INDEX OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Organized by engagement level:
Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, Empower.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONTINUUM
Adapted from the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum
INDEX OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Technique
Description
Considerations
INFORM
Website
•
General information
•
Fact sheets
•
Downloadable resources, articles,
papers, etc.
•
Photo galleries
•
Registration forms
•
Repository for meeting minutes,
strategies, etc.
•
Website address should always be clearly visible on all project
materials
•
Ensure website is kept up to date regularly and at key project
milestones – out of date content will deter people from visiting again
•
Highlight key milestone or project highlights clearly on homepage
•
Consider Accessibility – See: City of Peterborough Guide to Accessible
Documents
General
Information
Channels
•
Email
•
1800 Phone Line
•
Voicemail commenting
•
Contact your IT Department or telephone service provider to set up a
dedicated 1800 project line and ensure a voicemail is available to
collect missed calls.
•
Be clear on hours of operation of phone line and target response
times for each method (i.e. all phone and email inquiries must be
responded to within 48hours)
•
Include details of the information lines and hours of operation on all
project collateral and other internal communication material
•
Ensure adequate staffing is in place, and a system is in place when
staff are absent
Videos
•
Digital video
•
Digital video is one of the leading ways to drive online engagement
o
Website pages with video content attract more users and
increase length of time spent on page
o
People are more likely to click on an email containing a video
•
Great tool to convey messages quickly and succinctly
•
Consider using a video to launch an engagement activity, encourage
participation, update a community about a project’s progress or
inform community about a consultation’s outcomes
•
Videos should be short (under 5 mins) and include a variety of
presentation styles, images, intro/outros and most importantly, they
should be entertaining!
•
Add closed captioning to ensure accessibility – as a bonus, this also
helps with increased view times
Infographics
Useful tool to create
Infographics:
https://piktochart.com/
•
A visual image such as a chart or
diagram used to represent
information or data
•
Infographics should be visually engaging and contain subject matter
and data that is appealing to your target audience
•
Great tool to simplify complicated or complex information (40% of
people respond better to visual information compared to text)
•
Fun and easy way to learn about a topic or issue without heavy
reading (high quality infographics are 30 times more likely to be read
than text articles)
•
Useful for documenting progress and reporting back during
engagement process
Social Media
Useful Resource:
• The Value of
Social Networking
in Community
Engagement
(https://www.ats
dr.cdc.gov/
communityengag
ement/
pdf/pce_report_c
•
Facebook
•
Twitter
•
LinkedIn
•
Instagram
•
Snapchat
•
Pinterest
•
Social media is a great way to communicate with participants who
are not able to make it to an event or consultation in person
•
Social media meets people where they are and widens the net in
terms of who you reach – a great tool to discover new audiences
within the community.
•
Don’t do it all. Choose relevant social media tools based on your
target audience and capacity to maintain the channel. Quality over
quantity is key.
•
Use the Rule of Thirds when posting – 1/3 of content promotes
you/your project; 1/3 shares relevant content of others; 1/3 should
be engaging and interacting with others.
hapter
_6_shef.pdf)
•
Use visuals to inspire higher interaction and engagement rates
(images uploaded to Facebook get 5X the interaction and
engagement rates than posted links and tweets with images see
double the re-tweet rates)
Advertising and
Media Coverage
•
Advertisements – paid ads on radio,
newspapers, TV or online
•
Earned media – free media through
press releases, news conferences,
media packages or letters to the
editor
•
Consider using a mix of paid advertising and unpaid earned media
•
Ensure your messaging is targeted to your audience and you’re using
suitable media outlets for your audience segment
•
Engaging visuals of your project will be beneficial. Ensure you have
good photos available or arrange a photo opportunity for the media
outlet’s photographer
•
For radio, a short, engaging sound-bite is generally required
•
Decide who your media spokesperson will be and ensure that they
are appropriately trained.
•
Releases have a better chance of being picked up if they contain a
strong hook or element of excitement or risk
Printed Collateral
Useful tool to create
beautiful designs for
free:
Canva -
https://www.canva.com/
•
Newsletters
•
Letters
•
Posters
•
Fact Sheets
•
Brochures
•
Reports
•
Key stages in the production of print collateral include drafting
content, graphic design, printing and distribution
•
Within each stage build in time for internal and external approvals
•
Timelines and cost can vary depending on complexity of project
•
When drafting content, consider readers’ level of project knowledge
and understanding of overall scope and context of the project
o
Tip: Include a Project Background section that outlines the 5
W’s and H as well as a project timeline.
•
Consider distribution – direct mail, letterbox drop, addressed or
unaddressed mail, web, etc.
•
Print extra quantities to hand out in person at events or for requests
•
Consider Accessibility - See: City of Peterborough Guide to Accessible
Documents
Presentations/Liv
e Streaming
Useful blog showcasing
Top 5 Free Tools for Live
Streaming events:
http://blog.capterra.com
/free-live-stream-tools-
event/
•
Informational presentations within
community that can be leveraged
through live-streaming.
