Links and Notes from Roadmap2030

Many of you have likely seen our tweets and posts about the Roadmap2030 conference that was just held in Toronto this month.  More than 400 community organizers, academics and students, public servants, business people and media professionals participated in this important event that focused on engagement, diversity and public policy.

The event organizers have posted session notes and links on their Amplify page (http://roadmap2030.amplify.com/ ). We encourage you to visit the page to check out the great discussions and resources that are available.  Learn more about the conference and other activities at http://www.innoversity.com/roadmap/.

Report: Public Agency Use of Web 2.0 Techn Fosters Enhanced Public Engmt, Efficiency & Effectiveness

According to new report from KPMG, "Social networking and collaboration, the basis of Gov 2.0, are driving the evolution of information exchange and service delivery. Recognising these are important tools for the future of public sector service delivery, we provide an holistic framework for transitioning to Gov 2.0 for better decision-making, efficiency and effectiveness."

See the report and learn more here.

Free Tech Lab Recording Available: BudgetAllocator for Participatory Budgeting

We've just posted the free recording from our recent Tech Lab program featuring the BudgetAllocator tool.

BudgetAllocator, from BangtheTable, is designed to help your community provide intelligent input into your budgetary decision making processes. It’s used to educate and promote community prioritisation when you have limited resources and unlimited expectations.

BudgetAllocator does this by supporting the collection of qualitative and quantitative information about your community’s preferences that can be used to support your decision making. This flexible platform also features include integrated analytics and reporting tools.

You can access the recording here.

About Our Tech Lab Series
Tech Lab is an occasional series that showcases a variety of tools used for engagement purposes.  In each 60-minute program, you’ll learn about each tool’s key features and its capabilities. You’ll get to see the actual tool in use and be able to ask questions if you wish.

These Tech Lab sessions are valuable for…
* Benchmarking the tool(s) you use now against what’s available
* Learning about new or existing tools in the marketplace

They’re also are ideal for narrowing your short list of prospective tools, as you consider upgrading or changing what you’re presently using.

Tech Lab programs are recorded and later made available for on-demand viewing on the PublicDecisions website.

Registration is free of charge for Circle Club members, and no one will contact you about the tool unless you request it.

Report: Painting the Landscape: A Cross Cultural Exploration of Public-Govt Decision Making

Here's news about a new research report on public-government decision making from IAP2 and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. 

From IAP2's recent announcement:

Painting The Landscape

A Joint Research Project of IAP2 and The Charles F. Kettering Foundation

"In 2005 the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and The Charles F. Kettering Foundation began work on a joint research project exploring public-government decision making in seven country/regions of the world: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Canada, Latin America, UK/Western Europe and the United States. 

As a result, this monumental effort has provided those on the research team and both sponsoring organizations with a unique, cross-cultural perspective of the social, political and institutional dimensions of public participation, at the country and at the regional level.  We now are pleased to share these findings with you."

See the report here.

Network for Citizen Science Projects & Resources

Many of you know that one of the topics I'm passionate about is engagement in support of science and technology.  My new favorite resource this week is The Network for Citizen Science Projects & Resources. 

According to the website, the network has four purposes:

• "Enable and encourage people to learn about, participate in, and contribute to science through both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts.
• Inspire greater appreciation and promote a better understanding of science and technology among the general public.
• Create a shared space where scientists can talk with citizens interested in working on or learning about their research projects.
• Satisfy the popular urge to tinker, build, and explore by making it simple and fun for people—singles, parents, grandparents, kids—to jump in and get their hands dirty with science" 

What's particularly impressive is how the group is using the web to promote easy ideas for people to get involved with science; for example, how you can use your phone to record and report on the GOM oil spill.  There's also a way you can add your own project or find a project to work on too, such as a Texas Bee Watchers initiative.  The site is a great model for how we can encourage those of us regular people (read: nonscientists) to get involved with enhancing and protecting our environment in easy ways, everyday.

