DDC Helpline: Question 3

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Question 3. Success Factors and Organizing Tasks

Over the last fifteen years, there has been a rapid proliferation in civic experimentation -- and a dramatic increase in what we know about how to make these projects work. It makes sense to customize your approach according to your circumstances, but there are a number of success factors and organizing tasks that you should consider in almost any situation.

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Successful projects (no matter what the scale):
Communicate clear expectations. Why? Citizens need to know what the process is offering them, and expecting of them. Will they be providing input about basic goals and values, or formulating official policy recommendations, or voting on a policy decision? Will they also be expected or encouraged to take action themselves to help address a public problem? The phrase "public discussion" can suggest a broad range of activities. For success, participants and decision makers need common expectations. What aspects of decisions are open to discussion? This should be stated clearly. It is risky to ask citizens to be "involved" after a major policy decision has already been made, or when the topic is framed so that many options are excluded; people may feel you are not interested in their opinions and the effort will backfire. The organizers and decision makers involved must demonstrate their commitment to the expectations they create as the process unfolds. People need to know that the organizers and eventual decision makers are interested and will take the information they receive into account. If the eventual outcome of the project is a policy decision, it is likely that not all the citizens involved are going to agree with that decision -- but if they feel that you made a sincere commitment to a fair process, they will be much more likely to value the experience and support the decision. Information on the role and commitment of the sponsors or decision makers might include the part they will play in any discussion, what will be done with the information, and how you will follow up. A clear timeline contributes to the idea that public participation is part of a larger, worthwhile process. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Start early. Why? Recruitment and other aspects of democratic governance take time. This doesn't necessarily mean that involving the public in an issue will take longer than not doing so; in the long run, working with citizens from the beginning can help you avoid costly, time-consuming stalemates. There are also situations -- such as during a high-profile crisis -- when recruitment is easier and citizens can be mobilized in a short amount time. But generally, the earlier you start the more you'll be able to accomplish. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Involve a diverse, critical mass of people. Why? To be successful at this kind of work, you must be committed to outreach: the more people you can productively involve, the more successful your efforts will be. You may begin by assembling a small set of key stakeholders or a pilot group of citizens, but if you want to reap all the benefits of active citizenship and build connections for the long term, you will have to think big. A large, diverse, "critical mass" of citizens is almost always more powerful, representative, and effective than a small, homogeneous group. The size of this "critical mass" will depend on the scale of your project. Within a typical neighborhood, 50 residents might be considered a sufficient number, especially if they represent a range of backgrounds. For a city- or statewide effort, your goal might be several hundred to several thousand participants. Processes that focus on federal policy decisions can be even larger. This kind of comprehensive recruitment may not always be possible or worthwhile. You simply may not have enough time to reach large numbers of people. If the issue or decision you are tackling seems particularly narrow or technical, it may be very difficult to reach beyond a small set of stakeholders. The key here is to keep in mind that you may not gain the kind of broad-based political support or citizen capacity that a "critical mass" organizing effort can give you. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Use large and small group meetings appropriately. Why? One of the worst practices in traditional citizen involvement has been to use large meetings for things (like dialogue) that only small meetings can do, and vice versa. Use structured, facilitated small groups for informed, deliberative dialogue, and large forums for amplifying shared conclusions and moving from talk to action. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Allow people sufficient time to talk. Why? It is frustrating for citizens to attend meetings where they feel they aren't being heard. People need the chance to vent their frustrations, compare notes with other people, discuss the information they are receiving, and talk about why the issue matters to them. This kind of conversation establishes trust and allows people to connect public issues to what is happening in their lives. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Present a range of possible views or options. Why? There are always different ways to approach a public issue or policy decision. Citizens need to weigh those different possibilities and talk about which one (or combination of several) makes the most sense to them. Including opposing views also helps to assure that the process will be seen as fair, and that the outcome will be broadly acceptable. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Involve decision makers. Why? The people who have some kind of official role in making a policy decision -- public officials, administrators, commission members, etc. -- will benefit more from the project if they are directly involved. If the process is well-designed, they will get a better feel for what citizens want and how citizens can help; they will also feel greater trust and communication with the public. From the participants' point of view, involving decision makers means that the conclusions reached through the project will be more likely to influence policy. This is also true of staffers and other public employees, who have their own valuable perspectives to offer. Some of the most fruitful collaborations are the ones between active citizens and rank-and-file public problem-solvers like teachers, police officers, and social workers. There is no substitute for hearing what participants say firsthand. This does not mean that a decision maker should lead the discussion, but being a participant can be a real advantage. The optimal role for decision makers will depend on the meeting format chosen, as well as other factors. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Encourage action at a variety of levels. Why? Most public problems cannot be solved without the effort, energy, and ideas of citizens and their organizations (including churches, associations, businesses, and nonprofit groups). Successful democratic governance efforts effect change in a number of ways: by applying citizen input to policy and planning decisions; by encouraging change within organizations and institutions; by creating teams to work on particular action ideas; by inspiring and connecting individual volunteers; or all of the above. The result could be described as policy with a small "p," meaning not just laws and ordinances but all the things that all of us can do to solve public problems. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Include a plan for evaluation and feedback. Why? Far-sighted organizers develop some kind of plan for how they will learn from their efforts: did they achieve the goals they set at the beginning? Were there unexpected side effects? What should be done differently next time? Evaluation can be done in a variety of ways, from extensive research efforts to informal reports and debriefings. Whenever possible, it is important to involve the participants themselves in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Let those who participated, as well as the broader community, know what happened. When citizens know that their input has been taken into account -- and perhaps why the decision went another way -- they are more likely to be interested in future work with you. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Demonstrate better ways for citizens and government to interact. Why? The best democratic governance efforts lead people to wonder "How can we make this the regular way we do business?" In some cases, they lead to longer-term changes in the way that citizens and government interact -- neighborhood councils, recurring planning processes, regular decision-making forums, and other innovations. Need more information on this topic? Yes No

