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IAP2 USA January - February Newsletter

Happy New Year to all! 2019 promises to be a very active year for IAP2 USA, and it gets underway in February deep in the heart of Texas.

In this action-packed installment, you’ll find:

Features:

President's Message: Leah Jaramillo

Leah JaramilloOver the ten years that I have been a member of IAP2 USA, IAP2 has certainly changed and I am proud to have had the privilege of working with so many of you to help it blossom. Since I joined the board, our membership has more than tripled, three new chapters have formed and several more are on their way. New programs including the Skills Symposium, National Dialogue, online trainings, the Ambassador Program and the Taster Series have all gained traction and are providing new ways to connect IAP2 members and colleagues.

Read more!

WELCOME TO THE NEW IAP2 USA BOARD OF DIRECTORS  

BIG congratulations and welcome to the new members of the IAP2 USA Board! Elected to the Board for the first time are Claudia Bilotto, Natalia Henschel and Heather Imboden (pictured below, right to left), and back for a new term are Cathy Smith and Jay Vincent. They’re joining Lisa Carlson, Kit Cole, Deanna Desedas, Traci Ethridge, Tina Geiselbrecht, Gwen HappJohn Poynton, and Steven Wolf.

Caludia Billoto   Natalia Hentschel   Heather Imboden

Meet the board!

Membership Highlight - Group/Government Memberships!

When the US Forest Service took out a Government membership in IAP2 USA, it highlighted a couple of things: first, that agencies like USFS are serious about engaging the public and being supported in that cause; second, that we have a lot of Group Memberships. In fact, of the 1,468 members (as of this writing), some two-thirds are part of a Government or Organization Membership.

What government agencies have joined? Cities from Vermont to California and from Puget Sound to the Gulf of Mexico; there are transportation authorities, energy distributors, state agencies and school districts. Organizations that promote environmental conservation, communications consultants and yes, P2 practitioners: they are all represented in our ranks.

IAP2 USA offers multiple-membership packages for governments and organizations, allowing for groups of varying sizes, all offering significant discounts over individual memberships. The Organization memberships are for groups up to 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25+ persons; government memberships can allow for groups of varying sizes, at significant discounts over individual memberships. Perhaps there’s a group level that suits your company, organization or government agency. Find out more here.

For more information please contact Dina.

Emerging Chapters: An unprecedented explosion

When Orange County gained Emerging Chapter status this past September, it was the first new chapter in IAP2 USA since Greater Los Angeles started in 2015. The new emerging chapter, led by Wendy Nowak, Principal at Placeworks, is one of twelve regions where IAP2 USA members expressed interest in becoming individual chapters in 2018.

The regions where practitioners are expressing interest in Chapter formation include: D.C. – Baltimore Maryland, Upstate New York-Northeast, North Carolina, Greater Atlanta (Georgia), Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska, Texas, Hawaii and in California: Orange County, Sacramento, and San Francisco - Oakland.

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE: Downloadable & Printable

We’re excited to announce a brand-new product for members our Year at a Glance. With so much activity happening around IAP2 USA, it could be hard to keep up. This one-page .pdf document has dates of events and links where you can get more information on what’s happening in 2019. If you or your organization or chapter have events coming up, let us know so we can add it to the list.

Get your copy!

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION -  Evidence-based, Globally recognized.

Did you know the application period is always open? So if you’re ready to take that next step and earn the credentials that show you meet an internationally-accepted set of standards in the P2 profession, you can still submit your application. The next Certification Assessment Center will be in Portland, OR, September 27-28, and the deadline to submit an application for that is May 31.

If you have your CP3, have you considered leveling-up to an MCP3 -- Master Certified P2 Professional? Learn about the Professional Certification Program, download the information kit here and download the application form.

Events:

2019 North American Conference Charlotte, NC, USA

2019 IAP2 North American Conference - call for submissions!

Do you have a P2-related idea to share? A compelling case study? A fresh “angle” that others can learn from and apply in their P2 work? The call for proposals is now open for session presentations at the 2019 IAP2 North American Conference, Sept. 4-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read the Call for Session Proposals and download the application form.

Conference App User Experience ExampleThe 2019 Conference is offering some exciting new sponsorship opportunities, including a new app that will contain all the information Conference-goers will need, constantly updated. Sponsoring the IAP2 North American Conference can be a big bonus for businesses and organizations: download the Sponsorship Package, and find the Sponsorship Form.

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON: The 2019 IAP2 USA Skills Symposium!

2019 Skills Symposium

There’s still time to sign up for courses at the 2019 IAP2 USA Skills Symposium, kicking off Feb. 25 in Austin, TX! The deadline to register is February 21, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to take courses you won’t find anywhere else, like:

Large-scale engagement techniques is designed to show you the best ways of using three very popular tools: the 21st Century Town Hall, Deliberative Polling and Citizen Juries. How can these methods apply in your own work? Learn more and register here.

Are your P2 processes starting to get bogged down by hearing the same voices? Do you feel you’re running out of ways to get a more diverse group to the table and give the unheard a chance to be heard? Meaningful Tools, Powerful Outcomes will show you how to leverage 4 critical tools: the Socratic Circle, Ideas fair, PhotoVoice & Storytelling, and attendees choice! Bring people together and come away with a sense of excitement and know-how to try something different. Learn more and register here.