•
Presentations can be an effective way to disseminate information to
a large group of people
•
Some key tips when preparing a presentation:
o
Set the tone right away - Do you want your presentations to
be a ‘one-way’ or a ‘two-way’ street?
o
Consider using nametags so that you can call people by name
directly
o
Don’t use slides as a crutch – people have taken the time to
come and hear you speak, so don’t relay information in a way
that would have been better suited for someone to read. Be
engaging and use slides to portray key messages, include
visuals and videos where possible.
o
Be personable – don’t speak down to people or in language
they won’t understand. Treat your audience as fellow citizens
and show them that you value the time they’ve taken to
engage with you.
•
Consider live-streaming or video recording your presentation so that
it can be accessed without having to show up in person, or after the
fact.
Expert Panel
•
Expert panels are engaged when
highly specialized input and opinion is
required for a project.
•
Generally, a variety of experts are
engaged based on various fields of
expertise to debate and discuss
various courses of action and make
recommendations.
•
Allow citizens to hear a variety of informed (expert) viewpoints from
which to decide on recommendations or courses of action in relation
to an issue or proposal.
•
Often used when an issue is highly complex and contentious and
decisions are likely to have possible legal ramifications or where the
best possible results (based on expertise) are required.
•
Useful where conflict exists to provide opinions which may have
more credibility, and hence may assist in resolving the conflict.
Displays/Exhibits
•
A community event intended to
provide project information and raise
awareness about particular issues.
•
Bringing the project to public spaces is a good way of involving
people who wouldn’t normally engage or turn up to a public meeting.
•
Consider staffing these display locations during certain times.
•
Set up at relevant public locations
(e.g. libraries, ward or electorate
offices, shopping centres, community
festivals, etc.)
•
Consider whether the community will be able to provide feedback,
get involved or find out more information at these displays.
•
Displays can be interactive, and can be used as part of a forum,
workshop, exhibition, conference or other event.
•
An interactive display will encourage more interest (e.g. touchscreen
kiosk, internet café, 3D model/s or digital fly-through).
•
Interactive displays can include ‘post-it’ ideas boards, maps for
people to make their most and least favourite buildings or spaces,
and flip charts or blank posters for comments and questions.
•
Displays and exhibits can include feedback opportunities such as
blank sheets with one-line questions, and can include drawings,
models, posters, or other visual and audio representations relevant
to community issues and interests.
Site visits/Tours
•
Opening up a project venue for the
public to visit
•
Works well for large infrastructure projects (e.g. a dam, busway,
lightrail) that have a defined area.
•
Add fun! Consider combining it with an event like ‘family day’ or a
‘BBQ’
•
Opportunity to link with other similar or local projects of interest to
the community
•
Gives the community a chance to see the project ‘in action’ and feel
involved.
•
Could be supported by a range of project material on display, and
some promotional items to hand out to the public (e.g. pens, hats,
water bottles, etc.) Ideally, the promotional items should link in with
the project (i.e. water bottles for a clean water project).
•
Consider offering ‘guided tours’ of the site where attendees can ask
questions
•
Can help to create a sense of openness and transparency around the
project
Public Meetings
•
A meeting is a coming together of
people for a specific purpose. The
meeting can involve a large number
of people, or a smaller (under 10)
number of people who focus on a
specific problem or purpose.
•
Meetings generally have a facilitator
who encourages two-way
communication, and a recorder who
records suggestions and issues that
are revealed at the meeting.
•
Public meetings should be used as part of a series of engagement
events, rather than a stand-alone technique. When used in
conjunction with other methods, they can be a valuable way of
sharing information and demonstrating openness and transparency.
•
Provides an opportunity to relay information, explain processes and
gather feedback with a large number of people.
•
Can be a good opportunity for people within the community to meet
each other and network
•
Large groups and traditional formats may be intimidating for some
people and can limit audience participation. Consider incorporating
smaller group discussions.
•
Public meetings provide a good focal point for media interest in an
event, and photos can provide a visual indicator or levels of interest
and the range of people who attended.
•
Public meetings are often the springboard for a movement or for the
establishment of a common-interest group which will continue to act
on the issues raised and suggestions made.
•
Note that the audience is likely not representative and attendance
levels can be low unless people feel deeply connected to the issue
and/or make the time to attend.
•
Ensure the meeting place is accessible
CONSULT
Polls
Useful online polling
tools:
•
Online polls allows anonymous
visitors to click on a choice from a list
of options and track the responses.
•
Results are shared once the person
has clicked on a choice, or they can
be shown without having to vote.
•
Online polls are a fast and easy way to take the pulse of the public
about topics of interest.
•
Polling can be used to gauge support for a municipal initiative or for
lighter topics like getting to know an audience or voting on meeting
locations
• Doodle -
https://doodle.co
m/polling-tool
• Poll Everywhere –
https://www.poll
everywhere.com/
•
Polling allows a certain level of anonymity which can help break
down barriers for people who are weary of sharing their opinion
openly or in front of a group
•
Polling can also be done in real time – during an open house or public
meeting – or can be integrated into an email or featured on your
website.