The sequence of organizing steps will depend on the scope and goals of your project. For a city-wide, statewide, or federal project here are the most important tasks to consider:

Key Organizing Tasks
Setting goals for your effort. Why are you trying to involve citizens? What do you hope will happen as a result? Why might the citizens want to take part? Why is this important? The "goals pie" suggests several common reasons for engaging citizens. Your goals -- and the goals of citizens and other stakeholders -- provide a framework for designing your project. Goals help to frame a successful project, from timing (What must happen when?) to evaluation (Was the project a success in terms of its goals?). Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Predicting costs and staffing needs. It is important not to rush into a project this without having a handle on how much time (and, potentially, money) it is going to require. Why is this important? Budgets for these projects can vary dramatically. Some have been conducted entirely on an in-kind basis: that is, the organizing was accomplished by volunteers or by people who did the work as part of their existing jobs, and all of the other elements (food, supplies, meeting sites, etc.) were donated by various organizations. Other projects had budgets that totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. It all depends on the goals, available resources, and design of your program. The most important thing is to understand what it will take to run a successful project, and to have a plan for bringing the necessary resources to the table. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Finding the right format(s). There are many different proven formats for large- and small-group meetings, and for online interactions as well. Choose the ones that best fit the goals of your project. Why is this important? Process is important: meetings that are totally unstructured (or in some cases, too structured) are less likely to succeed. Over the last fifteen years, practitioners have developed a range of different formats to help groups operate effectively. For some of these formats, there are organizations and experts who can provide support and technical assistance. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Recruiting for numbers and diversity. How can you recruit the maximum number of people, and reach many different kinds of people? From the participants' standpoint, why would they want to invest their time in this? Why is this important? Having a critical mass of participants is largely what gives these kinds of projects their power. A large turnout means that: There will be more people willing to devote their own time, talents, and energy to implementing the action ideas that emerge. The outcomes of the project will have a greater degree of buy-in and approval from citizens as a whole. The decisions or recommendations made through the process are a more legitimate expression of the "will of the people," rather than just the desires of a small group. A larger number of people will receive the most immediate benefits of this kind of participation: a feeling of belonging and membership in a community, a sense that opinions and contributions are valued, and stronger connections with other people and organizations. When it is clear that the effort has engaged a broad variety of people, with different backgrounds and opinions, the process and its outcomes will seem even stronger and more legitimate. It will be apparent that this is not simply an advocacy effort, but an impartial democratic arena where people are encouraged to bring different concerns, solutions, and ideas to the table. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Being inclusive by building cultural competence. The most successful projects, with the broadest range of people involved, are often ones where the organizers have a thorough understanding of the way that cultural differences operate in their community. Why is this important? When you are planning a democratic governance project, it is important to consider the various ways that your efforts can unintentionally exclude people. Pay particular attention to how the project will reach people of color, recent immigrants, people in poverty, and other people who have felt -- or have been -- excluded from decision making in the past. The days and times for meeting, the way background materials are presented, the way meetings are organized -- all can make a difference. This can range from a need for childcare, to recognizing that people who work nights may not be available in the evening, to cultural attributes: Saturday may be the day for religious observances and men and women (or teenagers and adults) may talk more openly in separate groups. