Outreach Flashcards
Coffee Klatch
Small meetings within
neighborhood usually at a person’s
home
City Walk
This technique used to sensitize people to community problems and opportunities. In this technique a group of community leaders re-experience their community and then draw on their observations to recommend planning policies or standards. The planners role is to provide specific instructions for the participants to experience the community and then record their observations. These observations are then shared in a workshop.
Take a Walk in the City
Plebiscite
Ballot or vote on a specific issue
Bridging
A technique that planners can use to reframe controversial issues, responding to opponents while also recasting how the issue is viewed. The trick is to use transitional phrases to stay on message when asked a question that could take you off topic.
How should a planner handle media?
APA suggests the need to proactively build relationships with reporters. Planners do not need to wait for reporters to call, they should cultivate media contact, issue press releases or writing letters to the editor, for example. The focus is on communicating the benefits and positive outcomes of planning.
Media should also be used in the visioning process.
Should social media be used?
Social media is now a must for planning communication. Navigating the associated First Amendment issues can be difficult, and although social media has been around for 10 years, there is a lack of case law about how to use social media for municipalities and public entities. One rule of thumb is that planners should not automatically delete a negative comment. They can however, screen comments that are obscene, personal or mean-spirited (see the comments policy for Annapolis, Maryland).
Facebook, Twitter, Insta, Blogs, etc.
What layers does a Message Pyramid have?
A Message Pyramid consists of a Key Message on top, a First Proof layer in the middle, and a Second Proof layer at the bottom. Key Messages should be long-lasting and consistent statements, regardless of situation. They should create an environment and a belief system among your key audiences.
Appreciative Inquiry Process
Envision and form goals for a positive future based on inspiring stories and what’s currently working. Highly engaging, grassroots style. Connects the community by
celebrating stories that reflect the best of what is and has been.
Appreciative Inquiry is a facilitated process to discover past and current practices that inform and inspire participants as they strive to collaboratively create and implement an ideal future. Unlike many decision-making processes that focus on what is not working, Appreciative Inquiry focuses on what is already working or and where people want to increase what is working. It does not focus on the identification or solving of problems, but rather envisioning and creating a positive future. It involves selecting topics of shared interest for inquiry, conducting structured interviews to bring out stories that reveal the best of the past – or what has worked – and identifying themes to help plan the future. Appreciative Inquiry is a systematic process that uses the art and practice of asking questions and building upon stories to foster innovation and imagination.
Citizen Jury
Small group of ordinary citizens empanelled to learn about an issue, crossexamine witnesses, make a recommendation. Always nonbinding with no legal standing.
Resource intensive. Public can relate to “citizens” on board.
Computer-Assisted Meetings
Any meetings where computers are used to assist getting opinions
Immediate graphic results prompt focused discussion
Areas of agreement/ disagreement easily portrayed
Minority views are honored
Responses are private
Levels the playing field
Deliberative Dialogues
A deliberative meeting to bring a small group of people (8-20) together on a complex/controversial issue, where there is a lot uncertainty about the solution, to find a common ground of action.
Deliberative Polling Process
Measures informed opinion on an issue
Can tell decision makers what the public would think if they had more time and information
Exposure to different backgrounds, arguments and views
Resource intensive
Often held in conjunction with television companies
2- to 3-day meeting
DIALOGUE TECHNIQUES
An intentional form of
communication that
supports the creation of
shared meaning.
The group engages in “the art of
thinking together” and creates
shared meaning on a difficult issue.
A new understanding of a problem
or opportunity emerges.
FISHBOWL PROCESSES
meeting where decision makers
do their work in a “fishbowl” so
that the public can openly view
Transparent decision making.
Decision makers are able to gauge
public reaction in the course of
their deliberations.
FOCUSED CONVERSATIONS
A structured approach to exploring a challenging situation or difficult issue
by using a series of questions marranged in four stages:
Objective — Review facts
Reflective —Review emotional response
Interpretive — Review meaning
Decisional — Consider future action
FOCUS GROUPS
Good for getting together key stakeholders to either discuss a critical issue or present a planning initiative and present it to them first.
OR
Message testing forum with randomly selected members of target audience. Can also be used to obtain input on planning decisions
Provides opportunity to test key
messages prior to implementing
program
Works best for select target
audience
May require payment of participants
FUTURE SEARCH
Focuses on the future of an organization, a network of people or community
Can involve hundreds of people simultaneously in major organizational change decisions
Individuals are experts
Can lead to substantial changes across entire organization
OPEN SPACE MEETINGS
Participants offer topics and others participate according to interest
Important to have a powerful theme or vision statement to generate topics
Provides structure for giving people opportunity and responsibility to create valuable
product or experience
Need a facility to accommodate potentially a large group of people
Important issues can get lost in the shuffle
PANELS
A group assembled to debate or provide input on specific issues
Most appropriate to show different news to public
Panelists must be credible with public
Provides opportunity to dispel misinformation
Can build credibility if all sides are represented
Public Hearings
Formal meetings with scheduled presentations off ered. Typically, members of the public individually state opinions/positions that are recorded
No dialogue - ineffective at building public participation and consensus.
