C I T Y W I D E C O M M U N I T Y
E N G A G E M E N T T O O L K I T
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 6
9 PURPOSE AND SUPPORT
GETTING STARTED
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS
SIX BASIC STEPS TO A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN 12
STEP 1: CREATE OUTLINE 12
STEP 2: NOTIFY STAKEHOLDERS 14
STEP 3: EDUCATE 15
STEP 4: LISTEN 15
STEP 5: FOLLOW THROUGH 16
20 26
27 29
31 33
38 45
47 48
49 50
19 17 STEP 6: EVALUATE & ADAPT
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN WORKSHEET
IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS
CREATING YOUR STAKEHOLDER LIST
DEVELOPING A VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT
DEVELOPING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
15 PARTICIPATION TECHNIQUES
ELEMENTS OF AN EVALUATION PLAN
SUCCESSFUL FACILIATION
PROJECT PLAN OUTLINE
AGENDA TEMPLATE
SIGN-IN SHEET TEMPLATE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND MOTIVIATION
DEFINITIONS 51
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PURPOSE AND SUPPORT
The City of Riverside is committed to engaging effectively with its community in a meaningful, accountable, responsive, and equitable way.
This Community Engagement Toolkit builds upon the principles laid out in the Citywide Community Engagement Policy. This toolkit serves as a resource for City Departments and community membersbe cause these documents work in conjunction with one another.
The Citywide Community Engagement Policy should be read before working through the Community Engagement Toolkit.
Riverside’s residents have high expectations when it comes to community engagement. Never underestimate the level of public interest in your project. The City’s use of this guide across all departments will result in community engagement efforts that are productive, meaningful, and successful. Community engagement is NOT merely checking a box, it is a commitment to deliver the best government services possible to our community. As City staff, we have a responsibility to bring people together to share knowledge about projects and changes in their community.
This guide is a living document meant to help anyone at any level of involvement within the City whom work together to understand and develop broad community engagement plans that align with the City’s Envision Riverside 2025 Strategic Plan.
All documents and tools referred to in this guide are available in either the Appendix, on the Community Engagement Policy webpage, or both.
5 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
GOALS OF THE TOOLKIT:
1. Design a comprehensive
Community Engagement Plan and
complete documentation.
2. Determine the appropriate level of
community engagement needed.
3. Identify stakeholders and create
an engaged representative group
of involved community members.
4. Create outreach, education, and
engagement methods that
represent the City’s brand.
5. Implement timelines and strategies
that fit individual projects and
ensure public access to accurate
information.
6. Share successful tools and methods
with all City employees.
7. Ensure each project, program, or
service is internally supported.
8. Spread awareness of performance
measures by which community
engagement programs can be
assessed.
9. Streamline the processes of
community engagement both
internally and externally.
SUPPORT NETWORK
• Agueda Padilla
Policy and Project Manager
• Amaris Gonzales
Community Engagement Liaison
• Jesus Noriega
Community Engagement Liaison
• HR T
raining Team
Community Engagement Team
Get Some Help!
Community Engagement
Round Tables
WHAT IS IT?
Round Tables are gatherings
coordinated by the Neighborhood
Engagement Team. They will provide
support, discussion time, trainings, and
guest speakers. They are opportunities
to collaborate with each other and
receive assistance
HOW WILL THIS HELP?
• Brainstorm and coordinate outreach
• Assistance completing worksheets
• Voice concerns and discuss ideas
• Opportunity to have community
engagement plans reviewed
• Receive insight and support from
team that specializes in public
involvement
• Present Community Engagement
summaries
HOW CAN YOU ATTEND?
Want the scoop on community
engagement? Look for e-mails about
training opportunities as well as
invitations to Round Table discussions!
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GETTING STARTED
There may not be a checklist for the perfect Community Engagement Plan, but there are principles and guidelines provided to assist you in creating a well- designed plan that will increase the likelihood of achieving your outreach goals.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
• Not suitable for every situation.
