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Consulting with Canadians: Best Practices (G004)

Workshops > Government > Complete List > Public Consultations

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

Effective public consultations requires rigorous planning, efficient execution and excellent communications. The communications dimension of a public consultation initiative is in fact crucial to its success. Understanding the linkages of communications and consultations or engagement, the benefits of a well thought out communications strategy as part of the overall consultation initiative, and the risks of not doing communications planning, is a must for anyone involved in planning and delivering public consultations or citizen engagement initiatives.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

The workshop will focus on:

How to choose among different models and approaches to public consultations and citizen engagement
Innovative as well as proven approaches to public consultations and citizen engagement
How to position public consultations within your overall organizational strategy
Understanding public consultations/citizen engagement as a communications activity
Linkages between public consultations/citizen engagement and strategic communications
How to develop a successful plan for the overall initiative
Identifying and managing communications challenges and opportunities
The communications Do's and Don'ts of designing public consultations
The importance of understanding your audiences and stakeholders
The importance of understanding the role of the media
Communications principles and approaches during public consultations
The importance of successful spokespersons - the control and response model
The essentials of effective messaging
How to monitor and evaluate the overall initiative
Communicating after the public consultations/citizen engagement process

WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?

Workbook and checklists, how-to procedures/reminders and templates
Exercise hand-outs

Agenda Day 1
8:45– 9:10 AM	Participant Introductions and Workshop Overview
9:10 - 10:15 AM	What Do We Mean by Public Consultations and Citizen Engagement? Public Consultations and Citizen Engagement planning framework Why is the Government interested in hearing from its constituents? Definitions and principles of public participation processes The broad range of models available, depending on the context Criteria for a successful approach
10:15 - 10:30 AM	Break
10:30 - 11:30 AM	Importance of Communications in Public Consultations Positioning public consultations within organizational strategy Understanding the strategic context Being strategic Understanding and defining “horizontality” in public consultations The essentials of horizontal communications Key communications principles in public consultations
11:30 - 12:30 PM	Case Study Exercise 1: In small groups, participants will analyze a public consultations scenario and develop and rationalize alternatives and recommendations for basic approaches for the initiative’s process and communications
12:30 - 1:30 PM	Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 PM	How to Decide What Approach to Take Public consultation planning framework Understanding the drivers and stakeholders Why are we consulting? What approach/model will work best? Key models for public consultation and citizen engagement Challenges and considerations Educating-informing-advocating- engaging-mobilizing-getting-policy/program input?
2:30 - 2:45 PM	Break
2:45 – 3:30 PM	Case Study Exercise 2: In small groups, participants will work with the case study scenario and identify key process and communications drivers and the initiative stakeholders
3:30 – 4:30 PM	Planning the Initiative Key success factors Environmental analysis – us and our target audiences What do we need to know and why? Linkages between communications and the key objectives of the initiative What are the major communications issues and risks? Identifying and managing communications challenges and opportunities What will be our strategic approach? Understanding our audiences and participants

Agenda Day 2
8:45 - 10:00 AM	Developing a Plan for Your Public Consultation/Citizen Engagement Project Deciding and finalizing your PCCE model Step-by-step approach and key considerations Pitfalls and challenges Planning our communications: before, during and after the initiative Being strategic and understanding risk Segmenting target audiences, stakeholders and participants Positioning the initiative and the importance of messaging
10:00 – 10:45 AM	Case Study Exercise 3: In small groups, participants will continue to develop the Plan for the initiative’s process and communications for the three key phases of the initiative - before, during and after
10:45 – 11:00 AM	Break
11:00 - 12:15 PM	Implementing the Initiative - Do's and Don'ts What type of information do we need on an ongoing basis? Facilitating constructive dialogue The crucial role of the “Rules of Engagement" Managing communications during the initiative Implementing the communications strategy and action plan Do we need to change our strategy and tactics Understanding and managing "dissenters"; and "disruptors" Spokespersons and facilitators
12:15 – 1:15 PM	Lunch
1:15 - 2:15 PM	Case Study Exercise 4: Based on the morning exercise output, participants will continue to develop the Plan’s process and communications elements, focusing on ongoing information needs and monitoring of the implementation activities.
2:15 – 3:00 PM	Evaluating the Success of Consultation/Engagement Initiatives Initiative’s expectations and outcomes Different perspectives – us and the citizens Asking the right questions and identifying lessons learned Focus on communications results Techniques and approaches – process v. communications What should be evaluated, when and how?
3:00 - 3:15 PM	Break
3:15 - 4:00 PM	Case Study Exercise 5: Based on the output of previous exercises, participants will develop an evaluation framework for the overall initiative, including both the process and communications dimensions.
4:00 - 4:30 PM	Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation

Instructors

Josef Jurkovic

Josef Jurkovic is a CEC director and President of Paradigm Communications with extensive experience as a strategic communications, marketing and international public affairs specialist.

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Claudia Chowaniec

Claudia Chowaniec, PhD, CMC, works with people in the public and private sectors to help identify and implement the organizational and work changes they need to create more productive and rewarding work environments.

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When, Where How much?

December 3-4, 2008

Suite 205, 223 Colonnade Road
South, Ottawa

$ 1350 (+ tax)

Register for a workshop

Online

By mail

The Centre for Excellence in Communications
Suite 214,
223 Colonnade Rd South
Ottawa, Ontario,
K2E 7K3

By email

registration@comcec.com

By telephone

(613) 233 2175

By fax

(613) 233 7617

E-mail Updates

Receive bi-weekly workshop schedule updates by e-mail

Testimonials

"The small group facilitated exchange between participants"

"This was one of the most well organized, informative courses full of the requirements and options for consultations before, during and after the entire process"

"The interaction with participants from other departments provided invaluable insight in the consultations process"