As a local government leader, you understand civic engagement is vital to increasing citizen satisfaction, improving community relations and assisting with community planning and local decision making. But, are you using the latest tools and techniques to engage your community as effectively as possible?

The Center for Management Strategies will reprise its very successful,  full-day workshop on Thursday, July 17 in Boston, Massachusetts.  This fast-paced, hands-on workshop led by engagement experts will cover the latest participation trends and best practices. Civic engagement is no longer just about “three minutes at the microphone” public meetings. Communities can now use a range of strategies, from deliberative face-to-face processes to online engagement strategies  to Participatory Budgeting, for productive public participation.

Workshop participants will:

• Analyze the strengths and limitations of the most common engagement practices;
• Gain insights into new strategies and processes through case studies;
• Learn about the CMS Civic Engagement Assessment Tool;  and
• Identify first steps towards building an effective, long-term, and multi-faceted civic engagement plan for communities.

This workshop will be held at Tuffs University as part of the Frontiers of Democracy conference.  Attendees can register only for the workshop or they can register for both the workshop and the Frontiers of Democracy Conference. The Frontiers of Democracy Conference brings together leaders in the field of civic engagement, including practitioners, researchers, public managers, and funders.  The conference is hosted by Tufts University and organized by the Tisch College of Citizenship at Tufts, the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, and the Democracy Imperative.  Frontiers features short presentations and interactive learning exchanges on the latest developments, greatest challenges, and cutting-edge questions in democratic governance.

For more information on the workshop or Frontiers Conference, or to register, visit icma.org/workshopce