Collab Governance Case/Simulation Competition, New Winners Announced

News just out from the Syracuse University's Maxwell School on their Fourth Annual Teaching Case and Simulation Competition and also announcing the winners of the 2009-2010 competition:

Fourth Annual Teaching Case and Simulation Competition

Collaborative Public Management, Networks and Public Management, Collaborative Governance, and Collaborative Problem Solving

Competition funding: $5,000 prize for best teaching case, $5,000 for best teaching simulation, and up to ten additional $1,000 honorable mention prizes

Public managers who work in networks often find themselves not solely as unitary leaders of unitary organizations. Instead, they often find themselves collaborating in multiorganizational networked arrangements and with the public to solve problems that cannot be solved, or solved easily, by single organizations. Collaborative public management, networks and public management, collaborative governance, and collaborative problem solving have become essential topics in most public management and public policy programs. But collaboration is not simply a body of substantive knowledge; it is also a set of skills. We believe that one of the best ways to prepare students to operate in networks is through the use of case studies, simulations and negotiation exercises.

To further stimulate the creation of effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations in this area, the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University is sponsoring its fourth annual competition. The competition seeks to encourage the development of new cases and new simulations to be used in teaching collaborative public management, collaborative governance and/or collaborative problem solving. The competition has been funded to award one $5,000 prize for best teaching case, one $5,000 prize for best teaching simulation, and up to ten $1,000 honorable mention prizes.

Case studies should be approximately 15-25 type-written pages (double-spaced). Simulations should include a minimum of 6 players. All entries must include a teaching note.

Selection of the winners will be made by a committee of scholars and practitioners. All cases and simulations must be original and not yet published elsewhere.

Winning cases and simulations are published online and downloadable free of charge at E-PARC: www.maxwell.syr.edu/parc/eparc. Most cases and simulations are published in three languages: English, Spanish, and Chinese. Full credit is given to authors.

E-PARC is a project of the Maxwell School’s “Collaborative Governance Initiative” launched in 2007. E-PARC provides free on-line resources for those who teach collaborative public management, networks and public management, collaborative governance, and collaborative problem solving around the world. We receive an average of 10,000 “hits” per month from 40 different countries.

To enter: Submit original teaching case studies and teaching simulations no later than January 15, 2011. Finalists will be notified around February 28, 2011.

All entries should be submitted electronically to PARCC@maxwell.syr.edu.

Questions should be directed to:
Rosemary O’Leary, Distinguished Professor
The Maxwell School of Syracuse University
roleary@maxwell.syr.edu

View current and past winners at: www.maxwell.syr.edu/parc/eparc

Congratulations to the $5,000 First Place Winner for 2009-10
Rob Alexander, Rochester Institute of Technology
“Addressing ELCA: Facilitating a Brownfield Stakeholder Meeting” Simulation

Congratulations to the $1,000 Honorable Mention Winners for 2009-10
>Angel Saz-Carranza and Albert Serra, Institute of Public Governance and Manage, ESADE-Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
“Managing a Public-Private Joint Venture: The PTB” Case

>Melissa Brazil and Eli Teram, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
“Collaboration Gone Awry: A Struggle for Power and Control over Service Delivery in the Non-Profit Sector” Case & Simulation

>Susan Appe and Judith R. Saidel, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University of Albany, State University of New York
“Collaboration for Civic Change: Connecting High-Tech Growth and Community Well-Being” Case

Free July 20 PACE Webinar on Executive Branch, Philanthropy & Civic Engmt

Brad Rourke writes to invite people to participate in a free July webinar hosted by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement(PACE). The program is at 2:00 pm (eastern) on Tuesday July 20, 2010. Chris Gates, the Executive Director of PACE, will moderate and Brad will present.

This webinar builds on a recent report that Brad wrote for PACE, entitled "An Evolving Relationship – Executive Branch Approaches to Civic Engagement and Philanthropy." The report is based on a briefing paper he wrote for a White House meeting earlier this year between leaders of the philanthropic community and Executive Branch officials. "In the paper, I argue that a number of key trends in Administration approaches to civic engagement are now intersecting and suggests a great deal of possibility for moving forward in the near future," Brad notes.

To learn more about Brad's impressive work and access the report -- as well as to reserve your space at this free webinar -- click here.

Innovation Center 30% off Sale on Bulk Orders of Collective Leadership, Youth-Adult Partnership Toolkits

The Innovation Center writes to let us know that they're offering a deep discount on their award winning toolkits. This applies to all IC toolkits, including the popular Collective Leadership Works and Youth-Adult Partnerships: A Training Manual toolkits.

You'll receive 30% off bulk orders of 10 or more toolkits. IC's "toolkits are practical and easy-to-use guides perfect for anyone working with young people or aiming to make a difference in their community - teachers, social workers, youth leaders or workers, community organizers, you name it."