• Using it incorrectly or at inappropriate times can do more harm than good. • Once feedback is received, there must be follow-through or participants may feel that their contribution was ignored or not valued.
- Note: This doesn’t mean that feedback is automatically implemented, but why or why not and how must be conveyed to the participants.
• An engagement strategy must be considered during the initial stage of project planning. • The opportunity for input, if part of outreach, should be open during the planning stages to allow the chance to help inform and/or influence the decision.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A DIALOGUE, NOT A PRESENTATION
• The City and the public both speak and listen
• Ideas are shared and discussed
• There is a flow of information, insights, and opinions • Additional resources are available, and conversations can continue
7 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Invite Innovation
Getting community members truly engaged and involved can be one of the most challenging parts
of a project. It can also be the most fun. It offers endless room for new ideas and creativity.
The list
below and the Community Engagement Implementation Plan/Toolbox in the Appendix are far from exhaustive, and the sky is the limit when it comes to creating new ways to engage and get people excited about a project. An example: turn a focus group into a game of Trivial Pursuit to educate participants or make the
subject line in a newsletter a riddle-like
question to spur interest. Is it possible to incorporate an informational tour, a 3-D model, or other props into your meeting?
Managing Gathered Data
You will need to create a system for collecting and managing the information you receive and conversations you hear. Determining the purpose of the information should be the first step to assist you in identifying the details you need to capture. Often a spreadsheet will be sufficient. From there, you can summarize or present the data in whatever way it is needed. Consider the following:
- Will you need to create codes to track feedback from different groups? - Will you need exact numbers to create a summary report or graph? - How will the information collected be delivered to the public? Quotes and comments can be useful and engaging for creating presentations, in social media posts, and in further stages of your outreach efforts.
DO
• Complete the project plan and answer “Why?” prior to going to the public for input.
This avoids confusion and undesirable results.
• Trust your resources. The Marketing and Communications Team and Neighborhood Engagement Team has many years of combined experience. They want what is best for your project too, so don’t be afraid to take their advice. • Develop a strategy for community engagement at the beginning of a project. • Identify and involve key stakeholders as early as possible.
DON’T
• Underestimate the level of interest in your project.
• Use technical jargon or acronyms that aren’t easily understood. • Forget to involve City Council, boards, commissions, and key stakeholder groups in conversations about your project and in invites to public meetings. • Set unrealistic expectations about how the input received will be used.
DETERMINE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community engagement does not mean you will invite as many people as possible or make a profile on every social media platform. Sometimes just one event can be sufficient.
Other times you will need several engagement opportunities. The International Association of Public Participation’s (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation will assist in determining the appropriate level of community engagement for your project or program. Determining the accurate level of engagement is the foundation for your community engagement plan.
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INFORM
Low level of public
engagement
INVOLVE
Mid level of public
engagement
EMPOWER
High level of public
engagement
INFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER
GOAL
One-way
communication to
provide balanced
and objective
information to assist
in understanding
about something that
is going to happen
or has already
happened.
Two-way
communication
process aimed
at obtaining
feedback on
ideas, alternatives,
and proposals to
inform decision-
making process.
Participatory process
designed to help
identify issues and
views to ensure
that concerns and
aspirations are
understood and
considered.
Working Together
to develop an
understanding of all
issues and interests to
work out alternatives
and identify preferred
collective solutions.
To build the
capacity of
the community
to lead their
own plans for
change.
ROLE OF
COMMUNITY AND/
OR STAKEHOLDERS
Listen Contribute Participate Partner Lead
PROMISE TO THE
PUBLIC
We will keep you
informed.
We will keep you
informed, listen to,
and acknowledge
concerns, and
provide feedback
on how public
input influenced
the decision.
We will work with you
to ensure that your
concerns and issues
are directly reflected
in the alternatives
developed and
provide feedback
on how public input
influenced the
decision.