Voting
•
Voting offers the community the
opportunity to decide or have
influence on a decision from a list of
pre-determined choices.
•
Be sure your voters are informed – provide a backgrounder with key
facts, resources, project timeline and any other information that one
would need to know to make an educated decision.
•
Voting can be done in person, by mail or online.
•
Be clear about the influence the vote will have on the outcome of the
project.
Surveys
Useful online survey
tools:
• Survey Monkey
• Typeform
• Google Forms
•
A survey is a structured form or
questionnaire distributed to a
relevant population group within the
community. Surveys are used to
gather data, assess needs, gain
feedback, and/or collect community
opinions.
•
The five main types of surveys
include:
o
Web-based
o
Telephone
o
Mail out
o
In person interviews
o
Hand out surveys
•
Surveys are used to gauge the level of public information about an
issue and provide a ‘snapshot’ of attitudes and ideas at a particular
time.
•
They can be used to determine community attitudes or target a
particular group.
•
Surveys may be carried out in a number of ways depending on the
purpose, scope, and stakeholders involved.
•
Key tips:
o
Keep it simple
o
Avoid leading and ambiguous questions
o
Balance open vs closed questions
o
Give time - Allow enough time to gather a sufficient number
and variety of responses
o
Provide options to opt out or clarify - Proposed answers may
not be relevant to all respondents. When using lists, offer the
option to select and clarify “Other”
Interviews
•
Interviews are usually defined as
a conversation with a purpose.
•
Face to face
•
Telephone
•
Focus Groups (See below)
•
Using an interview is one of the best ways to have an accurate and
thorough communication of ideas between you and the person from
whom you're gathering information.
•
Can be very helpful when you need information about assumptions
and perceptions of activities in your community.
•
Consider suitability of approach before moving ahead, interviews
may not make sense if:
o
Your project is dealing with a large population and interviews
would be time-consuming and expensive
o
The type of information you are collecting is numerical
o
Respondents are unwilling to cooperate
•
Carefully consider the questions you ask, avoid questions that:
o
Put the interviewee in the defensive
o
Look for two answers in the same question
o
Are too long, too involved or too intricate
•
Record or take notes during the interview – Put quotation marks
around the person's actual words, and don't embellish their quotes.
Focus Groups
•
A focus group has a well framed
topic and involves a small group
of 6 to 10 people that fit a set of
criteria. The goal is to learn about
people’s opinions on the topic
that help the host plan future
actions. It should be guided by a
trained facilitator/leader.
•
A good technique to find out what issues are of most concern for a
community or group when little or no information is available.
•
Questions posed should be those that participants have, or should
have, some knowledge about.
•
A smaller group allows you to dive deeper into a conversation than
you could in a large group. It also allows you to see the conversation -
body movements, facial expressions, interactions - providing context
missed in other engagement techniques
•
Begin with open ended questions but also allows for iterative
engagement (asking follow up questions based on responses). The
following examples may be a helpful guide to phrasing your
questions:
o
What do you think about…?
o
What are the pros and cons of…?
o
What would you change about…?
o
What would make you want to…?
o
What bothers you most about…?
o
Would you prefer this or that… How come?
•
The issues that emerge from the focus group may be developed into
a questionnaire or other form of survey to verify the findings
•
Relatively inexpensive, focus groups can provide fairly dependable
data within a short time frame.
Online Forums
•
An online forum is part of a website
where expression of viewpoints and
discussion can take place in the form
of electronic postings.
•
Online forums are open to postings
for a set period of time: hours, days,
weeks, months or indefinitely.
•
An administrator has the ability to
add, edit or remove content.
•
The administrator can create the
topic of the online forum or can allow
individual users to create it.
•
An online forum is useful for generating interest and feedback from
the public over a period of time and does not require the same
amount of physical investment as a public forum.
•
An online forum is accessible at any time of the day and therefore
may appeal to regular Internet users because it does not require
planning to participate.
•
The forum can be open to anyone and can be anonymous, or only to
members who sign up with a special username.
•
Make it easy to participate - Use multiple entry points. (email,
newsletters, intranet, posters)
•
Welcome and encourage new users by making them feel comfortable
and ensure they know how to use the technology
•
Ask questions that matter - Asking questions using actionable
language is recognized as a good way of generating discussion.
Online
Commenting
•
Offering the opportunity to comment
on online
•
This could be integrated into the
release of information, stories,
materials, blogs, announcements,
etc.
•
Ensure you have the ability to approve comments before they are
published to avoid any spam or offensive language.
•
While filtering out inappropriate comments is important, remain
open to a diversity of perspectives reflected in comments and do not
filter based on which ideas you might agree more with than others –
remain as objective as possible.
•
Engage with the comments – when a new comment is received,
respond to it in a timely manner so people feel that they’ve been
heard.
