Engaging residents and other stakeholders in your community can increase understanding, create better and sustainable decisions, and build trust. But successful engagement doesn’t just happen. As with any process or project, preparation and planning make for better results. There are a number of simple tools that can help you build a successful plan and better manage a public engagement process. Without those tools, you may experience several pitfalls, including:

1. Poorly run meetings. Poorly planned processes invite uncivil discourse and empower those who are most likely to simply attack and oppose others. Effective engagement, in contrast, creates space for productive dialogue at multiple levels.
2. Unclear definitions. If you think you are engaging the public to gain input and information, but participants think they will be making final decisions, there will be friction! Clearly defining and then communicating your purpose will help you avoid misunderstanding and minimize conflict.
3. Unrealistic expectations. Limited resources, legal or regulatory constraints, and the need to integrate processes or train people can affect engagement. To avoid frustration over perceived delays or complaints that the public’s input is being ignored, you need to educate participants about the realities that all of you will need to deal with as you move through the process.

Lack of preparation and planning can invite unnecessary conflict, erode trust, and slow the civic engagement process. If you want participants to become informed and informative partners who can contribute new ideas; help evaluate competing values, interests, and priorities; and work with you through implementation, there are 10 questions you should consider asking yourself and your participants as you develop your plan. Here are three examples:

1. Where Are We Starting From?
2. What Resources Do We Need?
3. How Will We Recognize Process?

Knowing the answers to each of the 10 questions as you develop your plan and then using that plan to evaluate and monitor your progress will help you build a foundation of trust and strengthen relationships and collaborative skills within your community. To access the 10 questions plus other valuable information about creating a successful civic engagement process, purchase and download Civic Engagement: 10 Questions to Shape an Effective Plan today!