We will look to you
for direct advice
and innovating in
formulating solutions
and incorporate
your advice and
recommendations
into the decisions to
the decisions to the
maximum extent
possible.
We will
implement
what you
decide.
EXAMPLES OF
WHEN THIS
ENGAGEMENT
LEVEL MAY BE
APPROPRIATE
In the event of an
emergency.
Undertaking
a survey on
playground
redevelopment.
Seeking input
from an Advisory
Committee on
sustainability
initiatives and plans.
Stakeholder-
led discussions
on developing
community visions.
Building
capacity skills of
small business
employees
through skills-
based training.
POSSIBLE
METHODS
• Advertisements
• Fact sheets
• Newsletter
• Public Notices
• Social Media
• Websites
• Open Houses
• Public Comment
• Focus groups
• Public Meetings
• Surveys
• Advisory
Committees
• Deliberate Polling
• Workshops
• Consensus Building
• Participatory
Decision Making
• Advisory
Committees
• Training
Events
• Practical Skills
Workshops
• Ballots
Your project’s level of community engagement can range from keeping the public informed to involving them in the decision-making process. Including community members early and at the appropriate level helps create buy-in for both the process and final decisions.
9 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
ENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS AND DECISION-MAKERS
The term “stakeholder” refers to anyone who has a stake, or interest, in an outcome. This includes people who will benefit from a project or program, people who could be negatively impacted by a decision, and those who are simply interested.
Who are the decision-makers and when will a formal decision be made? Staff will identify who will make the formal decision about a specific project. For many of our activities City Council will be the ultimate decision-ma kers. Your audience must know and understand the decision-making process. This helps to avoid false expectations. Take a moment to brainstorm all potential stakeholders wh om your project or program might have.
WHO SHOULD BE
INVOLVED AND WHY?
Your list of stakeholders will be different for every project or program. This list will be created by the Project Manager and can be supplemented by reaching out to the Neighborhood Engagement Team. Your stakeholders’ time is valuable; use it wisely and strategically. Ask the questions on the following page and then complete your Community Engagement Plan Worksheet (Appendix page 26).
We want to ensure that stakeholders do not experience “over-outreach” which can be difficult as there is a risk that multiple City projects occurring simultaneously might involve overlapping community interests. There may be several projects that are connected to a specific group of community members at one time, for example, our senior population, but we need to ensure that multiple departments are not reaching out to the same organizations repeatedly in a short period of time.
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REACHING THE COMMUNITY
It is important to determine who exactly constitutes “the community” in relation to your project.
Given your limited resources, you will need to decide the best methods to reach the greatest number of people most affected by your project—educating them about the project and inviting their input. A blend of “active” and “passive” methods of community engagement should be considered.
Active methods: Require approaching and reaching out directly to individuals or groups.
Passive methods: Require community members to approach the City for information about the issue or project.
Information about your project should be made available to anyone who comes seeking it by posting it online. Your department pages on the City website can provide descriptions of your project and also list the project timeline and methods for providing input, such as meeting dates/locations and contact information for key staff including their phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and physical mailing addresses. Websites are now optimized for
mobile use, which is how most people are accessing information.
Suggested web tools that can help project managers communicate ongoing issues and regularly analyze community feedback:
• A form requesting feedback
• A Q&A or FAQ that anticipates and answers questions, including difficult and controversial ones.
• Lists of policies, the rationale behind them, and how they fit into the grand scheme of the department’s operations.
• Lists of internal policies, such as policies on recording an event.
TOOLS TO CONSIDER
• Online surveys
• Interactive applications (e.g., participatory budgeting) • Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor) • Marketing Brand Manual
WAYS TO AVOID OVER-REACH
• Submit Community Engagement Plan summaries so other teams can see which projects have overlapping stakeholder groups, timelines, or other concerns. • Hold staff Round Table meetings for group discussions. • Utilize the
Neighborhood Engagement Team to help develop stakeholder groups or when questions arise.