Sale ends July 4th; just enter the discount code SUMMER at checkout. You can order the toolkits online at www.theinnovationcenter.org or by phone at 301-270-1700.

Resources for Engaging Young People

If you don't know their impressive work, check out Practical Participation's blog. They "work with projects and organisations to promote social justice through participation, community building, campaigning, organisational change, and the effective use of social technologies."

They have an array of projects they work on that involve engaging young people, and there are several great reports about their work available for download here.

CSR 1.0 and 2.0 Excerpt from "The Business of Sustainability"

Amy Christensen from Berkshire Publishing Group today sent a great excerpt from the forthcoming book, "The Business of Sustainability." Wayne Visser's chapter "presents the idea of "CSR 2.0," which takes a more proactive approach to redesigning corporate enterprises for sustainability."

My take on this 5-page article is that it makes many great points on sustainability and CSR -- specifically, Visser's 2.0 concept takes CSR forward in being more oriented towards stakeholder needs and interests and away from the window-dressing that CSR has become for some organizations.

Download the chapter here.

Update on eRulemaking Research, newest release of Public Comment Analysis Toolkit

Dr. Stuart Shulman passes on an update on the fascinating work he is doing on eRulemaking. Many of you may know Stu from his impressive work on the Public Comment Analysis Toolkit (PCAT). He also is the Editor of the Journal of Information Technology and Politics and Associate Director of the National Center for Digital Government.

In a letter to PCAT users today, Stu writes that he is in the process of “completing our 10-year eRulemaking research effort (http://people.umass.edu/stu/eRulemaking/) and writing a final report to the National Science Foundation.” He’ll be presenting some of his eRulemaking Research Group findings and also be demonstrating the newest release of PCAT this week in Washington.

If eRulemaking is an interest area for you as well, you may be interested in two articles Stu shared on the subject.

"The Case Against Mass E-mails: Perverse Incentives and Low Quality Public Participation in U.S. Federal Rulemaking," at http://www.psocommons.org/policyandinternet/vol1/iss1/art2.

"Democracy and E-Rulemaking: Web-Based Technologies, Participation, and the Potential for Deliberation," (co-authored with David Schlosberg and Steven Zavestocki) http://people.umass.edu/stu/doc/JITP4-1_Democracy.pdf<

Great Archived Webinars on Public Health and Climate Change (for free!)

As my research interests include public engagement, health and sustainability, I recently became a member of the American Public Health Association.  APHA's Environment Section has been doing some impressive work on climate change, including a webinar last week on public health adaptation and climate change that was co-sponsored with The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, The Society for Public Health Education, The National Association of County and City Health Officials and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Check out the archive of past webinars (at the link above for APHA) for some wonderful resources in this subject area.  They're great for folks who work in or with the public health field, and they're also valuable for professional planners who are starting to consider the health dimension of community planning as well.

Tool for Eval using Chocolate Chip Cookies….mmmm!

Great post from Wendy Wheeler at The Innovation Center about evaluation using a yummy chocolate chip cookie exercise.

“Service-learning – and all good community change work – places a strong emphasis on reflection. When reflection is intentional – guided by specific goals and questions – it is a powerful way to learn from our experiences, evaluate our progress, and make improvements to future work. This activity, from the Innovation Center’s Reflect and Improve toolkit, sets the stage for constructive and meaningful reflection by introducing participants to the basic principles of evaluation.”

See more here.

What Can A Planner Learn From 2 Hours on Chatroulette?

Great post by Jennifer Evans-Cowley, AICP about the potential uses of Chatroulette for public participation, from today's Planetizen e-newsletter.

"Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Phd, AICP, spends a couple of hours exploring the phenomenon that is chatroulette.com. Chatroulette sets you up to videochat with a complete stranger. Are there applications for the future of public participation in planning?"

Read more here

New Resource on Supporting Development of Vulnerable Youth from The Innovation Center

Here's news about a new resource from The Innovation Center that points to the value of relationship education for engaging and supporting the development of vulnerable young people.  The Center offers many great resources that focus on working with youth in support of individual and community change.  Visit their website to learn more.

Relationships matter - especially to young people. And especially to vulnerable young people, like those who are system-involved, low income, runaway, homeless, or disconnected from school or work. A positive, healthy relationship can support a young person's school, work, or family goals; an unhealthy relationship has the potential to derail them entirely.