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Providing written materials. What do people need to know for an informed discussion? Present background materials that give a range of clearly identified views; provide varied levels of detail and reading comprehension. Why is this important? Good background materials give people the knowledge they need to make informed choices. The materials should help people consider all the different arguments or policy options currently on the table. Two main challenges to think about are balance and accessibility: The background information must be factual and balanced. This may be more difficult than it first appears: different groups often have different versions of the "facts." These differences need to be acknowledged in the materials given to citizens. The choices, approaches, or arguments you want citizens to consider must be described fairly, and none of the major viewpoints should be omitted. Accessibility of the information is especially important for the participation of young people, people with lower levels of education, and people who speak little or no English. (Is it provided in plain, jargon-free language? Will translation into other languages be provided? Are graphics, charts, and other visuals effectively used?) Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Working with the media. Newspapers and other media organizations have played a wide range of roles in public dialogue efforts. Why is this important? Daily newspapers and other media outlets can be extremely strong allies for your efforts, and they also present particular challenges. The media has the capacity to significantly assist and enrich a democratic governance project, but it can also raise the level of misinformation and mistrust. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Use the Internet to its full potential. How can online tools help you recruit? Share information? Help participants connect with one another, conduct their own research, and track outcomes? Why is this important? E-mail and Web sites enable you to reach large numbers of people cheaply and instantaneously, and they have become an invaluable recruitment tool for organizers. The more interactive kinds of technologies, including listservs, message boards, blogs, and online dialogues, are also being used to inform and enrich the discussions, form action groups, and allow people across large geographic areas to communicate. Online tools can be used separately or in combination with face-to-face work to support and broaden your efforts. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Supporting action efforts at a number of levels. How can you encourage and enable people to take action on public problems? How can you make it easier to use citizen input in the policymaking process? Why is this important? You will cut short the potential of your project if you do not give people opportunities to do something about the shared issues and problems they face. It should be clear, from the beginning, that participants are expected to lend some of their own time and energy to the action efforts they generate: the project will do more than just create recommendations for others to implement. It doesn't necessarily matter what kinds of actions participants decide to take. The important thing is that they do something: volunteering to help organizations already working on the issue, working in committees or task forces to implement an idea, working within the community organizations they already belong to, or finding ways to affect the policymaking process. Need more information on this topic? Yes No
Evaluating and reporting on the project. How will you summarize and communicate the results of the discussions? How will you evaluate and learn from the project itself? Why is this important? Before your project starts, develop a plan to learn from your efforts as you go along and after completion. Include ways you will put what you learn to work. For most projects, it will be helpful and perhaps even essential to have a written report that summarizes all the input and ideas generated through the project. Who will write this? How will they collect the necessary information? How can participants be involved, so that their views on strengths and weaknesses are included? Your evaluation may be formal or informal, but good records and interim reports can help to keep information from being lost as memories fade. Need more information on this topic? Yes No

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