15 Tips for Using

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15 Tips for Using Emerging Technologies in
Public Involvement
AMPO Annual Conference San Antonio, TX October
14, 2004
Dan Bevarly, Director of Business
Development dbevarly_at_neighborhoodamerica.com
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Social, Economic and Cultural Changes Drive
Emerging Technologies

• Todays traditional method for public involvement
  utilizes 16th Century Technology
• A historical design formed when towns were
  small, and more homogeneous.
• Technology leads the way to Change
• - Industrialization
• - Automobile
• - Suburbs
• Dispersal, Displacement and Diversity

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Social, Economic and Cultural Changes Drive
Emerging Technologies

• Public Policy and Decision Making has become
  more critical than ever, requiring more
  involvement from the public and stakeholders
  (Consider Transportation Planning and Brownfield
  Redevelopment)
• Yet competition for the publics attention is
  increased and fierce.

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Social, Economic and Cultural Changes Drive
Emerging Technologies

• Obstacles both Real and Perceived-- formed to
  reach, educate and engage citizens
• Access
• Intimidation
• Lack of Knowledge
• Apathy

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Social, Economic and Cultural Changes Drive
Emerging Technologies

• Emerging Generations have the means to, and
  personal preferences for, new ways to communicate
  and to obtain information.
• Personal technology hardware and the Internet has
  redefined how we work and live in terms,
  especially in how we communicate and inform.
• Opportunities
• Challenges
• Standards are needed for using emerging
  technology.

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The Benefits of Integrating Emerging Technologies
with Traditional Methods of Public Involvement

• A 24/7, 365-day Town Hall Meeting
• Reach and engage a wider constituency
• A more informed and involved citizenry helps
  decision makers
• Public access to data saves printing, postage and
  other admin costs
• Ensure and modulate transparency in the planning
  process
• Browser-based architecture is universal
• Create institutional records develop and share
  Best Practices

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Many Needs, One System
15 Tips for Using the Web to Engage Citizens in
the Public Planning Process
AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Organization of Web-based applications to drive
public involvement

• Think in terms of Web systems, not Web sites.
  
• All forms of information and communication must
  be managed.
• Web Sites Wallpaper. Systems imply
  infrastructure.
• As a part of the project workflow and public
  outreach processes, systems can manage
• - Content
• - Projects
• - Documents and Images
• - Public Comment

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Organization of Web-based applications to drive
public involvement

• 2. Web-based citizen participation is an
  integrated part of the overall public involvement
  plan.
• Not a replacement for traditional processes, it
  supplements and supports other, traditional
  processes.
• Replicate any and all project data and managing
  communications, i.e. notification documentation,
  public comments.
• Drive traffic to project Web site.
• Establish transparency rules early and develop
  full plan for Information Rights Management.
• What content is public and what is limited access
  for project teams?
• That is, who should have access and to what
  information?
• Who has authority to make decisions to publish
  content?

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Organization of Web-based applications to drive
public involvement

• Favor issue-based sites.
• People organize around issues not
  institutions. Use government portals to drive
  traffic to issue based sites rather than as
  destinations.
• Make promises. Keep promises.
• Create clarity for how information will be
  posted and how public comment will be collected
  and used by project team.
• 6. Tailor message to identified communities of
  interest, including use of language and be
  Visual about it.
• Support sub communities in large-scale projects.
• The Web is a visual medium.

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Administration of Electronic Communication in
Public Involvement Projects

• Respect legal standard of public comment with
  full validation, attribution, moderation, and
  consent.
• Decentralize project management create
  information filters centralize information.
• Leads to more informed decision making.
• Public Comment will diverge from voting
  controversies. dont confuse voting and public
  comment standards.
• Public comment by definition is imperfect and
  decision makers are awarded the discretion to
  consider manner of delivery and weight given to
  every comment.
• Remember, consensus is not the same as
  majority rules.
• .

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Electronic Security and Public Involvement

• 8. Keep current all electronic public
  communications and Web site information.
• Meetings, minutes, documents, calendars,
  newsletters, news releases, etc.
• 9. Data base collection superior to email
  collection.
• Email viruses can end an e-mail public comment
  program.
• Can any project manager or team read thousands of
  emails and where is the record?
• Twenty percent (20) of email comments probably
  never arrive.
• 10. Use managed Web sites, with a managed
  service.
• Servers break. Who is watching the system?
• If your government portal is down, is your
  project site up?

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Electronic Security and Public Involvement
11. Allow for creation of an electronic trail and
record of who touches data and when. The Web can
create accountability and tracking. 12. Create
Institutional Memory, or an electronic record,
for future decision makers. A Best Practice
library that can be easily accessed enables
education and training of new staff, consultants,
and constituencies.
AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Future Benefits of Technologies Supporting Public
Involvement Processes Planners with Vision
13. When decision is made to engage, commit all
the way. Understand that the expectation of
citizens that they have easy access, and a right,
to electronic means for public involvement leads
to a trend that leads to a preference in most
cases. 14. Growing broadband availability
provides opportunity to incorporate visuals as a
part of the public involvement process. 55 of
adult Internet users have high speed access (39
at home a 60 increase since 03/03). More than
half (52) of college educated people age 35 and
younger have broadband connections at home. 15.
Finally, involve the media. Not only is
access to public information more readily and
easily available, the Internet enables better
communication and information with media.
AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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The Benefits of Integrating Emerging Technologies
with Traditional Methods of Public Involvement

• A 24/7, 365-day Town Hall Meeting
• Reach and engage a wider constituency
• A more informed and involved citizenry helps
  decision makers
• Public access to data saves printing, postage and
  other admin costs
• Ensure and modulate transparency in the planning
  process
• Browser-based architecture is universal
• Create institutional records develop and share
  Best Practices

AMPO 2004 Annual Conference
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Questions/Comments Welcomed Thank You
Dan Bevarly Director of Business
Development dbevarly_at_neighborhoodamerica.com www.p
ubliccomment.com