The importance of good evaluation should not be underestimated. How do you know that your public participation projects are successful? Have you considered the needs of your decision-makers and staff? Evaluating and Measuring P2 will help you determine whether your P2 process “worked”: this two-day course covers theories and practical methods to make sure you’re on the right track. 2018 course participants told us that : “... this was excellent. (The trainer) really engaged and made it participatory in fun ways.” “Very thorough and at a good pace.” “Responsive to our needs.” Learn more and register here.

Make sure you book your room at the Lone Star Court, our host hotel. We’ll see you in Austin!

Webinar(s):



Webinar Rewind –
“Digital Engagement Roundtable”
December 2018

In December, we presented our annual look at digital engagement, with representatives of the organizations that took part in the Technology Forum at the 2018 North American Conference. Patrick Grégoire (Boréalis), Joseph Thornley (76engage), Anna Hauskins (Social Pinpoint) and Colin Ellis (Bang the Table) shared their views on hot-button topics like security and anonymity, and more complex issues like “trusting” online engagement when a decision involves many layers of stakeholders.

Webinar Rewind –
“Diversity & Inclusion in P2”
January 2019

Have you ever considered paying stakeholders and community organizations to take part in your P2 process? That was part of the strategy used when TriMet, the transportation authority serving the Portland, Oregon, region, developed its long-range bus expansion strategy. TriMet was one of the features in the January webinar, which brought together the IAP2 Core Values Award winners for “Respect for Diversity, Inclusion and Culture. Also featured was the City of Surrey and MODUS Planning, Design and Engagement, which won the Canadian award for the way it re-worked the Parks, Recreation and Culture Strategic Plan for a city with one of the more diverse demographics in Canada.


Webinar On-Deck:
February - Large-Scale P2 for Large-Scale Projects
February 12, 2019 - 11:00 AM Pacific


In the US, Williams Energy and the Williams Foundation teamed with Chicago-based Outreach Experts on the routing and building of the Atlantic Sunrise energy pipeline. The project took in ten counties in Eastern Pennsylvania, and the engagement brought ordinary residents, environmental activists and conservation organizations to address as many of the local concerns as possible. Atlantic Sunrise won the General Project Core Values Award and Project of the Year.

In Canada, the Federal Justice Department set itself the huge task of overhauling Canada’s justice system, and its methods for consulting with people on the changes that were needed earned it both the IAP2 Canada Core Values Award for Creativity, Contribution and Innovation in the Field, and Project of the Year honours.

March - Visual Engagement
March 12, 2019 - 11:00 AM Pacific

One of the more “fun” Core Values Awards went to public organizations that used attention-grabbing, eye-catching methods to engage people. The award was shared between the District of Squamish, BC, for its Official Community Plan campaign, and the Region of Waterloo, ON, for its engagement work on solid waste. (Sorry, paronomasiacs: we went through all the lame, juvenile puns and plays on words at the Core Values Awards Gala in September. You’ll just have to imagine them.)

TASTER SERIES  

Anne HardingIn February, the fourth and final entry in the Taster Series deals with an emerging issue in both Canada and the United States: reconciliation and engagement with Indigenous communities (also referred to as Native Americans in the USA). Canada’s the past decade has seen emphasis on righting the wrongs related to relations with Indigenous peoples. On Thursday, Feb. 21 at 11am PST (2pm EST), Anne Harding and Teneya Gwin will lead their Taster, Reconciliation and Public Participation. This is a 45-minute “taste” of their full course, and as with the other Tasters, is free and exclusive to IAP2 members only.

Teneya Gwin

The Taster series is intended to give IAP2 members a short version of full courses: an opportunity to “test drive” both the course and the trainer, ask questions, offer feedback and receive two or three tools or techniques that can be put to use in their own work. When the pilot period is finished, watch for a survey, to determine whether the series should continue.

NEW EDITION: Journal of Public Deliberation

The Journal of Public Deliberation has published a new issue on “Deliberative Democracy in an Era of Authoritarianism.”

This is a special issue that considers the relationship of deliberative democracy and authoritarianism. The essays represent a variety of perspectives how deliberative scholars and practitioners should respond to authoritarian threats to democracy, how deliberation relates to other forms of political civic engagement, and what current political trends may mean for future deliberative research and practice.

How's your profile? Start your spring cleaning early

Check your profile!Have you updated your member profile lately? Member profiles contain information on work location, areas of specialization and training, among other things. That information goes into a searchable database accessible only by current members and is a great way to network online. So please, take a few minutes and make sure yours is up-to-date!

LOOKING FOR WORK? Did you know the IAP2 USA website also contains a Job Board? It’s another member-only benefit: take a look from time to time and see who’s hiring and what skills are needed. And if you’re with a company or organization that’s looking for P2 practitioners, send the information, including job title, description, closing date and a website where interested people can find out more and apply, to info@iap2usa.org. (There’s no charge!)

Chapter News:  

The Midwest Chapter Announces Annual Chapter Conference location details and is taking session applications due February 18! Check out their most recent update!

Cascade Chapter announces upcoming Vancouver PI Network

Interesting Links!  

Interesting Links

Have you found an article that needs to be shared with the P2 Community? Send it to us at ameliaiap2usa@gmail.com!

Blurb from a Blog: John Godec

In his e-newsletter from The Participation Company, John Godec MCP3 writes:

Most Public Participation Sucks

We in the public involvement biz like to pat ourselves on the back about what a good job we do, but it’s healthy to take an objectively critical step back and look at the broader state of the field, and the state of the field described in the following article isn’t good. The first order of business is for institutions to stop doing the things that make things worse and to be honest and authentic. That’d be a start. What do you think?

Upcoming Events: 


Check the IAP2 USA calendar for information on how to register for events.


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