 Public Participation Needs a 4WD: A FableDesmond M. Connor
Many entrepreneurs encounter technical or financial problems during the project development process and usually deal with them effectively. However, the inadequate planning and implementation of programs to deal with public concerns, identified or unexpected, are often the cause of expensive delays, major revisions or even the abandonment of a proposal. How to deal with this volatile political factor? A deficient answer is the Achilles heel of many proposals, corporate and governmental. One of the wheels of this mythical 4WD is a systematic understanding of the community or the people in the region affected by the proposal. This knowledge can be obtained by preparing a Social Profile* of the community or region; others call it a social or cultural map. Many fine proposals founder because, in the absence of this systematic understanding, managers make assumptions, one or more of which often turn out to be invalid. Another wheel is an appropriate set of techniques, from the core elements of the Responsive Publication, Open House and Planning Workshop* to supplementary methods like the reference centre, media relations, meetings with organizations, the advisory committee and the telephone survey. In many cases, managers place a heavy reliance on one technique, e.g. the advisory committee, without realizing its limitations and supplementing it as required. The social profile will identify the techniques commonly used by local organizations to resolve current issues; these may well be useful in the public participation program. The third wheel is the design of an appropriate public participation program. Just as a cook can make quite different products from the same set of ingredients, depending on the proportions and sequence of use, so too a manager can create quite different programs using the same techniques in a different sequence, frequency and timing. There are at least 15 design issues which need to be addressed in developing a sound public participation program - see the Design Maze.* The fourth wheel on this mythical 4WD is the management of the proponent's organization, whether a company or a govt. agency. Interested citizens expect a real-time response from the proponent; this requires an organization which is attaining its goals, adapting to changes in its environment, managing its work flow and the tensions which develop when work is done, and developing and maintaining its esprit-de-corps. These issues are addressed by the field of organization development. Internal communications systems need to ensure that information gets in to the organization readily, travels across to different departments which need to be informed and moves up through middle to senior management without excessive screening. When decisions are made in response to public concerns, the results need to reach staff and citizens as soon as possible. A communications audit may be worthwhile. Furthermore, the level and quality of participation with the general public will not be any better than the level and quality of staff participation within the organization; participative management is essential. Before embarking on a public participation program, check the tires on your 4WD:
Conclusion During the last six months, I have reviewed a number of manuals on public participation. Most seem to focus on techniques, the tyranny of tools, with lists of ways to disseminate information and obtain feedback. None addressed the initial priority to really understand the people of the community and its structure, processes, culture and history. Similarly, there was little recognition of the importance of program design and how, no matter the brilliance of a program, it will fail if the parent organization is functioning poorly. All four of these factors need to pull their weight; if one does not, success is in jeopardy. Reference * Connor, D.M., Public Participation: A Manual, Development Press, Victoria, B.C., 1997. Acknowledgement Des. Connor is an applied sociologist with an international practice in public participation; he is also the principal of Connor Development Services Ltd., of Victoria, BC, Canada.
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