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

• Features:  following the Annual General Meeting, President Leah Jaramillo looks at the organization’s growth and accomplishments throughout 2017; Stacee Adams tells us about an opportunity to get involved in the new Ambassador Program, spreading the message of participation and IAP2 USA; Anneliese Apel tells us about changes happening with social media; and we’ll give you details of an increase in membership fees. As well, another opportunity to earn your Certification is coming up, and the 2019 North American Conference, yes we are talking 2019 already, will be in Charlotte, NC, and you have a chance to be part of the Steering Committee. 
• Events: Speaking of Conferences, we’ll tell you about more of the sessions you can look forward to at the IAP2 North American Conference in Victoria; trainers are needed for the next Skills Symposium, next February in Austin, TX; and we’ll look back on two amazing webinars -- one with two Core Values Award winners and the other about a process that dealt with a very explosive situation in Louisiana. And take a sneak peek at the 2018 National Dialogue
• Interesting Links: Churchill once summed up Democracy in a single word: “insurance”. Think about it. The Guardian has an opinion piece worth reading, on government-by-people versus government-by-experts. And we’ll link you to a podcast from Rail~Volution, our partner-presenter in the upcoming August webinar.
  

Features:

President's Message: Greetings from Austin!

Another annual general meeting is in the books. These meetings are always a nice way to review the progress we’ve made as an organization and an industry in the past year, as well as to answer questions and receive feedback from members. IAP2 USA continues to grow, (with membership now over 1,200), offer new programs and services and host wonderful events. In case you missed them, we had an outstanding skills symposium in San Diego last February and a stellar conference in Denver in September. In between, we launched four new online trainings and have had a series of fun and informative webinars, not to mention all the chapter meet-ups, events and conferences.

Old business, New Business: AGM and Annual Report

Thank you to all who attended the 2018 IAP2 USA Annual General Meeting! It was an opportunity to look back on a very eventful year for IAP2 USA: another successful North American Conference, the launch of online training, young chapters getting traction in Los Angeles and Texas, and the big win by the Dahlia Center in Denver as IAP2 Federation Project of the Year. If you missed the AGM or want to go over it again, you can watch the recording here and review the PowerPoint here. The Annual Report is now out:

Raise Your Hand for Good P2 - introducing the IAP2 USA Ambassador Program!

Growing Good P2 One Connection at a Time

By Stacee Adams,

A few years ago, a colleague and I presented about public participation to a group of public sector communication professionals. To kick things off, we referenced IAP2 Core Value One, “public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process” and asked how many attendees agreed that the public does indeed have this right. Five people raised their hands. Out of 60.

Membership Fees to Go Up July 1 first significant increase in 7 years

As America’s preeminent advocate for and supporter of public participation, IAP2 USA has made it a priority to hold the line on membership fees. But as our services have increased to respond to the aspirations of our members, costs have increased.

We provide monthly learning webinars, Professional Certification, student scholarships, an internship program, the National Dialogue program and the annual Skills Symposium. We support established and emerging chapters, co-host the annual North American Conference and help you keep in touch with other members through our newsletters, e-blasts and presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

And we want to do more including: the launching of the Ambassador Program to promote good P2, the development of a Job Posting Board and resource library. Stay tuned!

IAP2 USA needs to grow in order to support these initiatives, so as of July 1, 2018, the price for an annual professional membership will rise $30 to $180.00 per year. Organization memberships will also increase to reflect the increased professional fee and change format (please contact Jennifer at info@iap2usa.com for specific details); Government organization memberships will also increase to bring them in line with professional and organizational rates. There will be no change to Student and Emeritus memberships. You will see the increase when your membership comes up for renewal.

If you have any questions about this increase, please contact us. Thank you for your ongoing support of IAP2 USA and of good public participation in our country

CERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT RETURNS!