Social Media
Listening
Useful tools for social
monitoring:
- TweetChat
- Hootsuite
•
Social media listening, also known as
social media monitoring, is the
process of identifying and assessing
what is being said about a particular
company/organization, individual,
topic, product or brand on the
Internet.
•
Find out where your potential and current audience carry out
conversations or share their opinions
•
Define what the goals and scope (topic area, organization name,
particular issue) are for your social media listening will be
o
Wanting to identify influencers?
o
Looking for opportunities to delight or assist your
community?
o
Watching a specific hashtag or phrase?
•
Offers a great insight into the natural conversation that is
surrounding the topic you are interested in and provides opportunity
to get involved
•
Where monitoring looks at social mentions and/or actions, the act of
‘listening’ requires analysis and reflection - watch for patterns, track
sentiment and draw conclusions based on where and when
conversations happen.
Social Media
Discussion/Town
halls
•
Convening a group online using social
media platforms to engage around
questions, ideas and/or solutions
related to a particular issue.
Conversations are typically posted
and followed through a hashtag (#) in
order to keep the dialogue specific to
that event.
•
Town hall’s are unique from regular messaging and posting since
specific issues and topics are addressed by the main parties involved.
•
The concerned public can directly delve on related issues and get
straight answers from the group or individual.
•
Good tool to show citizens that you aim to connect with them in
places outside the walls of your government building.
•
Some tips:
o
Prepare some tweets in advance – make it easy to share and
link to relevant resources or websites
o
Don’t be too wordy – leave room for re-tweets
o
Have both government and non-government participants
hosting
o
Use a social monitoring tool to stay on top of the tweets
coming in (e.g. TweetChat)
o
Have an offline alternative for people who are not on Twitter
o
Store the conversation online where it is accessible for others
to read or reference
Workshops
•
A workshop involves a group of
people who meet to work through an
issue and/or develop solutions.
Workshops may be formally or
informally structured to disseminate
information about a particular topic
and provide a forum for group
discussion.
•
To make workshops more interactive,
they typically involve larger, as well
as smaller group exercises.
•
Workshops may take place over a
two hour period or last an entire day
and are usually facilitated by one or
more trained facilitators
•
Workshops generate discussion and broader thinking regarding an
issue or topic. They also provide a forum through which participants
can genuinely be involved in identifying and solving particular issues.
•
Workshops may involve a small number of people (e.g., 10-12) or a
larger number of people (e.g., 30-40).
•
Workshops that have more than forty participants may be difficult to
manage and may create challenges for participants to actively engage
in workshop activities and exercises.
•
If the workshop is intended as a community event focusing on a
community issue, the selection of participants should be determined
by knowledge, expertise or by selecting a cross-section of views.
Alternatively, workshops can be organized to target particular groups
(e.g. young people, or women).
Door-to-door
•
In person outreach whereby
individuals are engaged at their
doorstep
•
Can be used as a ‘check in’ with residents to gain a better
understanding of their needs, priorities or thoughts on a particular
issue or initiative.
•
A nice way to re-establish, create or strengthen social connection
within the community.
•
Removes barriers for people who would normally not go out of their
way to participate in the conversation
•
Schedule door knocking shifts in 2-3 hour blocks
•
Consider the timing – visit households at different times throughout
the day to increase chances of reaching them
•
Have dedicated resources and partners in place to respond to
cultural and language needs of individuals/families
Kitchen table talks
•
A kitchen table talk is a small,
informal meeting that takes place in
someone's home or a local cafe.
Kitchen table discussion groups are
often used in conjunction with other
methods as part of a wider
community engagement process.
•
During the meeting, participants discuss issues related to a broader
project or topic. They may be provided with a guide or set of
questions from interest groups or local governments, but there is no
formal agenda for the meeting.
•
The aim of kitchen table talks are to enable dialogue within the
community, that is informal and relaxed.
•
Kitchen table discussions aim to build and deepen a sense of
community and explore the range of opinions on an issue. It fosters
community organizing and can stimulate and nurture public debate.
Open houses/pop
ups
•
Open houses or Pop up engagement
is a style of engagement in which
organizers simply pop-up a booth or
table in a busy public location,
perhaps in conjunction with another
event, and offer simple and fun ways
for people to learn about the project
and have their say.
•
Open houses provide information, a
forum for understanding people’s
concerns and discussing issues, as
well as opportunities for follow up or
feedback.
•
Bringing the project to public spaces is a good way of involving
people who wouldn’t normally engage or turn up to a public meeting
and allows people to contribute or obtain information at their own
convenience.
•
Host pop ups at different times throughout the week to ensure a
variety of people can participate
•
There is typically project staff on hand to chat with people, project
materials, fun activities for visitors to do, refreshments, and other
inexpensive ways to slow people down and draw them in.
Comment boxes
•
Comment boxes can be placed in
strategic locations within a
community, or leveraged online.
•
Use clear, concise and simple language to outline what types of
comments you are hoping to receive
•
If using a comment box online, think about the location of your
comment box – for general comments, make it easy to find (e.g.
