IAP2 December Webinar: Social Media & P2 – December 13, 2016

Civic engagement specialist Susanna Haas-Lyons led us through a discussion on digital engagement looking at examples of great P2, and P2 projects that didn't turn out so well. As the public demands a greater say in decisions that affect them, social media is providing a way of casting the net wider and deeper to make sure as many voices are heard as possible. She shared with us how, when and why to use the vast range of digital engagement tools that are out there.

Susanna discussed with us how to approach working with this ever-changing technology and explored questions such as:

• “Is it the cure-all, a replacement for good-ol' face-to-face engagement?”
  
• “How do I pick between engagement platforms?”
  
• “How can I fit social media into my toolkit?”
  

Webinar Recording

Additional Resources

Participant responses to: "What values do you feel good public participation  projects should display?"

Susanna's slide show

IAP2 November Webinar: Core Values Award winners; Organizations & Research Project of the Year – November 8, 2016

Two widely different P2 efforts will share how they won the IAP2 Core Values Awards for Organization of the Year (USA & Canada) and Research Project of the Year.

Organization of the Year

• City of Hillsboro, Oregon – Chris Hartye will share how "Hillsboro 2035" met its objectives – and won the award for Organization of the Year from IAP2 USA. 

• British Columbia Ministry of Health – Shannon Holms will describe how the "Patients as Partners" program is proving effective. IAP2 Canada recipient of the Organization of the Year Award.

Research Project of the Year

• The Jefferson Center and the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University teamed up to diagnose the root of errors in medical diagnosis – either misdiagnosis or missed-diagnosis. Participate in this webinar to find out more.

Webinar Recording

Additional Resources

Organization of the Year City of Hillsboro

Research Project of the Year The Jefferson Center

Canada: Organization of the Year BC Ministry of Health

IAP2 October Webinar: Canada/USA Projects of the Year – October 18, 2016

Theresa Gunn of GCI Consulting with IAP2 USA President Leah Jaramillo	Two widely different P2 efforts shared how they won the IAP2 Core Values Awards for Project of the Year in Canada and the USA. The Maricopa County, Arizona, Flood Control District won the USA award for their Pinnacle Peak West Flood Control Plan. This project was particularly challenging, since many residents had previously opposed a flood-control project because they did not believe their property was at risk of flooding. Theresa Pinto of Maricopa County and Daina Mann of GCI Consulting shared how they developed a public outreach plan.  Lindsay Sutherland, Manager of Primary Health Care in the Nova Scotia Health Authority, joined Theresa and Diana. NS Health won the Canada award for its work in developing Community Health Teams (CHTs) to address health care issues from a variety of angles in individual communities around Nova Scotia.	Lindsay Sutherland of NS Health with IAP2 Canada President Bruce Gilbert
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Project Videos

P2 and Decision-Makers – September 19, 2016

We often look at P2 from the practitioners' point of view, but in the September webinar, we brought together three politicians who have embraced P2 and IAP2 principles in their decision-making process. Meet Dennis Coombs, mayor of Longmont, Colorado, City Councillor Blair Lancaster of Burlington, Ontario, and Council Member Leslie Pool from Austin, Texas.

Mayor Dennis Coombs of Longmont, Colorado

City Councillor Blair Lancaster of  Burlington, Ontario

Council Member Leslie Pool of Austin, Texas

Webinar Recording

Additional Resources

City of Longmont on Community Involvement • Power Point (pdf)
City of Austin Task Force on Community Engagement
City of Burlington Community Engagement Charter • Councillor Lancaster's Power Point (pdf)
IAP2 Canada blog post

IAP2 August Learning Webinar: Conflict Management and Evaluating P2 Processes

These two questions often nag at P2 professionals: How to manage conflict and how to determine how effective a process is. The first White Papers commissioned by the IAP2 Canada Research Committee tackled those issues. Kate Nelischer, author of "Conflict Management and Public Participation" and Karen Zypchyn, who wrote the white paper on Evaluation, led the discussion on August 9.

The number-one recommended evaluation tool in Karen's White Paper is Dr. Julia Abelson's Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (Direct Link). Please pay attention to copyright and attribution for use/adaptation of the tool. The other tool Karen referred to, the Comparison of Participatory Processes tool, is copied and fully presented in the Appendices of the White Paper.

Read the white papers!

