How we engage with participants is pivotal to success when it comes to facilitating change.
We created the following manifesto to let others know how we approach public engagement and
change-making. Along with IAP2’s seven core values, the following informs and guides our
work.

A hybrid solution makes sense, and it’s a model I’m going to try in the coming weeks. I feel quite confident facilitating virtual sessions after months of trial, error, and adaptation. But mixing groups in-person and virtually brings with it another set of challenges and opportunities to work with.

From rebuilding proposals after a city is hit with disaster to post-pandemic reopening plans, public engagement efforts by governments and other organizations are on the rise. There’s no question that getting input from stakeholders can result in better decisions, but with email inboxes full of survey requests and invitations to brainstorming sessions, it can feel like a lot for those you’re asking to participate. So, when is public engagement necessary, and are there some decisions you’re better off making without it?

Like every other sector, public engagement planning and facilitation had to find a way to carry on during the pandemic. That meant changing how we engaged with stakeholders. In a profession heavily dependent on in-person interaction and dialogue, practitioners had to find other ways to support meaningful engagement. So, now that we are starting to see a post-pandemic world opening up, will public engagement practices go back to “normal”? I hope not.

At first glance, the checklist below might seem pretty basic, but I can tell you from experience that when the pressure is on, it’s easy to forget these essentials. Virtual presentations and training sessions are not going away any time soon, so keep this checklist next to your notes to save your mental energy for the task at hand--your online session.