Getting Results from Your Experts

I put this list together for the USDA Natural Resources & Conservation Service in 2002 from my earlier handouts. It is a listing of references I recommend to communities and other professionals concerned with public involvement. This isn’t a comprehensive (nor especially up to date) listing of references but includes books and websites I have found to be especially useful for myself and others. Books are listed first, then websites. The Internet sites also have training available. The FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) course is very good.

Public involvement, as a public governance process, has evolved within the highway and risk (environmental health) contexts especially as a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However, much of the fundamental research developed within applied anthropology, usually within a health, appropriate technology, or nutrition context. “Expert systems” and now “accessibility” re: WWW sites, are other areas to look to for additional information.

I’ve put asterisks next to names in the risk communication field who will have other articles and books. The titles in BOLD are especially useful to communities. Too often when an institution or agency speaks about “stakeholders” they mean they hold the stake while the community is stucked the recipient.

Strike-throughs indicate broken links. I’ll fix them.
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Hance, Billie Jo, Caron Chess*, and Peter M. Sandman
1989 Improving Dialogue with Communities: A Risk Communication Manual for Government. NJ Dept of Environmental Protection.
[*Sandman was mentioned here http://ykalaska.wordpress.com/2006/03/21/h5n1-risk-sandman/]

Legator*, Marvin S. and Sabrina F. Strawn, eds.
1993 Chemical Alert! A Community Action Handbook. Austin University of Texas Press.

Miller, Ellen G. and Elmer Ronnebaum http://www.krwa.net/store/store.htm
1998 Getting Results from your Experts Engineers, Attorneys, and More. Seneca, KS Kansas Rural Water Association Kansas Rural Water Association $12.50

Miller, Ellen G.
1997 Customers and You: Practical Communications for Small Systems. Seneca, KS Kansas Rural Water Association.

Metge, Joan and Patricia Kinloch
1978 Talking Past Each Other. Wellington Victoria University Press. [Maori, Pakeha, Samoa community]

van Willigen, John, Barbara Rylko-Bauer, and Ann McElroy*, eds.
1989 Making Our Research Useful: Case Studies in the Utilization of Anthropological Knowledge. Boulder Westview Press. [McElroy was also recommended here http://ykalaska.wordpress.com/2006/04/13/medical-anthropology-in-ecological-perspective/

Wulff, Robert M. and Shirley J. Fiske, eds.
1987 Anthropological Praxis: Translating Knowledge into Action. Boulder Westview Press.

Johnson, Branden B. and Vincent T. Covello*, eds.
1987 The Social and Cultural Construction of Risk Essays on Risk Selection and Perception. Dordrecht D. Reidel Publishing Company.

Pelto, Pertti J. and Gretel H. Pelto
1978 Anthropological Research: the Structure of Inquiry. 2nd ed. Cambridge Cambridge University Press.

Meyer, Mary A. and Jane M. Booker
1991 Eliciting and Analyzing Expert Judgement: a Practical Guide. London Academic Press.
# Publisher: Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics; New Ed edition (May 3, 2001) # ISBN-10: 0898714745, # ISBN-13: 978-0898714746

National Highway Institute
1991 Improving the Effectiveness of Public Meetings and Hearings. rev. ed. US DOT FHWA-HI-91-006. [This is a companion to the workshops, available from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The workshop is (or was) available to any group.]
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Improving the Effectiveness of Public Meetings and Hearings
A training course offered by the National Highway Institute and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Sponsored upon request. This 2 1/2 day workshop emphasizes practical techniques and processes for organizing and conducting public meetings and hearings. You’ll learn about formats for small public meetings as well as large ones; characteristics of effective visual aids; methods for dealing with stressful situations during meetings; evaluation techniques; new technology and how to link public meetings to decision-making. For more information, contact FHWA

Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy
1977 Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Arctic. Sustainable Development and Utilization, Finnish Ministry of the Environment. [ http://www.vyh.fi/fei/intercoo/arctic/index.htm See listing here Manuals Available to Assist Communities with Solid Waste Planning and Education corrected link]

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World-Wide Web references

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International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Home Page
http//www.iap2.com/index.html

IAP2 is an association of members who seek to promote and improve the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, institutions, and other entities that effect the public interest in nations throughout the world. IAP2 carries out its mission by organizing and conducting activities to Serve the learning needs of members through events, publications, and communication technology; Advocate for public participation throughout the world; Promote a results- oriented research agenda and use research to support educational and advocacy goals; Provide technical assistance to improve public participation.

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Connor is a consultant (for hire) and I’ve not read his books, but his earlier website info had lots of good approaches.

Connor Development Services Ltd. or Public Participation Around the World
Public Participation or consultation 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.

http://www.islandnet.com/~connor/
or http://www.connor.bc.ca/

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The Citizen’s Handbook © 1996 Vancouver Citizens Committee. The Vancouver Citizens Committee seeks to promote community, citizen participation and local democracy. http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/

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The Committee on Public Involvement in Transportation is associated with the Technical Activities Division of the Transportation Research Board (TRB).

They no longer seem to be hosted at CH2M Hill, but try

• http://www.trbpi.com/

Our Mission
The mission of the committee (ADA60) is to enhance the understanding, acceptance, and practice of public involvement as an art and science in transportation planning and project development activities by fostering research, identifying best practices, promoting use of new technologies, promulgating standards, and upgrading public involvement skills of transportation professionals.

• http://www.ch2m.com/trb_pi/default.asp

The mission of the committee (A1D04) is to enhance the understanding, acceptance and practice of public involvement as an art and science in transportation planning and project development activities by fostering research, identifying best practices, promoting use of new technologies, promulgating standards, and upgrading public involvement skills of transportation professionals.

2001 conference session looks interesting
http://www.ch2m.com/trb_pi/trbmeet2.html

list of committee members in your area
http://www.ch2m.com/trb_pi/trbmission.html

a 1997 reference to a course (check on availability)—
Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-making, A training course sponsored by the National Transit Institute.

This 2 1/2 day course gives transportation professionals the opportunity to develop their skills for interacting with the public. Through lectures, discussions, and small group workshops, the course will consider what constitutes meaningful public involvement in transportation decisionmaking processes. These include Major Investment Studies, transportation plans, transportation improvement programs, project development, and ADA programs.

This training program is designed for transportation planners, engineers, project development staff, and environmental specialists as well as public involvement specialists and other agency staff responsible for designing and carrying out effective public involvement. Among subjects covered include how to deal with apathy; how to include minority, low income, and multicultural communities; how to facilitate and resolve conflict and how to tailor a public involvement plan.

Tuition is free to public employees in areas of federal program responsibility. Enrollment is limited to 35 per class and registrations must be received one week prior to the start of the course. For more information, contact ??? Susan Greenstone (908) 932-1700???

Add this to Bookmarks:

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