Kate Nelischer	Conflict Management and Public Participation, by Kate Nelischer, released March 2016. This white paper aims to meet the needs of IAP2 members by providing insight into current research in the area of conflict management in public participation. It offers practitioners an overview of a number of new and exciting approaches, and demonstrates how they can be applied to the daily work of IAP2 members to support continued growth and improvement in the industry and more effective public participation. Challenges and Advancements in Evaluating Public Participation, by Karen Zypchyn, released April 2016. Of the few studies that examine and include evaluation instruments, they rely on a quantitative method using questionnaires with Likert scales to measure indicators that correspond to evaluation criteria; open-ended questions are also included for qualitative feedback. Solutions for practitioners are limited at this time because of minimal advancements in research; however, two promising instruments might aid practitioners in evaluating public participation initiatives.	Karen Zypchyn
Kate's Power Point	Webinar Recording	Karen's Power Point (including links and contact information) IAP2 Canada blog post

The Changing Face of Indigenous Engagement – June 12, 2016

Bob Joseph	Canada and the United States of America are both signatories to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).  UNDRIP “establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being and rights of the world's indigenous peoples.”  With the United Nations making its Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Persons, what effect does that have on public participation? Do IAP2 principles align with those of UNDRIP? Bob Joseph, the founder of Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc., in Port Coquitlam, BC, was joined by Anne Harding, Indigenous engagement specialist with Suncor, in leading this discussion.	Anne Harding
	Webinar Recording

"Favorites from Portland - 3: It's Geek to Me" – June 14, 2016

Rendering technical jargon and complex concepts into a form people can understand can be a serious challenge for the P2 practitioner. The idea is to communicate to the people affected by a decision, but how do you do it without dumbing it down or stripping out important information? Kelly Spitzley, design specialist with HDR Engineering in Minneapolis, takes us through some of the visual/graphic techniques – and gives a mini-lecture in neuroscience at the same time!

Tools and Traps of Online Engagement – May 10, 2016

Technology can be your best friend or your worst enemy in any profession, and P2 is no exception. Is "Online" the be-all and end-all of engagement? How much is enough? Is all that glitters P2 golden? On May 10, two experts in the field of online engagement reminded us how and why to curb our enthusiasm about online engagement. Kristin Hull of CH2M and Matt Crozier of BangTheTable led the discussion on approaches and pitfalls of conducting engagement online.

Power Point Presentation

Matt and Kristin have very kindly provided a number of resources which you may find useful:

2015 Core Values Award Winners - 2: PROJECTS OF THE YEAR – April 12, 2016

Jeff Cook of Beringia Community Planning in North Vancouver, BC and Dana Lucero of Metro, the regional government in the Portland, Oregon, area, faced unique, yet strangely similar, challenges in bringing their projects to fruition.

Jeff worked with the Pikangikum First Nation in far-northwestern Ontario to help them overcome some serious issues in health care – particularly mental health – which had led to a string of youth suicides. The local Chief decided to work out a home-made approach, and achieving that meant addressing some issues and attitudes that were, in some cases, generations old.

Dana was tasked with bringing citizens onside with a rapid-bus project connecting Portland and Gresham, Oregon's fourth-largest city. The proposed route goes through some of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods, and along with language and cultural barriers, she was also dealing with years of cynicism about regional government and the transit system.

Jeff Cook's Core Values Award Application | Dana Lucero's Core Values Award Application

Project Videos

Favorites From Portland - 1: "INNOVATIVE! VISUAL! PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT!" (from "It's Geek to Me") and "The Engagement Triangle" - Tuesday, March 8, 2016

This month, we present two presentations from the 2015 IAP2 North American Conference that were highly rated by those attending.

Kalin Schmoldt of JLA Public Involvement shows how a variety of visual tools, both low-tech and high, can help get a point across where words just don't make the grade.

Amy Hubbard of Capire Consulting in Melbourne, Australia shares on the "Engagement Triangle," based on three foundational concepts in public consultation.

Amy Hubbard's slide deck | Additional resources from Capire

Participatory Budgeting and the Balancing Act – February 9, 2016

IAP2 USA was excited to partner with the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) in this co-produced a webinar on Participatory Budgeting and the Balancing Act. The webinar featured Chris Adams of Engaged Public, creators of Balancing Act – a tool to help ordinary citizens understand and become part of the civic budget process. (Blog Post, 3/30/2016)

For more materials from the webinar, visit TechTuesdays at NCDD.