• Check the Community
Calendar to see what other public events are planned and if there is an opportunity to work together.
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TIPS FOR ENGAGING WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS:
• Reach out to stakeholders whenever possible.
- Ask to
attend any existing/ongoing meetings or events rather than creating a competing time commitment.
• Plan
to involve external stakeholders adequately throughout the project, whether it’s a simple notification or involving them directly in planning and implementation. • Prepare for your stakeholder list to grow as the project progresses or groups show interest in the project.
• Be
flexible enough to involve new stakeholders at any time in the process. • Don’t forget internal stakeholders. City staff is filled with experts on multiple topics. Early and systematic consideration of internal
stakeholders for your project can help identify
issues before they become critical.
- Involve other City departments during your planning phase. Consider sending an e-mail or initial coordination meeting to present project basics to various departments and to ask if there are any special communication
needs.
- Check
calendars and ask around so that the City doesn’t inadvertently overschedule an evening or isn’t competing for stakeholders.
- Always check the Community Calendar for potential conflicts with large events or activities.
HARD-TO-REACH STAKEHOLDERS
Some groups face barriers that can make establishing relationships or communicating with them much more
difficult. The City of Riverside places great value on
comprehensive involvement. In some cases, extra consideration will be needed to ensure equal access to information is provided for all members of the community. An awareness of potential barriers community members face is vital when creating a Community Engagement Plan.
The City’s Neighborhood Engagement Team may be a helpful resource In connecting you with hard-to-reach stakeholders. Please consider the following questions during your planning stage:
• Will the meeting need a translator or sign language specialist? • Would people from different cultures feel welcome at this event ?
• Are there technology or literacy skills needed that may be difficult for people with less education or from another generation?
• Is there a history of mistrust or neglect?
• Is the event held in an ADA-compliant location?
• Are informational sessions held at a variety of times to accommodate people with alternative work schedules?
• Would it be appropriate for children to accompany a parent to the event if childcare is an • issue?
• Should childcare be provided?
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6 BASIC STEPS TO CREATING A COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PLAN
This is a roadmap for you and your team. It will take time and thought but it is a vital resource for your project. Before getting started with your Community Engagement Plan, be sure to have a statement of purpose that outlines the overall goal of the project or program. This will help you identify the “why” to your community engagement process.
Characteristics of Successful Plans
Clear Purpose Education Outreach
Audience Records Follow Up
STEP 1: CREATE OUTLINE
• Draft a clear and complete project/program/activity outline defining goals and outcomes from the department, project manager, o r other city employees requesting public engagement.
• Identify who the decision-makers will be and the dates when formal decisions will be made. • Determine the level of public engagement based on the scope and impact of the project.
(see table on Page 9 for guidance)
• Determine which stakeholder to target and how you will engage them. • Develop a timeline to achieve the remainder of the public engagement steps. • Determine how public engagement results will be measured and archived. • Determine how the results will be shared with the public.
13 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Note: If assistance from the Office of Communications will be needed for graphic design, PowerPoint templates, social media p
osting, or any other services they provide, schedule a
pre-planning meeting with them as soon as you have drafted your project description as there will need to be some coordination that m
ay affect your timeline.
CREATING YOUR INTERNAL TIMELINE
• Work backwards from your identified target dates for final decisions to determine how much time your community engagement efforts will require. • For small projects, begin planning your outreach efforts at least two to three months before the date final decisions are to be made; medium and large projects will require additional time. If you need to go before City Council, think about getting on the calendar three to six months prior, depending on the political sensitivity of the project. • Provide your Stakeholders one month’s notice for community engagement activities. Get your Public Information Officer involved early in the planning process so press releases can be sent out at least two weeks before your public events. • Be sure to connect with community organizations a month before your event so they can assist you in distributing the information to their mem bers. Also use the Community Calendar,
City Council newsletters, and the City’s social media along with any other communication tool available to assist in getting the information out.