•
They provide opportunities for
community members to voice their
opinion around a particular topic or
provide more general feedback.
homepage, or pop up) if your comment box is specific to a certain
issue place it in a relevant location relevant to the individual’s
interest (e.g. specific page about the issue; adding it to the bottom of
a related article or post)
INVOLVE
Crowdsourcing
ideas/ideation
Useful resource:
Crowdsourcing for
Dummies Cheat Sheet
http://www.dummies.co
m/business/start-a-
business/crowdsourcing-
for-dummies-cheat-
sheet/
•
Crowdsourcing is a type of
participative online activity in which
an individual, an institution, a
nonprofit organization, or company
with varying skills, experiences and
perspectives utilizes a group of
people for the voluntary undertaking
of a task.
•
Allows you to obtain ideas or services from a large group of people
quickly.
•
Great way to engage your community and provide the opportunity to
network, hear fresh ideas and problem-solve together.
•
Managing a large group of expectations and ideas all at once can be
difficult so be clear and specific in outlining your purpose, timeline
and the outcome you’re hoping to achieve.
•
Build a relationship with the crowd to identify those who are
invested. Get to know the people who actually care about your issue
or initiative.
Community
Mapping
•
Community Mapping is a
participatory process that enables
citizens to map the social, ecological
and economic assets, along with
historical events of their community.
It is a useful way for initiating
dialogue and planning in a
community.
•
Mapping is an accessible and graphic
way to learn about people’s
perceptions of a place and can be
useful in the visioning process.
•
The method can be used to document certain aspects, strengths or
weaknesses, or locations of services within a community,
neighbourhood or municipality.
•
It is useful to break a large group into smaller circles of 3-6 people.
•
With the use of a blown-up map of the municipality, or large blank
pieces of paper, participants can use different coloured markers to
locate various things on the map.
•
The small group maps can eventually be integrated into a larger,
collaborative map.
•
This method is interactive and fun, and can also be used successfully
with children and youth.
Digital Storytelling
•
Digital storytelling is a relatively new
term which describes the practice of
everyday people who use digital tools
to tell their 'story'. Digital stories are
multimedia movies that combine
photographs, video, sound, music,
text, and often a narrative voice.
•
Digital Storytelling has been used by community change
organizations to empower community members, educate
stakeholders and the public, and as a way to evaluate change
•
The process of creating a digital story is usually interactive.
Community members are invited to a workshop-like setting and a
facilitator takes them through the process of creating their digital
story.
•
Participants are invited to bring photographs, clips and/or music to
help tell their story.
•
The facilitator guides participants through the principles of a story,
such as setting the context, building to a climax, sharing lessons
learned, etc.
•
The process from the participants’ experience can be very
empowering. They have the opportunity to work with people who
have similar experiences, are provided a process to work through
emotions, and are given a voice and a platform for sharing.
Design Charrette
Useful resources:
- Effective
Engagement:
Design Charrettes
-
http://www.dse.v
ic.gov.au/effectiv
e-
engagement/tool
kit/tool-design-
charrettes
•
A charrette is an intensive planning
session where citizens, designers and
others collaborate on a vision for
development. It provides a forum for
ideas and offers the unique
advantage of giving immediate
feedback to the designers. More
importantly, it allows everyone who
participates to be a mutual author of
the plan.
•
Charrettes are organized to encourage the participation of all. That
includes everyone who is interested in the making of a development:
the developer, business interests, government officials, interested
residents, and activists.
•
The charrette is located near the project site. The team of design
experts and consultants sets up a full working office, complete with
drafting equipment, supplies, computers, copy machines, fax
machines, and telephones. Formal and informal meetings are held
throughout the event and updates to the plan are presented
periodically.
•
Through brainstorming and design activity, many goals are
accomplished during the charrette.
o
First, everyone who has a stake in the project develops a
vested interest in the ultimate vision.
- Engage; Don’t
Rage: Use a
Design Charrette
to Negotiate Your
Next
Development
Proposal -
https://www.plan
etizen.com/node/
68464
o
Second, the design team works together to produce a set of
finished documents that address all aspects of design.
o
Third, since the input of all the players is gathered at one
event, it is possible to avoid the prolonged discussions that
typically delay conventional planning projects.
o
Finally, the finished result is produced more efficiently and
cost-effectively because the process is collaborative.
•
Ultimately, the purpose of the charrette is to give all the participants
enough information to make good decisions during the planning
process.
Mind Mapping
Useful resource:
wikiHow to Make a Mind
Map
http://www.wikihow.co
m/Make-a-Mind-Map
•
A mind map is a diagram used to
visually organize information. A mind
map is hierarchical and shows
relationships among pieces of the
whole. It is often created around a
single concept, drawn as an image in
the center of a blank page, to which
associated representations of ideas
such as images, words and parts of
words are added. Major ideas are
connected directly to the central
concept, and other ideas branch out
from those.