This past October relationship education professionals and youth development professionals gathered in an unprecedented way: to discuss what their fields offer and how to join forces to deliver effective relationship education to vulnerable young people. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, along with the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center and Public Strategies, Inc., sponsored the event; the Innovation Center facilitated the meeting and compiled the proceedings summary.

The summary, Relationships Matter: Strengthening Vulnerable Youth, discusses the critical need for relationship education, how it may be used as a strategy for youth development, and participants' thoughts on creating a larger policy agenda to support healthy relationships.

Read the full summary on the Innovation Center's website. Learn...

• How intimate relationships can affect vulnerable young people


• What different youth-serving organizations are doing to provide relationship education


• What relationship education and youth development professionals believe the field needs to best deliver relationship education and move the issue to a national spotlight


• How to integrate relationship education into your own work

Speaking Out: Case studies on how poor people influence decision-making

Great new resource brought to our attention by the UN Nongovernmental Liaison Service

Speaking Out: Case studies on how poor people influence decision-making

Published by Oxfam GB and Practical Action Publishing, November 2009, edited by Nikki van der Gaag & Jo Rowlands

This book was written in relation to Oxfam Great-Britain’s global programme of work on “the right to be heard” and provides case studies on how the right to be heard can strengthen poor people’s participation in public policy formulation and in holding decision-makers accountable. It addresses issues such as legal identities, citizenship, personal and collective power, transparency, accountability and responsiveness. The book can be found here.

New Mediation Theory Book: The Guided Method of Mediation: A Return to the Original Ideals of ADR

Great post on the Peace and Collaborative Development Network about this new book by Dr. Mary Kendall Hope.

"The most comprehensive book of mediation theory and practice written to date. This book includes hands on techniques and method for providing mediation. A new style of mediation theory, the guided method is presented with this work - expanding on the facilitative and directive styles of mediation. The goal is to continue to refine mediation methodology in the twenty-first century."

Learn more here

Visioning and Visualization

From the Lincoln Land Institute's most recent newsletter:

"Effective regional planning requires extensive citizen engagement, but the process can be challenging. A new subcenter in the Resources and Tools section of the Lincoln Institute Web site provides a case study in how to use the latest technology to guide community consensus on future growth."  


See http://www.lincolninst.edu/subcenters/visioning-and-visualization/

STEPS - steps to transforming evaluation practice for social change (useful free online resource)

Here's a new resource that might be of interest, brought to our attention by Craig Zelizer of the Peace and Collaboration Development Network:

STEPS - steps to transforming evaluation practice for social change
What is it?

STEPS is a program planning, monitoring, and evaluation toolkit

STEPS is a resource that applies a rights-based social justice perspective to program development and evaluation

How is it helpful?

It helps make the program process a continual cycle of learning, improvement, and accountability

It helps you develop and evaluate rights-based social justice interventions

It helps you clarify the purpose of your work

It helps you create a truly participatory program process

It helps you break down complex goals such as women's empowerment and gender equality into locally meaningful components that can serve as the basis for programming and evaluation

It helps you conduct participatory, low-cost self-assessments of your work

It helps you learn how to use a causal pathway and a logical framework in a flexible and useful way

http://www.stepstoolkit.org/

New Book from Wendy Sarkissian: “Creative Community Planning”

Just want to give a shout-out for Wendy Sarkissian’s fantastic new book, “Creative Community Planning,” published this month by Earthscan.  Most of you know we at PublicDecisions are big fans of her work.

Like all of Wendy’s books, it’s resource you should have on your bookshelf.  (Some of you may have participated in or listened to our podcast about her last book, Kitchen Table Sustainability; listen to it in our Library.)

Here’s a brief description of the book:

Creative Community Planning provides clear access to emerging innovations in artistic, narrative, embodied and technological methods. Reflecting on the wide continuum of participatory practice, the authors explore the frontiers of community engagement within a fresh sustainability framework.

Leading planning theorists, researchers and practitioners in the field reflect with the authors on the many successes and challenges in engaging with a diversity of people in rural and urban communities. These conversations reveal creativity as key to enhancing existing engagement practices. Concepts and practical applications thread through the book, including community visioning, participatory research and reporting, conflict resolution, poetry and planning language, theatre, photography, film and websites.

PS if you’re a member of our Circle Club, you can get 20% off when buying this book.  Contact us for the discount code, or see the Circle Club email on this topic from late January.