CREATING AN EXTERNAL TIMELINE
A timeline is a valuable tool both for planning an effective community engagement process and for educating members of the public on the overall project process. Share the timeline with the community early in the process to avoid complaints about being “left out of the loop.” Develop a one-page timeline for the public:
• Outline the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the overall process. • List dates related to formal decision-making processes and deadlines related to the project.
• Include brief
descriptions of each item that can be easily understood by community members.
• Define any technical terms
or use alternative simple language.
• Share the draft timeline with other staff me mbers and ask for feedback on the process. • Keep electronic versions of information up-to-date and provide important changes in schedule.
• Include the timeline in your Community Engagement Plan as well as your Community Engagement summary after project completion.
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STEP 2: NOTIFY STAKEHOLDERS
After completing your outline, the second step is to sufficiently notify the public about your project and Community Engagement Plan. This will require getting the word out early, and to as many stakeholders as possible. The notification step sends the message to the public that “this project may affect you” and educates community members of the public engagement and decision-making processes planned for the project.
Depending on the scope and type of project, initial notification may include:
• Postcards
• Letters
• Emails (through City and external
distribution lists)
• Social media
• Temporary signage at project site or on
electronic reader boards
• Press releases
• initial visits to community organization
meetings
• open h
ouses
• phone calls to neighborhood leaders
• posting on your department’s webpage.
It is always helpful to demonstrate for the public how the project can affect them.
ACTIVE OUTREACH:
It is important to include metrics about input received through these additional outlets in project summaries delivered to City Council.
While the internet is an excellent tool for community engagement, your outreach should also include active efforts to reach out directly to the public. Some examples of active outreach are sending flyers or e-mails directly to stakeholders and presenting at community or City board meetings. Often, active outreach is accomplished through collaboration with local community organizations and
neighborhood groups. It is best to meet with these
organizations and groups where they normally gather. Traveling physically to locations where they meet is most convenient for them and they will be more likely to attend.
Community organizations and neighborhood groups can be helpful vehicles through which public engagement can occur. However, do not assume that a community organization or neighborhood group fully represents all the interests of the community at large. You should always practice diversity when choosing tools and doing outreach.
Note: All projects are important, but not all are newsworthy. Consider what aspects of your project, if any, might be vital or interesting to the public. Is it imperative? Engaging? Entertaining? If not, it might not be a good fit for social media platforms and different tools should be considered.
15 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
STEP 3: EDUCATE
The third step is when you will engage the public to educate them about the project and encourage participation in the engagement process. Community members cannot provide input without a
clear understanding of the project. Education will develop meaningful discussion and dialogue and may prevent myths about the project’s costs and benefits by opponents, either inadvertently or strategically.
Take time to clarify the decision-making process, the scope and impacts of the project, and the variables and alternatives to be considered. It is easy for a project manager who is involved in
the project daily to forget that it may not be as easy for community members to grasp the project’s
details, so summarize in lay terms but also provide opportunities for people to read entire reports/documents on your website for additional information.
STEP 4: LISTEN
The fourth step is to execute activities, gather input, and show the public that you are listening.
Once educated on the project, community members can provide informed opinions. The methods you choose for obtaining input will depend on the nature and scope of your project.
Consider the costs and benefits o one- time, one-way input versus involvement and dialogue over time.
Plan where to store public input and how to organize it.
Create folders on the City’s drive in a safe and easily accessible place forother members of your team. Move it into those folders immediately as input is received or create spreadsheets/databases so nothing is missed. This includes saving emails on the network drive – not in Outlook – with public comments that will be relevant for the length of your project. This input should be provided to City Council if your project is going before City Council. By carefully recording and archiving all public input, you can reassure community members that opinions will be considered as decisions are made.
Determine how oral input will be recorded.
