Services

Issue Scoping
Public Meetings
Public Workshops
Community Dialogues
Collaborative Problem Solving

Issue Scoping

• Identify issues.
• Identify readiness of parties and willingness to come to the table.
• Explore parties needs for information, ground rules, logistical issues and funding.

Public Meetings

• Provide citizens with information/ education
• Identify citizen concerns
• No option generation, no joint decision-making
• Tools for enhancing interaction: shared meeting planning, small group discussions, surveys, facilitated Q & A

Examples:
o Culpeper, VA: facilitated panel on biosolids
o Citizen questions written on cards and organized by theme
o Facilitated Q/A

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Public Workshops

• Provide citizens with information/ education
• Interaction in small groups
• Focus on generating ideas and solutions for specific issues and problems
• Tools for enhancing citizen interaction: involve citizens in planning, small groups, surveys, multi-media presentations, followup groups

Example:
o Rappahanock-Rapidan Regional Vision
o facilitated county-level and region-level meetings
o steering committee
o tied to regional economic competitiveness

Example:
o Nelson County, VA Watershed Forum
o 2 consecutive days for county-wide meeting; planned by stakeholder steering committee
o Presentations/ education followed by small group discussions
o Event tied to Chesapeake Bay watershed clean-up

Example:
o Shenandoah “Big Gem” brownfields site redevelopment
o Series of community-wide meetings, presentations, facilitated small group discussions, combined with training in conflict resolution and communication

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Community Dialogues

• Focus on understanding, not debate
• Provide balanced information
• Need trusted convenor and facilitator(s)
• Ground rules promote civil discussion
• Recognizes that differences do not have to mean enmity

Example:
o Fluvanna County, VA Public Conversations
o Siting of Circuit Court: Required public referendum
o Series of 4 open meetings
o Facilitated presentations followed by Q/A
o All perspectives given opportunity for presentations; prearranged by facilitator to ensure balance in any one meeting

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Collaborative Problem Solving

• Hears Concerns, Identifies Issues and Shared Values
• Builds Understanding, Respect, and Trust
• Seeks Mutual Gains: Win-Win-Win
• Develops Shared Decision-Making
• Builds Commitment to Implementation
• Different Forms of Collaborative Problem-Solving
• Facilitation
• Training
• Mediation
• Consensus Building
• Community Collaboratives
• Watershed Planning Forums
• Policy Roundtables & Dialogues
• Citizen Task Forces (Advisory)
• Steering Committees

Example of Community Mediation:
o Culpeper, VA rural neighborhood
o Community water supply in Court receivership for seven years
o 4-month process of facilitated open community meetings, small group discussions, and telephone calls
o Agreement developed, approved by Court, and implemented

Example of Consensus Building:
o Bryan Park Interchange Advisory Committee
o Long-standing dispute over 3-highway intersection area and Park
o 25-member representative group
o 22 meetings and 3 public meetings
o Consensus recommendations endorsed by Virginia Department of Transportation

Example of Community Consensus Building:
o New courts facility siting: Charlottesville-Albemarle, VA
o Stakeholder steering committee met for 2 years with occasional facilitation
o Three facilitated public involvement meetings to identify public concerns, develop a range of options, and to obtain final comments
o Developed a selected range of options, with +/- for each option

Example of Consensus Building
o Fairfax County, VA Watersheds
o 10 watersheds; multi-stakeholder community steering committees for each watershed plan
o 4 public meetings to scope issues, draft ideas, review draft and final plans
o Interactive web site, brochures, fact sheets, and watershed academy
o Public and stakeholder groups involved at all critical stages to: 1) identify key issues, 2) frame the problem(s) to be addressed, 3) propose solutions and strategies, 4) investigate approaches and feasibility to achieve proposed solutions.

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