Before the Meeting
Why We Engage: What issues should involve citizens?
Principles of Local Government Public Engagement
Source: Institute for Local Government
This two-page paper lists ten principles to help guide public participation. It is written to help managers assess when and if an issue is right for pubic engagement and help guide further development on engaging that issue.
Spectrum of Public Participation
Source: International Association of Public Participation (IAP2)
IAP2’s well-known chart on public participation provides an excellent example of matching up participation goals with specific designs.
Selecting the Right Level of Public Participation
Source: U. S Environmental Protection Agency
Focuses on identifying goals before planning an engagement process.
Designing Public Participation: What issues should involve citizens?
Engagement Streams Framework
Source: Public Agenda Center for Advances in Public Engagement
For practitioners with well-defined goals, this widely used guidebook can help in the selection of the specific engagement process to support those goals. It conveniently lists likely outcomes associated with using those specific processes.
Armchair Involvement Report
Source: Involve: The Institute for Innovation and Improvement
This guidance aims to highlight the benefits of investing stakeholders time and energy into new interactive formats; the trade-offs being their potential to stimulate improved communication and to enable provision of tailored health advice and service information on the individuals own terms.
Click To Engage: Using Keypads to Enhance Deliberation
Source: Public Agenda Center for Advances in Public Engagement
This well written piece details how clickers, keypads, or other audience response systems (ASRs) can greatly enhance public meetings. It offers theoretical insight and practical examples in designing questions and benefits and drawbacks of particular approaches.
Input Plan-it Video Series
Source: Iowa Department of Economic Development
This 7-minute video presents guiding principles and some methods, tools and techniques for increasing participation and enhancing the quality of input at public meetings.
Convening Public Participation: Giving notice, recruiting, and choosing locations
Civic Life Institute Participant Guidebook 2010
Source: West Virginia Center for Civic Life
This guidebook includes brainstorming constituencies and stakeholders and developing a communications plan for your event. See pp. 61-66 for recruiting and convening; pp. 68-71 for basic considerations on recruiting participants to public meetings.
SAMPLE PUBLIC MEETING NOTICES
State Agency Public Meeting Notice Template
Source: Texas Department of Transportation
Example of an open meeting notice standard format.
School District Public Meeting Notice Template
Source: Clinton School District, Missouri
Example of a public meeting notice template.
Creating Agendas: How should I run the meeting?
How Do We Plan for Effective Meetings?
Source: University of Minnesota
This tip sheet reviews an important way to plan public meetings toward the goal of solving public problems and achieving the group’s goals.