Opportunity for public to speak about an issue
Can perpetuate a “us” vs “them” mentality
Public Meeting
An organized large-group meeting usually used to make a presentation and give the public an opportunity to ask questions and give comments. Public meetings are open to the public at large
Participants hear relevant information and have an open opportunity to ask questions and comment. People learn more by hearing others’ questions and comments. Legal requirements are met
The meeting escalates out of control because emotions are high. Facilitators are not able to establish an open and neutral environment for all views to be shared.
Samoan Circles
Leaderless meeting that stimulates active participation
4 people sit in the center who talk, others observe, switch out
10-500 people
Can have intimate discussions with a large group of people
STUDY CIRCLES
A highly participatory process for involving numerous small groups in making a diff erence in their communities.
Study circles work best if multiple
groups working at the same time
in diff erent locations and then
come together to share.
Large numbers of people are
involved without having them all
meet at the same time and place.
SYMPOSIA
A meeting or conference to
discuss a particular topic involving
multiple speakers.
Provides an opportunity for presentations by experts with diff erent views on a topic. Requires upfront planning to identify appropriate speakers. Needs strong publicity.
WORLD CAFES
A meeting process featuring a series of simultaneous conversations in response to predetermined questions Participants change tables during the process and focus on identifying common ground in response to each question
Room set-up is important. The room should feel conducive to a conversation and not as institutional as the standard meeting format. Allows for people to work in small groups without staff facilitators. Think through how to bring closure to the series of conversations.
Nominal Group Technique
A group process involving problem identification, solution generation, and decision making that can be used for groups of any size that want to come to a decision by vote. This allows for everyone’s opinions to be considered by starting with every group member sharing their ideas briefly. Someone is creating a list of ideas. Duplicate solutions are deleted. Participants then rank the solutions. The rankings are then discussed. This can lead to further ideas or combinations of ideas. The solution with the highest ranking is selected.
Brainstorming
An informal approach to gathering input in the initial stages of a project, or in trying to determine goals. It usually occurs within a small internal group setting, such as planning staff, agency leads, or commission members.
Mediation
A method in which a neutral third party facilitates discussion in a structured multi-stage process to help parties reach a satisfactory agreement. The mediator assists the parties in identifying and articulating their interests and priorities. The agreement typically specifies measurable, achievable, and realistic solutions. The final agreement is typically in writing. This is a dispute-resolution process that is typically used to help resolve conflict without involving the court system.
Facilitation
Uses a person who does not have a direct stake in the outcome of a meeting to help groups that disagree work together to solve complex problems and come to a consensus. The facilitator is typically a volunteer from the community who is respected by all groups. In some cases, a professional facilitator is hired to assist in running the meeting.
Ripple Effect Mapping (REM)
A method used in evaluation to engage key stakeholders in assessing the impact of community engagement. Participants look back over a period of time and create a visual map of direct or indirect impacts of community engagement.
Who made the Ladder of Citizen Participation?
Sherry Arnstein
What are the three overall types of citizen participation according to Arnstein?
1) Citizen Power
2) Tokenism
3) Non particiaption
What are the 8 steps of the ladder of citizen participation?
Citizen Control, Delegated Powers, Partnership
Placation, Consultation, Informing
Therapy, Manipulation
Do mail surveys have high or low response rates?
Low (20%)
What is the Oregon Model?
First place to do Community Visioning
5 Steps:
1) Where are we now?
2) Where are we going?
3) Where do we want to be?
4) How do we get there?
5) Are we getting there?
community benefits agreements (CBAs)
A Community Benefits Agreement or “CBA” is a contract signed by community groups and a real estate developer that requires the developer to provide specific amenities and/or mitigations to the local community or neighborhood. Site-specific community benefits agreements (CBAs) ensure that particular projects create opportunities for local workers and communities.
When interviewing a resident about their opinions, what kind of statistical bias are you most likely to experience?
Recall bias occurs when interviewees present incorrect accounts or inaccurate data due to shortcomings of their own memory. This could easily happen in an interview setting.
The correct answer is:
Recall bias
Which of the following statements about community benefits agreements (CBAs) are not accurate?
a. Agreements may not be enforceable if the coalitions who signed them dissolve after signing.
b. Agreements can be private contracts or contracts enforced by local governments.
c. Agreements cannot promise local hiring quotas.
d. Agreements must be related to one specific development project.
Several CBAs have used local hiring as one of the enumerated benefits agreed upon by developers and community groups, notably one of the first CBAs, an agreement between Staples Center developers and Los Angeles residents.
The correct answer is:
Agreements cannot promise local hiring quotas.
