Beyond Inclusion: Equity in Public Engagement

Question 1

What are the 8 principles of equitable public engagement?

Answer 1

1: Invite participation within an authentic & accountable engagement process
2: Plan early & proactively
3: Establish respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples
4: Engage the internal diversity of a community
5: Work in reciprocal relationship with communities
6: Tailor engagement plans to the context
7: Commit to ongoing learning and improvement
8: Advance systemic equity

Question 2

What can the language of “including diverse
people” mask?

Answer 2

Systemic inequities that lie beneath patterns of underrepresentation in public engagement

Question 3

What can focusing only on “inclusion” in PP perpetuate?

Answer 3

those with power and privilege remaining at the centre of decision-making—engaging the “marginalized” when & if they please.

Question 4

What is “equity” in public engagement?

Answer 4

• sharing power
• communities & leaders collaborate throughout the planning, implementation & follow-up of engagement to genuinely co-create solutions.

Question 5

What does Inclusion in PE mean?

Answer 5

to involve people who reflect the demographic, attitudinal and experiential diversity of the communities that may be impacted by a decision.

Question 6

What does “accessibility” in PE mean?

Answer 6

All members of the communities impacted by a decision can access and fully participate

Question 7

What does “equity” in PE mean?

Answer 7

provides mutually beneficial opportunities for people to contribute
and is mindful of power and privilege within engagement processes, institutions and broader systems.

Question 8

What does “intersectionality” mean?

Answer 8

power structures & individual lived experiences are influenced by multiple aspects of an individual’s identity & social location, including gender, race, socioeconomic background, age and disability.

Question 9

What does “marginalized” mean?

Answer 9

Groups of people who face historic and/or ongoing barriers to participating in the civic sphere due to socioeconomic inequities, lack of political rights or recognition, or other forms of oppression, discrimination or persecution.

Question 10

What is Principle 1: Invite participation within an authentic
and accountable engagement process?

Answer 10

• No pre-determined conclusions or expected outcomes
• Decision-makers genuinely interested in the public’s input
• Responsive to what they hear
• Follow through with commitments
• Communicate outcomes transparently to foster trust

Question 11

What is Principle 2: Plan early and proactively?

Answer 11

Design engagement plan with the aim of maximizing inclusion and equity.
Anticipate & address inequities or potential barriers to participation

Question 12

What is P3: Establish respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples?

Answer 12

Work in a spirit of reconciliation
Acknowledge & equitably address the impacts of past and present-day colonialism
Honour & centre Indigenous knowledge & worldviews
Foster trusting, reciprocal & collaborative relationships

Question 13

What is P4: Engage the internal diversity of a community?

Answer 13

Community members may hold very different perspectives on an issue & may face different barriers to participation.
Apply an intersectional approach to hear from diverse members who may be impacted by a decision.

Question 14

What is P5: Work in reciprocal relationship with communities?

Answer 14

Engagement that’s founded on trusting, respectful, collaborative & reciprocal relationships with communities.
Dedicating time & resources to relationship building
Sharing power to co-create mutually beneficial & accessible processes.

Question 15

What’s P6: Tailor engagement plans to the context?

Answer 15

Tailoring engagement plans to suit the particular topic, objectives, location, available resources, key audiences and individual participant needs.
Distribute resources equitably to meet the needs of those who face the greatest barriers to participation.

Question 16

What’s P7: Commit to ongoing learning and improvement?

Answer 16

Establishing a baseline understanding of inclusive,
equitable & accessible engagement practices.
Develop capacity over time by engaging in reflection, evaluation,
& ongoing professional development.

Question 17

What is P8 Advance systemic equity?

Answer 17

Understand how power inequities, colonialism & systems of discrimination or oppression (such as racism, sexism, ableism, classism, ageism, heterosexism, etc.) fundamentally limit participation in democracies & impact interactions within engagement processes, institutions and communities.
Question long-standing norms, structures & power relationships.
Work to advance diversity & equity in systems and leadership.

Question 18

What are the key steps in P1: Invite Participation Within an
Authentic and Accountable Engagement Process

Answer 18

Engage early, before decisions have been made
Clarify objectives: honest conversations about influence on process & be realistic about constraints
Minimize consultation fatigue: scan recent engagement initiatives, consultation is a finite resource
Report back about outcomes within a reasonable timeframe
Involve communities in implementation (e.g. ongoing AC)

Question 19

What’s one way to rebuild trust with communities?

Answer 19

Provide periodic updates or benchmarks on implementation in months and years after project end date.

Question 20

What are the key steps in P2: Plan Early and Proactively?

Answer 20

Start early: time to carefully map impacted communities, build relationships & conduct sufficient outreach.
Dedicate resources in your budget: support accessibility & establish reciprocity
Research: conversations with community partners, identify inequities & barriers, address proactively.
Work in partnership: with the community on planning process
Maintain transparency: tools, strategies
Advocate: for more time & resources

Question 21

What is the most common barrier to equity in engagement?

