Desmond M. Connor
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Internet Tutorial on
Public Participation
with Desmond M. Connor
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Public participation is a systematic way to identify and understand your different publics, provide them with relevant and understandable information, and work with them to resolve their concerns about your proposed project, program or policy. The objective of a public consultation program is to generate informed, visible, majority public understanding, acceptance and support for a valid proposal.
New policies, programs and projects proposed by government agencies and corporations often become controversial. The objective of this tutorial is to provide you with a systematic approach to preventing and resolving public controversy by applying the concept of "Constructive Citizen Participation". Implementing this approach will involve making a strategic analysis of the community or residents of the area involved, providing effective two-way communication of relevant information through written materials and several kinds of meetings, and involving interested citizens in a problem-solving process to deal with their concerns.
Through our tutorial, you will receive a copy of our Public Participation Manual and will review our 25-minute instructional video. You will emerge from the tutorial with both increased competence in public participation and increased confidence to apply it to your work situation.
Benefits
As a result of this Internet Tutorial, you will:
- understand the concept of "Constructive Citizen Participation"; see people as partners rather than as problems
- gain insights into the changing social, political and economic climate, and why people resist change
- discover a strategy to prevent and resolve public controversy by activating, and gaining the co-operation, of the usually silent majority
- learn eight practical techniques to implement this public participation strategy, especially the community social profile, the responsive publication, the open house and the planning workshop
- design an effective and efficient public participation program for one of your own projects
- discover how to convince senior management of the need for public participation
- enjoy the tutorial format which enables us to focus on your particular interests and situation, at whatever time is appropriate for you - and with no travel costs!
Who Should Enrol?
Project managers, planners, policy makers, technical specialists . . .
Program
1. Introduction
You review my overview paper: "Preventing and Resolving Public Controversy", and other papers of interest, in the Library at www.connor.bc.ca/connor You may do so right now.
2. Registration
a. You email me:
- a biographical note describing your educational background, work experience, current position, and a brief outline of your organization
- 3-5 questions, issues or concerns (Personal Learning Goals) that you have about public participation which you want to work on now; if some are more important than others, rank them High, Medium and Low in priority
- a brief description of a forthcoming project, program or issue for which you would like to develop a public participation program
- a completed registration form, including an agreement to respect copyright on the video and your VISA authorization or other payment for one-half of the registration fee.
3. Instruction
- I will email acknowledgement of your registration, with comments and suggestions on the information you have provided, and I will courier (North America) or airmail (overseas) a copy of my Public Participation: A Manual and my 25-minute instructional video: "How to Prevent and Resolve Public Controversy", plus three pages of discussion questions for use after each of the video's three segments. One or more relevant case studies or other papers from my Constructive Citizen Participation: A Resource Book will be included as appropriate for your interests and situation.
- You review the manual and video, email your responses to the video's discussion questions and return the video to me by courier or airmail a week after you receive it.
- I respond to your email and also to your initial Personal Learning Goals.
4. Design Practicuum
- You apply the Program Design and Program Management framework (see "Preventing and Resolving Public Controversy") to your forthcoming project and email me Draft #1 of your program design.
- I review your Draft #1 and email my comments and suggested improvements for the next draft. You develop Draft #2 and email it to me for my further comments and suggestions. This process continues until both you and I are satisfied that you have an effective and efficient program design.
5. Conclusion
- You identify and email me any remaining questions, issues or concerns you have about public participation.
- I respond to these points.
- You complete a brief evaluation and make the final payment for the tutorial. I will mail you a signed Certificate of Completion.
Estimated Completion: 2 - 4 weeks.
Technical Notes
The 1/2" 25-minute video is available in both NSTC and PAL formats; it will be available soon on the Net in a streaming video format. Access will depend on your bandwidth, equipment and software. The video and manual are also available in Spanish; the video may also be available soon in CD-ROM.
While many practitioners are adopting the World Bank's usage that "public involvement" is a generic term, "public consultation" is advisory in nature, and "public participation" means shared decision-making, these usages are by no means universal. In a recent AltaVista search, there were 71,000 pages about public participation, 35,000 on public involvement and 32,000 on public consultation.
Biographical Note
Desmond M. Connor is an applied sociologist-anthropologist (Ph.D., Cornell University, 1963) with an international practice in public participation. During the last 30 years, he has completed over 300 projects, mostly in Canada, some in the U.S. and since 1996 in the Philippines, Costa Rica, Portugal, Panama, Australia and Europe for the EC in Brussels and Athens. See www.connor.bc.ca/connor for his Biographical Summary, resumé etc.
Registration
$395 (in Can$ in Canada, plus 7% GST #101096378); U.S. and overseas registrants, please make payment in US$. In North America, payment may be made by cheque or VISA; for overseas registrants, VISA and bank wire payments are accepted; details for the latter will be provided on request. Please pay $200 with registration and the balance on completion of the tutorial. This introductory price may be adjusted once the number of hours required per tutorial is established. Registrations will be accepted in the order in which they are received.
Tutorial fee includes tuition and study material only. Use of the video is subject to a licence agreement whose terms and conditions will be provided. Registrants are responsible for all customs, import fees, duties, handling charges, taxes etc. Package will be marked "Educational Video On Loan" to minimize border costs and problems; be sure to put this on your return package also.
To register for this Internet Tutorial, fill out the Registration Form on our secure server.
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DESMOND M. CONNOR
"Improving the Practice of Public Consultation"
407-5332 Sayward Hill Crescent, Victoria, BC, V8Y 2H8
Voice: 250-658-1323 Fax: 250-658-8110
connor@connor.bc.ca www.connor.bc.ca |
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