Phone calls may be received, and community members may voice their opinion at meetings.
Generally, in government b usiness, only items in writing and oral comments during formal meetings and public hearings are considered “official” but project managers are encouraged to be flexible in receiving oral input in addition to those formal methods.
Consider what types of questions you will ask the public.
People can be quick to come to conclusions about whether they are in favor of or opposed to a project and community groups will often want to take a vote to that end. However, many projects involve several components, each with more than one alternative.
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Many projects offer some flexibility to allow modifications in response to public deliberation. Projects can be shaped and molded by public opinion to the point where individuals who disliked the initial proposal may come to accept or even like the final proposal.
When possible and early in the process, provide a list of alternative approaches to a policy or project and their associated pros and cons. Allow the opportunity for members of the community to comment on the list and add other alternatives, pros, and cons.
This provides an opportunity for community members to discuss each alternative, the underlying community values, how desirable the new policy or project is, the intended consequences, and potential unintended consequences. When presenting the list of alternatives, remember the “do nothing alternative,” which is the option to keep things as they are.
Approach the community with an open and willing attitude.
Avoid communicating in ways that would suggest reluctance, as though the community engagement effort is required of you against your will. Pay special attention to your nonverbal cues. Some members of the public may have cultivated an attitude that community engagement is “just a formality” and that the proposed project will move forward regardless of public
input. It is important to overcome this barrier by approaching the public in a way that conveys you are willing to alter or even halt (the “do nothing alternative”) the project if there is enough input to warrant it.
Listening and summarizing can be the hardest part of a project. It is important to show community members that you are listening by summarizing what you have heard, thanking them for their time, and reassuring them that they have been heard and their input will be c onsidered.
STEP 5: FOLLOW THROUGH
Ask open-ended (not yes/no) questions and ask follow-up questions as to why someone is opposed to the project. Ask whether they have suggestions on addressing those concerns.
The fifth step is to follow through by sending the community input to decision -makers and to follow through again by providing community members with the rationale for the decision considering all relevant facts and opinions. Whatever input methods are used, communicate to individuals and groups that you have heard them. Acknowledge them.
Throughout the process, summarize questions and concerns that have been heard. An issues summary and/or frequently asked questions (FAQ) sheet may be useful. Describe how input will be communicated and presented to the decision-makers. This is often accomplished through staff reports or memos, but other methods may be used as well. 17 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Depending on the amount of community input received, you may need to summarize it for decision-makers in
a way that provides a succinct report while preserving the intent of individual comments. General categorization of individual comments is an effective way to communicate results. If community groups provide unified opinions, write a brief description of the individuals who participated in forming that opinion including the number of people who were present. This will help decision-makers gain an understanding of the strength and representation of a group’s opinion.
STEP 6: EVALUATE & ADAPT
The sixth step is to evaluate the effectiveness of your community engagement strategy, adapt, and be flexible. During implementation of your Community Engagement Plan, regularly assess whether goals and expectations related to community engagement are being met, and revise the plan as needed. This may require changes such as pushing back decision dates, creating additional education material in response to confusion or erroneous rumors that have surfaced, meeting an additional time with a community group to provide sufficient time for discussion on the topics, adding time for a new group of stakeholders not previously identified to catch up with others in the process, or expanding the community engagement process because the level of impact was found to be greater than previously thought.
Summarize the rationale for decisions considering all the facts, including public opinion.
Document the rationale and make it available to the public. If possible, provide the rationale for why one alternative was chosen over others and why decisions were made to move forward considering opposition, if there was any.
Some questions to consider when evaluating your community engagement activities:
• Did you satisfy the goals you set during the planning process? • Did your engagement activity adhere to the principles of community engagement set out in this guide?
• Did you effectively assess all stakeholders?
• Did you include potential participants in the design of your Community Engagement Plan?
• Were the tools you chose most appropriate given your unique circumstances and constraints?