Are you a P2 practitioner, looking to enhance your credentials? The next IAP2 Certification Assessment Center is set for November 30 - December 1. Those who have earned the CP3 (Certified Public Participation Professional) or MCP3 (Master Certified Public Participation Professional) are already seeing benefits for themselves, while companies are starting to search, actively, for certified P2 pros. But get it in gear, because the process is rigorous (as it should be) and the deadline to apply is August 10!

MEMBER PROFILE: Eric Roach

Program Associate, American Planning Association

Where have you worked?

I currently work for the American Planning Association in the Professional Practice department. Most of my job responsibilities involve administration of the AICP Certification programs, exam prep services and anything else related to AICP.
The project that introduced me to P2 is our Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT) program. CPAT is APA’s pro bono technical assistance program that recruits members with a specific expertise to assist communities that lack planning resources. One major aspect of every CPAT is a community engagement event involving P2.

Help Organize the 2019 IAP2 North American Conference

The 2019 IAP2 North American Conference is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina! We need volunteers to help us on the Conference Steering Committee - the following is a link to the job description. This is an exciting opportunity to influence, shape and showcase your leadership skills. Join us this year.

Events:

Have you registered? Get started today!

Registrations are going fast for the 2018 IAP2 North American Conference, Sept. 5-7 in Victoria, BC! Have you signed up yet? (Register here.) Is money an issue? You may qualify for a scholarship to attend the Conference, if you’re a full-time student, a new community advocate or a staff member at a non-profit group (except for government agencies). Download the application here.

Almost as important -- have you booked your room at one of our three partner hotels? The hotels are offering us great rates during the Conference and for the three nights before and after, but the rooms are booking up quickly, too! Find out more here.

What’s on offer? Well, when setting up a public consultation process, have you ever thought that the best practices could be found in a shopping mall? Dave Meslin, originator of the Dazzling Notice Awards, posits that P2 practitioners could learn a lot from Apple, Wal-Mart and The Home Depot, in their customer engagement practices. providing welcoming, engaging environments for customers. User Experience Design: What Governments can Learn from IKEA and Apple looks at the way they provide welcoming, engaging environments, and compares that to the often unfriendly and intimidating world of government spaces and programs.

Did you know that community participation and community well-being go hand in hand? That’s certainly the case in many developing countries, as they look towards sustainable development as the way of the future. In Community Empowerment through Public Participation Process, Caroline Uoko and Dr Margaret Owuor will share findings of case studies in Kenya, where participatory resource management is still relatively new. The studies show the need to inspire and influence communities living next to natural resources, to participate in the management of those resources.

ATTENTION TRAINERS! Time to think about the 2019 IAP2 Skills Symposium!

The IAP2 USA Skills Symposium is heading back to Texas for 2019, and now’s the time to submit proposals for courses. The Symposium -- February 25 - March 1 at the University of Texas in Austin -- is an intensive five days of learning for P2 practitioners, including the entire Foundations course, as well as one-, two- or three-day courses that give greater breadth and depth to your P2 knowledge. If you’re a trainer and interested in delivering a course at the Symposium, have a look at the Call for Training Proposals and make your submission (in Word format) by June 15, 2018. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.

Do you need more information? Contact Amelia Shaw.

Let's get social! IAP2 USA expands its social media outreach

When I began in 2015 one thing became extremely apparent early on... Every member, contact and individual that I have worked with, has the gift of gab. I enjoy listening to your insights, ideas, and dreams, and we want to hear more about you! IAP2 USA is working to expand it's social media outreach. We are excited to announce that in mid-May we started #IAP2mullitovermonday. 

Mull it over Monday will go out via our official Facebook Page, Twitter, and Linkedin, and will cover a variety of topics from polls, to interesting articles, and even questions about YOU! Tell us what you think, share your experience with people from around the world by getting social with us on social media! We would love to hear from you!

But that is not it! In June we will be rolling out Throwback Thursday (#IAP2ThrowbackThursday) where we will be posting some of our oldie's but goodies. Share with you colleagues, reminisce about the good ole days. I have learned so much from you in the past two years, I cannot wait to see what's coming down the line. Lets get social!

Webinar(s):