Canada/US Experiences in Public Involvement

Learning from our Neighbours

C2D2 PresentationMiriam Wyman and Sandra Zagon

Collaboration Practitioners Network Teleconference, January 21, 2009

Convened by US Environmental Protection Agency

Who we are

• Canadian not-for-profit organization

• A learning community of individuals and organizations dedicated to the creation and sustainability of vibrant communities, businesses, governments, not for profits and learning institutions through the good practice of dialogue, deliberation, collaborative action and decision-making processes

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Who we are

• Our members are innovators and practitioners of tools and approaches to dialogue, deliberation and collaborative action – not wedded to any particular model, though knowledgeable about many and wise in their application to a range of conditions and contexts.

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Who we are

• We are multi-disciplinary and work across sectors -- in government (local, provincial and federal), universities, communities, NGOs and business ventures. The diversity in our membership is a source of creativity and strength.

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What we do

• We model our commitment to positive change in the world by supporting each other through learning together and sharing our learnings and resources to become better change agents.

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What we do

• We convene online and at national and regional conferences and gatherings to connect practitioners, organizations and researchers with each other and with those whom dialogue, deliberation and/or collaborative action practices are intended to serve.

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Our mission

• To increase our society’s capacity to have constructive conversations to enhance decision- making and collaborative action, to improve relationships and generate insight and knowledge – in short, to strengthen democracy.

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How we work

• C2D2 is governed by a Board of Directors who come from a broad spectrum of experiences, from across Canada.

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Strategic priorities – 2010-2012

External

• Build network – outreach

• Add value to members

• Build relationships

• Be Canadian D&D thought leader

Internal

• HR and funding plans

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National conferences

• 2005 – Ottawa

• 2007 - Vancouver

• 2009 – Toronto

• Over 850 participants, from Canada, US and outside of North America, including presenters, panellists, key note speakers, from all sectors

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Canadian environmental initiative of note

Alberta dialogue on global warming• CURA (Community University Research Alliance) and SSHRC

(Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) application for action research project on democracy and global warming, submitted under the direction of David Kahane, University of Alberta – decision pending

• Collaborative proposal to engage large numbers of Albertans of global warming and environmental stewardship, as an output of the deliberative democracy workshop held in Edmonton, in September 2009

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Other Canadian national initiatives of note related to the environment

National citizens’ dialogues

• The Society We Want

• Quality of Life in Canada

• The Future of Health Care in Canada

• The Management of Used Nuclear Fuel

• Public Health Goals

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What is/are dialogue and deliberation?

• Two concepts, activities, processes and tools. Different things to different people and serve different purposes. Many definitions.

• Deliberative dialogue – a structured approach to decision-making in which citizens consider relevant facts from multiple points of view, converse with one another to think critically about options before them and enlarge their perspectives, opinions, and understandings.

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Why involve the public

• Reflect societal values

• Provide values lens for decision making

• Reconcile competing values

• Draw on collective knowledge

• Validate policies and assumptions

• Provide legitimacy and sustainability

• Build commitment

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Why involve the public

• Improve health

• Demonstrate accountability

• Demonstrate leadership

• It is the wise thing to do, the right thing to do and a useful thing to do

• Strengthen democracy

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What makes for good public involvement – process integrity

• Clarity of purpose of involvement• Comprehensive information to support citizen

participation – balanced, current, accessible• Freedom to express voice, ideas, concerns and

opinions• Clarity about what will happen with input• Evidence of decision-makers commitment to

respecting and considering public input

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What makes for good public involvement – process integrity • Inclusiveness of voices – people who are

affected by the issue/decision

• Targeted outreach

• Working with local partners

• Data collection and analysis tools

• Feedback to participants

• Evaluation and monitoring

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