The really challenging project… • Project initiated • Stakeholders complain • Stakeholders get mad and organized • Stakeholder get REALLY organized, contact politicians, organize rallies • Project STALLED or CANCELLED

6. We need to do better -- the world is changing -- conversations, collaboration and compromise are more important than ever

7. What is public involvement? • Any process that involves the public in problem-solving or decision-making and uses public input to make decisions.

8. It is the right thing to do! • Tell me, and I forget. • Show me, and I remember. • Involve me and I understand.

9. Who is the “public” or “stakeholder”? • Anyone with an interest in the outcome of a decision • Anyone that may be or perceive that they may be affected directly or indirectly the the outcome of the decision. • Internal stakeholders (individuals who work for or with the decision making agency) • Stakeholders/public include: • Individuals (consider age, gender, ethnicity, income level) • Groups (organized or not) • Organizations (agencies, special interest, environmental • Political Entities (local, state, federal and tribal)

10. Buy-in? • Public participation is notabout buy-in • Public participation is about better decision-making • Public participation is about sustainable decision-making

11. When you bring all the perspectives to the table… Economically Viable Technically Feasible You create sustainable decisions Environmentally Compatible Publicly Acceptable

12. Effective public participation…. • Public involvement provides… • early warning of public needs and concerns • clear problem definition • forum for sharing ideas and concerns • clear, understandable rationale for the decision • forum for interaction between affected citizens and decision-makers • credible channel for communications

13. Effective public participation…. • Results in • development of clear, understandable information • a clear comprehensive decision process and explicit decision criteria • stakeholders working together to focus on a problem/opportunity and finding common ground • incorporating the publics’ issues (fears, concerns, needs and desires) • fewer costly delays

14. What happens if you don’t engage the public?

15. Escalation of a conflict • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

16. Escalation of a conflict • Issues proliferate • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

17. Escalation of a conflict • Alliances are formed • Issues proliferate • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

18. Escalation of a conflict • Communication between parties becomes increasingly distorted, and most communication takes place with people of the same persuasion • Alliances are formed • Issues proliferate • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

19. Escalation of a conflict • Positions become rigid and extreme • Communication between parties becomes increasingly distorted, and most communication takes place with people of the same persuasion • Alliances are formed • Issues proliferate • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

20. Escalation of a conflict • The goal becomes hurting or destroying the other person emotionally, psychologically, or even physically • Positions become rigid and extreme • Communication between parties becomes increasingly distorted, and most communication takes place with people of the same persuasion • Alliances are formed • Issues proliferate • An event or behavior triggers feelings of being threatened, thwarted, or in danger of losing something valuable

21. Key lessons…without public participation • People move from problem-solvers to adversaries • Conflicts grow like grassfire • Communications becomes distorted reducing potential for resolution • Over time, even proposing to try to resolve the problem by talking with “the other side” can be viewed as a sign of weakness, or being “soft” on “them” – whoever “them” is at the moment.

22. Johari Window Model

23. Good engagement increases shared information

24. What is the role of the Public Participation Coordinator? • “We will enhance the public’s participation in decision making process and assist decision-makers in being responsive to the public’s concerns and suggestions” (IAP2-USA) • Trust • Defining the public’s role • Openness • Access to the process • Respect for communities • Advocacy • Commitments • Support of the practice

25. Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation 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. • includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision. • promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.

26. Public Participation • seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision. • seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. • provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. • communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

27. What skills do you need for public participation? PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

28. Tips, hints and lessons learned • Treat others as you would expect to be treated • Learn to talk and express your ideas in simple terms and diagrams • Stop using acronyms • Learn to listen • Be curious • Hone your public participation skills--success will follow

29. Think about the timing of your public involvement

30. Think about conflicts

31. Meetings – make them effective and worth the time spent

32. Pick a meeting format that works for you and your stakeholders • Open House • Open House with Presentation • Kitchen Table • Facilitated Workshop • Town Hall • Planning or Project Fair

33. Communicate in effective ways… • Old methods • Print newspaper advertising and articles • Television advertising or news programs • Letters and faxes • New methods • Email • Internet Web sites and blogs • Virtual Meetings • Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

34. Watch the language you use… • Is your message ripe with acronyms? • FHWA, FTA, NEPA, ITE, LRTP, MTP, TIP, STIP, UPWP, FRA, DOT, RITA • Do your stakeholders speak a language other than English? • Interpret meetings or translate newsletters • Don’t assume stakeholder knowledge

35. Other methods to inform, educate and seed conversations • Use YouTube video • Virtual/online meetings • Provide audio recordings • Link them all to your project/plan web site

36. Recordkeeping • Develop some standard filing formats so you can retrieve information • 20110927emBrooks • 20110927 Public Meeting • Snapshot mailing lists to coincide with mailings • PDF all the comments • Develop chronologies of public involvement – documenting what you accomplished

37. Questions?

38. Thank your for your time! Anne Brooks, P.E. Brooks & Associates a.brooks@brooks-alaska.com www.brooks-alaska.com 907-272-1877