•
Mind maps can be a useful tool to:
o
Create things and devise approaches for handling issues
o
Capture information that’s directly relevant to a topic so you
can compress large amounts of information
o
Help you easily consume information and then use it
o
Communicate ideas
•
Mind maps can use words, symbols and pictures and should include
be done with at least three different colours
Most Significant
Change (MSC)
•
The most significant change (MSC)
technique is a form of participatory
monitoring and evaluation. It is
participatory because many project
stakeholders are involved both in
deciding the sorts of change to be
•
MSC is not just about collecting and reporting stories but about
having processes to learn from these stories – in particular, to learn
about the similarities and differences in what different groups and
individuals value.
•
Provides some information about impact and unintended impact but
is primarily about clarifying the values held by different stakeholders.
recorded and in analyzing the data. It
is a form of monitoring because it
occurs throughout the program cycle
and provides information to help
people manage the program. It
contributes to evaluation because it
provides data on impact and
outcomes that can be used to help
assess the performance of the
program as a whole.
•
Essentially, the process involves the
collection of significant change
stories emanating from the field
level, and the systematic selection of
the most significant of these stories
by panels of designated stakeholders
or staff. The designated staff and
stakeholders are initially involved by
‘searching’ for project impact. Once
changes have been captured, various
people sit down together, read the
stories aloud and have regular and
often in-depth discussions about the
value of these reported changes.
•
When the technique is implemented
successfully, whole teams of people
begin to focus their attention on
program impact.
•
By itself it is not sufficient, as it does not provide information about
the usual experience but about the extremes.
•
MSC can be very helpful in explaining HOW change comes about
(processes and causal mechanisms) and WHEN (in what situations
and contexts).
•
Best used in initiatives that are complex and produce diverse and
emergent outcomes.
Visioning
•
Visioning is a participatory tool that
brings citizens and stakeholders
•
Visioning is typically done at the beginning step of any planning
process at all levels.
together and is used to assist a group
of stakeholders in developing a
shared vision of the future. By asking
the group where they are now and
where they can realistically expect to
be in the future, you can develop a
vision together.
•
The goal of visioning is to develop
written and visualized statements of
a community’s long term goals and
strategic objectives.
•
Visioning can be used in:
o
Activity planning - What will be the end result of the activity?
o
Organizational change - What kind of organization do we
want? How will it be structured? How will effectiveness be
improved?
o
Formulating an overarching development vision or strategy
•
The outcome of a visioning exercise is a long term plan, generally
with a 20-30 year horizon.
•
Visioning exercises also provide a frame for a strategy for the
achievement of the vision.
•
Alternatively, some visioning tools may be used to promote thought
and encourage discussion of future land use and planning options,
without the need to create a future orientated document.
Scenario Testing
•
Scenario testing is a way of
developing alternative futures based
on different combinations of
assumptions, facts and trends, and
areas where more understanding is
needed for your particular scenario
project.
•
They are called ‘scenarios’ because
they are like ‘scenes’ in the theatre –
a series of differing views or
presentations of the same general
topic. Once you see several scenarios
at the same time, you better
understand your options or
possibilities.
•
'Scenario testing's greatest use is in developing an understanding of
the situation, rather than trying to predict the future' (Caldwell,
2001).
•
Generally, scenario testing would deliver three scenarios: a positive
(or optimistic), negative (or pessimistic), and neutral (or middle-of-
the-road) scenario. By actively using 'scenarios', several concerns and
outcomes can be addressed at the same time.
•
Participants are able to:
o
Identify general, broad, driving forces, which are applicable
to all scenarios.
o
Identify a variety of plausible trends within each issue or
trend (trends that vary depending on your assumptions so
you get positive and negative perspectives).
o
Combine the trends so you get a series of scenarios (for
example, mostly positive trends identified in relation to an
issue would give a positive scenario).
•
Once you see several scenarios at the same time, you can better
understand your options or possibilities
Citizens’ panels
•
A Citizens’ Panel involves ongoing
panels of around 1,000 to 2,000
people who are representative of the
local community. The participants of
the panel are surveyed several times
a year by mail, telephone or online.
•
A Citizens' Panel aims to be a representative, consultative body of
local residents.
•
Participants are usually recruited through random sampling as well as
other means to ensure recruitment includes socially excluded and
hard to reach groups.
•
It is important to be clear at the recruitment stage about what is
expected of each Panel member, and what their membership is likely
to consist of in terms of type of contact and time commitment to the
process.
•
This method offers a more inclusive approach to engaging with
individuals who may not typically take part in such efforts.
•
When scaled own, it can be effective and attract those who
traditionally avoid going to meetings.
•
Those who cannot attend regular meetings due to physical, social or
psychological issues may be encouraged to take part in this process.
Hackathons
•
Hackathons originated in the tech
industry as design sprint-like
intensive events (usually 1-2 days)
where computer programmers and
tech developers get together to
collaborate and work on topics of
interest that may or may not be
related to their regular work.
