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SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › Effective Approaches for Getting the Word Out to Citizens

  Updated 12/05

Effective Communication and Citizen Involvement

Effective Approaches for Getting the Word Out to Citizens

Introduction

Our communities are increasingly made up of diverse groups that have diverse interests and obtain information in different ways. The most effective community involvement programs use a combination of approaches to reach a cross section of citizens. A rapidly changing world and new technology offer new opportunities for quick and cost-effective ways to get out information. Busy schedules mean that citizens will appreciate convenient, comfortable, and quick ways to stay informed about government services and community issues. Citizens may also enjoy combining the responsibility of staying informed with the opportunity for social interaction and even a little fun! Local governments should not forget to get information out about accomplishments as well as what's going on. Here are some of our favorite ideas for getting the word out:

Convenient, Comfortable Settings and Informal Meeting Formats

  • Meeting in a Box (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Spokane, WA - The ultimate in comfort and convenience - a unique, and award-winning self-guided growth management plan workshop designed to be held in living rooms, community clubs or whenever and wherever convenient! Spokane County, WA, June-July, 1996.
  • Port Townsend 2020: Getting Together (Adobe Acrobat Document) - 1993 AWC Municipal Achievement Award winner for "Innovative Public Involvement Techniques," - coffee and growth management in informal settings.
  • Redmond Community Forum (Adobe Acrobat Document) (Redmond, WA) - Provides opportunity for an ongoing dialog between the city and its citizens on a range of issues in a small group format.
  • Mount Vernon Block Parties (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Making information about city government and services more fun at neighborhood block parties.
  • Santa Clara (CA) City Hall Open House - Fun events and information booths to inform the public about city and community services and encourage participation.
  • Bellevue Crossroads Mini City Hall - Program to bring city hall services to a convenient shopping mall and outlying neighborhoods.
  • San Diego, CA Community Service Centers - Over a dozen convenient centers where neighborhood residents can pay bills, obtain licenses, report graffiti or zoning violations, review city documents or obtain other information.

Speakers Bureaus and Presentations to Existing Groups

Reaching Citizens Through Technology - Cable TV, phone-hold announcements, video libraries and e-mail notification

Reaching Citizens Through Web sites (for Announcements, Proposal Information, Meeting Information, Convenient Services)

Citizen Guides, Brochures and Orientations

Newsletters, Newspaper Columns, Flyers, Displays and Media Campaigns

Civic Education for Youth

Citizen Education

Staff Training

Recommended Articles

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Focus on Feedback (Is Anyone Listening?)

Introduction

Local government officials are, with few exceptions, committed to serving citizen's interests and providing high quality, efficient government services. Yet there is much evidence that citizens do not feel that they are being heard or that government is addressing their priority needs. It is increasingly difficult for local government officials to stay in touch with citizens in growing and diverse communities. A rapidly changing world means that traditional approaches for gathering feedback may be less effective today. Formal public hearings have their place, but they can be intimidating. Such hearings may not be the best way to encourage comment from a wide cross-section of community residents and may not fit into citizens' busy schedules. Citizens must have ample opportunity for participation, but an endless series of public meetings can result in citizen burn-out, and a reluctance to participate in the future.  Local governments are trying new approaches to make it easier for citizens to express their opinions and for local officials to understand citizen needs. Opportunities for face-to-face exchanges will facilitate understanding and a balancing of diverse interests. Scheduling convenient times and providing comfortable settings will encourage participation. Finally, citizens must feel that their concerns have been acknowledged and will truly be considered, rather than feel that they have been manipulated or co-opted.

New Fashioned Town Meeting/Discussion Forums/Focus Groups

Effective Meetings

Advisory Committees

Citizen Participation in Developing Community Vision

  • Maple Valley Vision 2020 - A charrette exercise, focus groups and visual preference survey were used to involve citizens in Maple Valley's process.
  • Spokane Charting the Future: The Plan for a New Downtown – 2004 All-America City Award from The National Civic League; 1999 Planning Association of Washington Award for citizen participation.  Introduction (participation process) and Vision and Concept.
  • City of Covington, WA Vision Statement  - concise statement captuirng Covington's vision. 
  • Imagine Rhinebeck (NY) Community Visioning Sessions.    

Community Image/Visual Preference Surveys

Citizen Surveys

Charrettes

Charrettes offer a particularly promising tool for engaging citizens in planning and design processes. Charrettes bring together citizen and stakeholder groups with a team design professionals and other experts in intense, creative work sessions over a short time period. They can kick start a planning or design process and lay the foundation for the ultimate plan or project design. Ideally, charrettes provide a climate that stimulates an exchange of ideas, information, and opinions about needs and solutions. The information exchange serves to educate participants about the needs of other groups, design challenges and the pros and cons of many options. The process promotes consensus-building toward a common vision. The process harnesses the talents and energy of design professionals (as well as citizen participants) to help participants visualize alternatives and to recommend design solutions.

