Some ideas to help foster community engagement in the City of Minneapolis. My partner and I had a contract for two years to help the CIty implement a Community Engagement Process. We developed, tested and deployed a model for CE and also designed some training to support the role out of the model.

1. Methods and Techniques for Community Engagement
In the City of Minneapolis

2. Key Concepts

3. Educate and
Inform
Information
Gathering
Discuss and
Involve
Partner/Collaborate Authorize/
Support Local
Initiatives
Objective Objective Objective Objective Objective
To provide the
public with
balanced and
objective
information to assist
them in
understanding the
problem,
alternative, issue or
solutions. Giving
information or
education to
stakeholders.
To seek or obtain
public feedback on
issues, analysis,
alternatives or
decisions. To better
understand
expectations in
respect to
engagement efforts.
Listening and
soliciting advice or
information from
stakeholders.
To work directly
with the public
throughout the
process to insure
that public and
private concerns
are consistently
addressed and
understood. This
involves both
giving and
receiving
information
between
stakeholders and
departments.
To partner with the
public in each aspect of
the decision including the
development of
alternatives and the
identification of a
preferred solution. This
goes beyond merely
sharing information to
activity working together
to find solutions.
To place final
decision making in
the hands of
specific community
organizations or
identified
community groups.
This level seldom
takes place. It
places final decision
making and
responsibility in the
hands of
stakeholders.
Levels of Engagement

4. Levels of Participation

5. Group Techniques
Small Group < 20 people
Refer to Appendix 1

6. Group Techniques
Large Group > 20 people

7. Target Marketing

9. Target Market
1.Decide on profile
2.Identify key variables
3.Identify best method to
reach your target
Refer to Stakeholders in Step 7 of the
Process Model Guidebook

11. AIDA
Attention
Interest
Decision
Action

14. Level 1: Educate and Inform

15. Common
Methods
 Printed materials
 Media briefings
 Radio and television
announcements
 Newspaper announcements

16. Simple or Slick

17. Enhanced Methods
1. Partnering

18. Community Partnerships at the
University of Minnesota HHH
Center
• Association of Metropolitan School Districts
• Communities of Color Institute for Organizational
Leadership
and Development
• Faculty of Aboriginal and Islander Studies, University of
South
Australia International Research Institute for Maori and
Indigenous Education
• University of Auckland McKnight Foundation
• Minneapolis Urban League
• Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning
• McKnight Foundation
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition
• Urban Coalition
Can you share some from the City?

19. Enhanced Methods
1. Partnering
2. Advertisements and Flyers
• Videos
• Press Releases
• Banners
• Posters
Note:
The Communications Department can help with
some enhanced methods of communication

22. Communication Department
Publication Process
1. Departments fill out the online form: Publication Evaluation
Form on the Web (in the Work Tools section of CityTalk) that
contains important information for Com. department to create
and decide what type of publication they need.
2. Departments send an email to Com. department with the raw
information customers need to receive.
3. Com. department creates a publication, rewrites the info,
makes it appealing, etc.
4. Once the written portion is acceptable to both parties then it
goes to the Design/Layout staff for layout of the publication.

23. What Really Works!
 Personal Contact
 High Profile Leaders
 Elected Officials
 Putting a Face on the
Effort
What Ideas Can You Share?

24. Level 2: Information Gathering

25. Common Methods
•Surveys
•Questionnaires
•Focus Groups
•Interviews
•Brainstorming
•Public Meetings
Refer to Appendix 2

26. Enhanced Methods
•Websites
•Nominal Group Technique
•Delphi Technique
•SWOT Analysis
•SpeakOuts

27. Websites
•Blogs
•Chat Groups
•Web Forums
•Message Boards

28. Current interactive tools from Council Members:
-Ward 2 – councilmember Gordon’s Blog:
-http://secondward.blogspot.com/2006/12/community-engagement-report.html
- Also, other council members have newsletters you can read at:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ (main page – point to the left and click on
each Council Member’s webpage)
Current City’s interactive tools:
1) http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ check the drop down menu: “Tell the
City about” and “How do I”
2) Online services through 311
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/311/online-services.asp
Companies that offer interactive citizen participation tools (online):
1) Neighborhood America (IBM) – Manage public comment:
http://www.neighborhoodamerica.com/
2) Civic Communicator (Civic Mind Media) www.civiccommunicator.com
3) Minnesota e-democracy: www.e-democracy.org (also has online forums
for Minneapolis and St Paul.

29. Nominal Group Technique
•A relative of brainstorming
•Allows more involvement
•Cuts down intimidation
•Minimum interaction

30. Delphi Technique
• First used to draw predictions
• Highly interactive
• Allows more in-depth analysis
• Takes time
• Very good for consensus
building
The Delphi Technique should not be used
to move meetings to preset conclusions.

31. SWOT Analysis
•S for strengths
•W for weaknesses
•O for opportunities
•T for threats

32. SWOT Analysis
•Form small groups of 4-5
•Define key action item
•Create a SWOT matrix
•Prioritize the top three in each
quadrant

33. SWOT Matrix

34. SWOT Matrix
Using post-its to build a SWOT

35. SpeakOuts
A SpeakOut is used in any community planning
process and can be organized at the start of a
process — to introduce a community to a project
and generate early enthusiasm and participation —
or at the end of a process to ‘test’ material
generated in other consultation processes and
‘wrap up’ a substantial consultation phase. The
applications of SpeakOuts are really only limited by
one’s imagination, as it can be tailored to a number
of issues and to a range of communities.
From: Dr. Wendy Sarkissian: Speaking Out in Community Engagement:
A Review of Fifteen Years of Refinement of the SpeakOut Model

36. Some common and key features:
A SpeakOut is organized around local issues. Typically, a
SpeakOut is structured into a number of ‘issue stalls’
which relate to findings of earlier consultations and to the
specific project goals. So, for example, in an urban
renewal project, the issue stalls may be organized as
follows:
• Registration
• Getting around (transport)
• Arts and culture
• Housing
• Retail and shops
• Rest, relaxation and recreation
• Community safety
• What is important to children
• What is important to young people
• How to get involved.

39. Level 5: Support Local Initiatives

40. Common
Methods
 Participate in neighborhood meetings
 Provide resources to neighborhoods
 Provide resources to schools
 Other examples?

41. Questions and
Comments
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