•
The tool has now expanded outside
of just the tech industry and is used
to bring together diverse individuals
into one space to collaborate on
•
Consider bringing in speakers to guide the thought leadership
throughout the event
•
Include participants from different fields and experiences
•
Typically, participants will form groups (4-6 people) and are
challenged to work together to come up with solutions to the issue
or topic being focused on
o
Solutions will later be presented, refined and prototyped
•
Don’t expect to have actually solved a problem by the end of the
hackathon. Real life problems are hard! Think of the hackathon as a
pit-stop on a long journey to solve problems or as a training session
to prepare participants for solving problems.
finding innovative solutions to a
particular issue.
Participatory
budgeting
•
Participatory Budgeting programs are
innovative policymaking processes.
•
Citizens are directly involved in
making policy decisions. Forums are
held throughout the year so that
citizens have the opportunity to
allocate resources, prioritize broad
social policies, and monitor public
spending.
•
Participatory Budgeting works best where there are already high
levels of community activism.
•
The power attributed to citizens in the decision process can vary,
from providing decision-makers with richer information about citizen
preferences to processes that assign parts of the budget to direct
citizen control.
•
Has the ability to be a very public process and can therefore convey
legitimacy beyond the immediate participants.
•
Isn’t as successful where central targets and restricted budgets limit
the amount of power that can be given to citizens.
•
If managed poorly, can create unrealistic expectations amongst
participants.
COLLABORATE
Large group
meetings
•
Convening a large group around a
particular issue or initiative
•
Consider inviting a diverse group of people who will offer different
perspectives
•
Be sure that all participants have a chance to be heard
•
Don’t jump straight into the issue – warm up the room by including
an ice breaker to offer opportunities for people to meet each other
and get to know one another
•
Consider breaking the group into smaller groups throughout the
meeting in order to allow more opportunities for people to share
their perspective.
•
Include food and fun where possible.
•
Consider accessibility and offer stipends or supports where needed in
order to allow all those who are interested in participating the option
to get involved.
Document co-
creation
•
Ability to co-own a document
whereby a number of people can
view and/or have the ability, to edit
and contribute.
•
Allows individuals to collaborate on a project in real time from
different locations.
•
Provides the opportunity to contribute and build upon a document at
a time that works for you – always having access to the most up to
date version of your file.
•
Most co-creation documents offer the ability to chat and add
comments while building a document together.
•
Be mindful of who has access to the document and whether or not
they have the ability to ‘view’ or ‘edit’
Online
communities
•
An online community is a group of
people with common interests who
use the Internet (web sites, email,
instant messaging, etc.) to
communicate, work together and
pursue their interests over time.
•
Be a leader – step in and encourage users to interact with one
another. Make comments in Forums and frequent interactions with
Group creators.
•
Make it easy to participate - Use multiple entry points. (email,
newsletters, intranet, posters)
•
Welcome and encourage new users - Ensure that new members are
welcomed and feel acclimated to the new community.
•
Thank your members for performing actions, suggest content they
might like or point them towards new activities in order to build long-
term engagement.
•
Create a “water cooler” environment in new communities - Make
your online community a place where people can go to engage in
light-hearted conversation with their peers in a non-threatening way.
•
Post inspiring content and ask questions that matter to the
community
•
Identify and nurture power users
•
Be clear on the purpose and desired response to posted content and
conversations – it will help members know what is appropriate and
feel comfortable contributing. Clarity of purpose will also help you
track and measure results effectively.
Open space
•
In Open Space meetings, events and
organizations, participants create and
manage their own agenda of parallel
working sessions around a central
theme of strategic importance
•
Participants sit in a large circle and
devote their first hour towards
creating their own meeting. All
participants are teachers and
learners.
•
When a topic is brought up, everyone
provides their views and opinions on
the topic. There is no limit to the
number of participants.
•
The conference usually lasts as long
as necessary and concludes when
participants decide that their work is
done.
•
The theory behind open space is that people will take ownership of
issues they wish to address.
•
Open Space works best when the work to be done is complex, the
people and ideas involved are diverse, the passion for resolution (and
potential for conflict) are high, and the time to get it done was
yesterday.
•
This is a useful method where large groups of participants are
involved and where the program or agenda needs to be flexible or
capable of being shaped by the participants themselves.
•
The weaknesses of this approach include:
o
Only likely to get small percentage of the ‘whole system’ to
attend
o
Unlikely to attract people who traditionally avoid open
meetings
•
Operates on four key principles:
o
Whoever comes are the right people
o
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
o
Whenever it starts is the right time
o
When it’s over, it’s over
Working
groups/study
circles
•
A committee or group comprised of
10-15 people who meet regularly
over a period of weeks or months to
address a critical public issue in a
democratic and collaborative way
and make recommendations based
on its findings.
•
Facilitated by a person/facilitator
who is there not to act as an expert
on the issue, but to serve the group
by keeping the discussion focused,
•
Groups should be formed in order to maximize diversity, balance,
and complementary skills.
•
Each team member should add something unique to the team, such
as subject matter expertise, a specific perspective, or a specialized
skillset.