Using Technology to Facilitate Feedback 

Recommended Article

"When They Speak, Do You Listen?"  Elaine Cogan, Planning Commissioners Journal, January/February 1992.

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Involving Citizens in Community Improvement

Introduction

Much of the focus of local government communications programs is appropriately be on keeping citizens informed, consulting with citizens about important issues and needs, and involving them in making community decisions. Local governments that encourage citizens to become directly involved in community improvements may reap further rewards. Some jurisdictions are creating programs that encourage shared responsibility for community problem solving and improvement. In addition to harnessing the energy and ideas of citizen groups toward addressing community needs, such programs ideally provide citizens with a sense of ownership in the community. Neighborhood programs and volunteer opportunities are examples of programs that directly involve citizens in community improvement.

Neighborhood Improvement Programs

Volunteer Programs

Recommended Articles

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Communicating About Government Spending (What We Get for Our Dollar)

Introduction

Tax and budget issues are often the focal points for citizen anger with government. Various polls and initiative actions indicate that citizen anger over taxes may not be primarily about the total amount of the taxes levied (although still an issue). Rather, the main issue may be the feeling that tax dollars are wasted, or are not being spent where citizens would like to see their money spent (e.g., baseball stadiums). Citizens frequently express the feeling that they have little influence over how their money is spent. Some voice their suspicions that special interests drive local decisions. There is confusion over different levels of government and how the tax dollar is split. There is a lack of understanding about the connection between the tax dollars government collects and the services that government provides. Budget documents are often lengthy and obtuse. More focused and understandable messages about budget decisions and tax dollar spending are urgently needed. This page provides examples for city and county officials to consider as they work on ways to better communicate with their own citizens. The approaches will most likely need to be adapted to fit local circumstances.

Examples - Simple, Effective Visual Explanations about Tax Dollar Spending

Budget in Brief

Budget/Capital Improvements Program Process

Budget Guides and Tax Information

Annual Reports/Report Cards

Recommended Articles

  • "Talking with Citizens About Money," Management Information Service, ICMA, October 1997

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Communicating About Government Services

Introduction

The story about what local governments are doing for their citizens may be the "greatest story never told" to quote political columnist, Mark Shields. Most local governments have been far too modest about the day-to-day services they provide. Local governments generally need to expand efforts to get the word out about the variety of services available to citizens, and to do so in language that emphasizes how these services respond to their citizens' needs and interests. Much of the contact that citizens have with their government is related to the services provided. Government's responsiveness to citizens' service needs will greatly shape citizens' perception about the value of their local government.

Documents

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Comprehensive Citizen Involvement /Public Relations Programs

Introduction

Cities and counties should consciously develop comprehensive programs for involving citizens and "telling the story" about what local government offers. The best programs will include staff training (for staff from all departments) to assure that daily contacts with citizens are positive. Local governments may further benefit from creating an office or team to ensure a coordinated effort. Local governments can and should make use of techniques from the marketing world but must focus on delivering an honest message. Efforts to manipulate or co-op citizen support, without addressing priority citizen needs, will only increase distrust in government.

Public Involvement/Public Relations Plans and Guides

  • Public Involvement Policy Report - Vancouver, BC, CA - Recommendations for an improved public involvement program, 1999.
  • Tacoma Public Relations Plan - Plan for an information campaign to "tell Tacoma's story" (Note to Amanda - scan again)
  • How to Participate in City Government, Tacoma, WA
  • Walla Walla, WA Communications Program (Adobe Acrobat Document) - (Resolution 93-39)(Adobe Acrobat Document) Work program launches comprehensive, multi-department effort to improve communications; includes objectives, steps, measures.
  • Public Involvement Planning Guide, Portland (OR) Metro - Guide for departments to develop public involvement plans including forms that aid staff in thinking through an involvement plan.
  • Corvallis (OR) Comprehensive Communications Plan, 2004 - appendices include a listing and evaluation of effectiveness of approaches, and a 3-year action plan 
  • Communications Action Plan, City of Mankato, MN and Mankato Area Public Schools, 2002.  The city and school district develop a joint plan and share a public information director.  (note that pages are scrambled, if read online, becuase of book format). 

Coordinated Programs with Help of Public Information Officer or Team

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Opinion Polls Regarding Confidence in Government

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