Answer 21

limited time & resources

Question 22

How to address working with short timelines & limited budgets?

Answer 22

Critically assess objectives and timelines: be transparent about realistic objectives & trade-offs
Prioritize accessibility needs of communities most affected

Question 23

What’s one of the most important aspects considering accessibility?

Answer 23

co-creating the engagement with people with lived experiences of having a disability

Question 24

What are the key steps in P3 Establish Respectful Relationships
with Indigenous Peoples?

Answer 24

Familiarize yourself with the lands, history, culture, protocols & governance structure
Make time for relationship building
Follow the lead of Indigenous communities: cede power and space for Indigenous people to lead
Prioritize reciprocity: supports economic, social & cultural wellbeing & address their priorities
Centre Indigenous knowledge & worldviews: In consultation, respectfully incorporate Indigenous protocols and cultural elements
Provide culturally relevant health and wellness supports: compensation, time, spaces, materials
Develop an organizational strategy to advance action for reconciliation
Build public awareness: prepare/educate non-Indigenous participants
Determine where engagement process falls in relation to legal duty to consult

Question 25

What are the key steps in P4 Engage the Internal Diversity of a Community

Answer 25

Map identities and experiences which may impact people’s ability to
participate
Set a baseline goal for representation
Make a strategic outreach plan: ensure balanced representation
Monitor gaps: who is missing? who is not in the room?
Avoid assumptions about who can participate
Critically consider group composition: discuss best engagement approach for internal division
Disaggregate data: highlight differences & convergence in communities

Question 26

What is tokenism?

Answer 26

inclusion is merely symbolic, to give appearance of diversity

Question 27

Ways to avoid tokenism

Answer 27

Invite participants based on their interest in the topic: do not expect an individual to act as a spokesperson from a given community
Avoid rushed invitations
Invite multiple participants from each community to hear from a diversity of perspectives
Be transparent: reveal strategies & gaps

Question 28

What are the key considerations in P5 Work in a Reciprocal
Relationship with Communities?

Answer 28

Dedicate time to build genuine personal relationships: drop your
agenda—listen, learn, connect
Partner with community organizations and local leaders
Share power & co-create engagement
Hire local leaders and/or support capacity-building opportunities
Identify meaningful forms of reciprocity
Sustain relationships: ongoing comms & multiple points of contact

Question 29

What are some meaningful forms of reciprocity?

Answer 29

• Financial compensation
• Capacity building & skills training
• Stimulating local economies by hiring local vendors & staff
• Networking, organizing, community building opportunities
• Public acknowledgment or reference letters
• Implementation of community recommendations

Question 30

How to avoid “gatekeepers,” limiting access to particular groups?

Answer 30

Research the history and recent news to identify potential tensions
Respect power structures within a community
Partner with multiple community organizations to reach broader audiences
Map the internal diversity of a community

Question 31

What are the key elements of P6: Tailor Engagement Plans to the Context

Answer 31

Co-create the engagement: in multiple communities, engagement may look and feel different in each context.
Ask people about their individual accessibility needs
Communicate information about accessibility during promotion and
registration
Remain flexible to adapt and respond to emerging needs
Use a range of engagement and facilitation techniques

Question 32

What did SFU/Burnaby do to engage diverse voices in their housing engagement?

Answer 32

10 Community Student Ambassadors engaged with residents w/ barriers to participation, such as low-income residents, newcomers, youth & seniors

Leveraging their diverse linguistic & cultural competencies, Ambassadors initiated small, informal housing-related discussions with over 400 residents from their personal networks

Question 33

What are some key elements of P7 Commit to Ongoing Learning and Improvement

Answer 33

Establish ongoing opportunities for capacity building: training & pro-D
Establish a culture and dedicated times for critical reflection
Incorporate & co-design mechanisms for evaluation before, during & after
Be transparent about shortcomings: apologize, seek input for improvement
Join communities of practice

Question 34

What are some key elements of P8 Advance Systemic Equity

Answer 34

Increase diversity among decisionmakers & public engagement
staff
Acknowledge and address systemic discrimination & power imbalances: space for frank conversations and/or anonymous feedback
Share power and co-create engagement processes
Review & revise policies and procedures that reinforce dominant norms at the expense of marginalized groups
Welcome innovations to engagement approaches & institutional structures

Question 35

What are questions to ask when Decentering Engagement in order to democratize engagement processes?

Answer 35

• Is public engagement a one-way process?
• Who sets the agenda?
• What would it look like for community members to engage with one another, and their organizations, institutions and governments?
• Who prioritizes action steps resulting from the engagement?
• How can conveners cede power for meaningful co-creation?