Public Engagement Made Easy A Guide for Planners and Policymakers

Local leaders don?t need to become professional facilitators or hire expensive consultants to run a great meeting. Public Engagement Made Easy offers practical and affordable methods that bring ease to one of the most challenging aspects of any local leader?s role: involving the public. The tools and techniques in this book will empower planners, public managers, decision-makers, and other leaders to implement effective public engagement programs that build trust within communities and contribute to successful decisions that stand the test of time.

1. Introduction PART ONE 2. When public engagement goes sideways 3. What is public engagement? 4. Mistakes and bad techniques 5. Why no one wants to do public engagement: Common objections 6. The benefits of public engagement PART TWO 7. Three rules of public engagement 8. How decision science makes public engagement easier 9. How to prepare for successful public engagement: Preparation is the path to easier public engagement10. How to select the right techniques for each stage of your decision 11. Facilitation techniques for (almost) any occasion 12. Measure success 13. Social media & online engagement techniques 14. Appendix A: How-to materials

Susan Charland, AICP, is a city planner, facilitator, and public engagement specialist. She has dedicated her career to helping local government leaders successfully engage with their communities. Charland provides training sessions on engagement techniques and has spoken about the topic at conferences around the US.