Effective Communication and Citizen Involvement

Introduction
Reference Sources
Documents by Subject
Links

Introduction

Opinion polls and a growing docket of initiatives signal that citizens do not feel that local officials listen to them, or that citizens have significant influence on community decisions. Government officials may need new tools for better gauging and understanding the preferences and needs of constituents in increasingly diverse communities. Polls also indicate that the average citizen is acutely aware of government shortcomings, but far less conscious of the day-to-day benefits government provides. The message about government failures has been more vigorously promoted than the story of its successes and the services offered by government. Cities and counties need to be more vocal about the value of government and the mutual responsibility of all citizens to make it work.

This Web page presents ideas and examples of successful communication tools that local governments can use to (1) keep citizens informed about community issues and services, (2) to obtain feedback about citizen concerns and, (3) to engage citizens in shaping community direction, improvement programs and services. It also presents information and techniques for better communicating what local government is and what it does for us. This Web page emphasizes communication approaches that deliver a clear, focused, honest message in convenient, comfortable settings. The lists of examples are annotated to help you find approaches that best fit your community's needs.

If you have information to share, or are aware of other sites we should link to, please contact Sue Enger, Planning Consultant at senger@mrsc.org, or call at (206) 625-1300.

Reference Sources

GMA early & continuous participation (RCW 36.70A.140)

Documents By Subject

Guides and Toolboxes

Public Participation Toolbox - International Association for Public Participation - concise overview of techniques, advantages and disadvantages.
Public Participation Spectrum - International Association for Public Participation.
"Strategies for Reconnecting Citizens and Government", MRSC Focus, June 2001 - This MRSC Focus paper summarizes the information and materials on MRSC's Effective Communication/Citizen Involvement web pages.
Governments are from Saturn...Citizens are from Jupiter: Strategies for Reconnecting Citizens and Government, MRSC, 1998 - Innovative approaches and examples.
Innovations in Public Involvement for Transportation Planning - prepared by Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1994 – good overviews of participation techniques, advantages, drawbacks and costs.
URP Toolbox Alphabetical Tool List, Urban Research Program, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia - profiles 63 types of participatory processes such as citizen juries, deliberative opinion polls, focus groups, and more traditional public meetings. Includes advantages and disadvantages, appropriate uses and other information.
Putting the People into Planning: A Primer on Public Participation in Planning, University of Oregon Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management - Although Oregon-oriented, provides useful "how-to" information.
Creating a Sense of Value: Building Citizen Commitment - Course materials and very useful tips, AWC Workshop PowerPoint presentation by John Daly, March 14, 2001, SeaTac, WA.
Public Deliberation: A Manager’s Guide to Citizen Engagement, Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer and Lars Hasselblad Torres, IBM Center for the Business of Government, 2006 – New report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government documents a range of tools and techniques to increase two-way communication and citizens’ involvement in communities and government.
Shaping the Tools of Re-Invention: Good Citizens, Better Communities by Dave Davis, President, Initiatives, Local Government Commission copyright, 2004 – Brief overview of several useful techniques.