•
It is essential that tasks are assigned appropriately in cross-functional
groups. In order to reduce confusion, each member of the team
needs to know who is responsible for what. When responsibilities are
unclear, efficiently completing an assignment or process is near
impossible.
helping the group consider a variety
of views, and process difficult
questions.
EMPOWER
Decision-making
platform
•
A computer algorithm that allows
large numbers of people to express
their preferences, and the software
calculates "millions" of possible
decisions to find the most agreeable
one for the most people.
•
The online software enables public engagement and voting in which
hundreds or even many thousands of people explore background
information on a decision that needs to be made, learn what the
constraints are on it — for instance, its maximum budget, or a
deadline, or legal limits — and offer their ideal solution.
•
Great way to unite stakeholders and maximize their support
Citizen
committees
•
Also known as public advisory
committees and public liaison
committees, citizen committees
consist of a group of representatives
from a particular community or set of
interests appointed to provide
comments and advice on an issue.
•
Generally, relevant community
groups and agencies are invited to
nominate as members of the
committee, although people with
specific skills may also be asked.
•
Members meet regularly to provide
ongoing input and advice over the
duration of the project. These
generally have an agreed life span
and are normally organized at the
local level to address a specific issue.
•
Citizen committees should be formed based on diverse
representation of the community, expertise/interest in an issue or
topic area, and in regard to each advisory committee's terms of
reference.
•
Great opportunity for community members to share ideas, have a
voice in decision-making and learn about what other community
members think about particular issues or opportunities
•
Two major benefits to creating a citizen committee:
o
1. The committee can offer specialized, practical expertise
that may not be available from the city council or city staff.
Such citizens often can help guide city leaders on important
issues, usually at little or no cost to the city.
o
2. The committee can lend legitimacy and credibility to the
ultimate decision made by city government. Properly advised
by the committee, the city council’s decisions are more likely
to be seen as fair and considerate of all people having a stake
in the outcome. Ideally, the committee can even help “sell”
the council’s decision to the public.
Citizen juries
•
A Citizen Jury is comprised of a group
of citizens who are representative of
•
As a Citizen Jury, Jurors can ‘cross examine’ expert ‘witnesses’ who
will provide differing perspectives on the issue or subject matter
the general public (usually selected in
a random or stratified manner) who
are briefed in detail on the
background and current thinking
relating to a particular issue, and
asked to discuss possible approaches.
•
The issue they are asked to consider
will be one that has an effect across
the community and where a
representative and democratic
decision-making process is required.
before reaching agreement or producing a short report of
recommendations and action items.
•
Citizen juries are intended to complement other forms of
consultation rather than replace them.
•
Typically, an advisory panel, with expertise in the particular area,
considers the jury’s findings and determines what, if any,
recommendations should be taken forward.
•
Citizen Juries require both time and a high level of skill as participants
are asked to analyze complex issues.
•
Be aware that the sponsoring body has to be committed to accepting
the results, otherwise the process loses credibility.
•
It is a useful technique to combat potential power struggles or
conflict between the organizing body (e.g. Municipal government)
and citizens or even between citizens.
•
Consider live streaming citizen jury sessions or have them open to
the public for transparency.
Community
indicator projects
•
Community indicator projects are
those where communities have a
vision for a sustainable future and
have established ways of tracking
their progress through the use of
indicators. The list of indicators varies
and is generally developed by the
community itself.
•
In this approach, indicators are
selected either across topical
domains or with a focus (like
children) to collectively track trends
in community well-being and quality
of life.
•
A community indicators project offers the opportunity to discuss
what is important, to systematically review whether things have been
getting better or worse, and to establish priorities for policy
response.
•
Indicators measure what the community cares about and track
whether the community is moving in the right direction. Without
indicators, it is difficult to know whether progress is being made on
important issues.
•
Those metrics provide essential guidance for action and key tools for
appropriate engagement of the public.
•
Most successful projects have three characteristics in common:
o
The community created a vision of its future that balanced
economic, environmental, and social needs. This future is
long-term – not in the order of years, but for decades or
generations.
o
The vision incorporated the views of a wide cross-section of
the community.
o
The community decided how to keep track of its progress in
reaching that vision.
Asset-based
Community
Development
(ABCD)
•
A methodology for the sustainable
development of communities based
on their strengths and potentials. It
involves assessing the resources,
skills, and experience available in a
community; organizing the
community around issues that move
its members into action; and then
determining and taking appropriate
action.
•
This method uses the community's
own assets and resources as the
bases for development; it empowers
the people of the community by
encouraging them to utilize what
they already possess.
•
Key principles:
o
Everyone has gifts and something to contribute
o
Relationships build a community – people must be connected
in order for sustainable community development to take
place
o
Citizens at the centre – citizens are actors, not recipients
o
Leaders involve others – broad base of community action
o
People care – challenge notions of ‘apathy’ by listening to
people’s interests
o
Listen – decisions should come from conversations where
people are heard
o
Ask – asking for ideas is more sustainable than giving
solutions