• Were individuals and stakeholders given adequate opportunity to participate in all aspects of the process?
• Were the needs of persons with disabilities considered?
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• Were conversations relevant and valuable?
• Were all critical concerns addressed?
• Did you effectively record and analyze the input you received? • Did you allocate sufficient resources (time, human, financial)? • Was the activity completed within the budget allotted? • Were participants provided with feedback regarding how their contribution was/will be used?
• Were participants generally satisfied with the activity? Were organizers? Also, some tips to track and evaluate engagement:
• Create separate tracking links for online surveys to determine which channels of communication are most effective.
• Ask demographic questions in surveys and at events to determine how representative participants are of the audiences you are trying to reach. • Debrief individual events and the project with internal and external participants.
During your project, consider gathering feedback from community members and your internal working group on the quality of the process and whether it is meeting community member expectations. After completing your project, consider debriefing both internally and externally with discussions about how community engagement for future similar projects can be improved.
The City is collecting case studies from which to learn lessons on public engagement best practices. All City Departments are encouraged to regularly write case studies and contribute them to the collection for future reference. For details of these case studies, contact the Neighborhood Engagement Team.
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TOOLS AND RESOURCES
The following section includes information and resources that will assist in ensuring your project has the necessary elements and involvement of other departments, which may supplement your project. For example, some projects need to include Marketing and Communications for print materials or the City Attorney’s Office for legal advice. It will also help define how to assemble a team and identify the role of each member.
It may take a few minutes to review the tools, but they will save you time and effort in the long run.
If assistance is needed with any of
the following:
• Advice and open discussion at a Round Table
• Creating a Stakeholder List or a Community Engagement Plan • Information on locations in town
and in City buildings to host events
• Connecting with Stakeholders
• Planning worksheets
Please contact the Neighborhood Engagement Team for assistance.
Community Engagement Tools and Methods
The tools that will work best for your project will depend on the level of participation chosen and the groups you would like to engage. This is where the Participation Spectrum and Community Engagement Plan
Worksheet are essential. Use your evaluation of the level of impact and your stakeholder’s potential level of concern to prioritize your outreach and choose appropriate methods.
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 19
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN WORKSHEET
Use these questions to help design the strategy for your Community Engagement Plan.
PREPARE
1. What is the project? (define in detail)
2. Who is the Project Lead?
3. Which other internal departments and individuals are involved?
4. What are the objectives?
5. What questions need to be answered to proceed with the project/decision?
6. Who are the stakeholders?
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7. What are the potential impacts of the project to those stakeholders?
8. What information do the stakeholders require?
9. How might the stakeholders influence the decision?
10. Why do we need to engage?
11. What are the risks of NOT engaging?
12. How broadly should we engage?
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DESIGN
13. What influence or impacts will participants have on the decisions? * (Refer back to the Levels of Community Engagement)
*Important note: If stakeholders have no opportunity to influence the decision or outcome with their participation, do not continue planning a community engagement process. In this case, the appropriate action is to “Inform.”
14. What specific engagement tactics will be used?
15. How long will the process be? Is it a simple question we need to answer, or is it a major item requiring ongoing/multiple engagement opportunities and/or decision points?
16. What platforms are best suited for telling this project’s story?
17. How will participants be invited?
18. How will the findings be reported – to participants, to City Council? CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 22
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IMPLEMENT
19. Now is the time to execute your plan, tell your story and invite response.
EVALUATE
20. Did we achieve our objectives? Why or why not?
21. Diversity – Did we engage with a wide range of voices? How?
22. Accessibility – Did we ensure that barriers to participation were removed?
23. Inclusion – Were all relevant stakeholders identified and included?
24. Relevancy – Were the materials and questions provided meaningful and relevant to participants?
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 23
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
25. Responsiveness – How did the community engagement team respond to participant questions? Did the team follow up with participants to share results?
26. Respect – Was the process respectful of participants’ time and input? How?
27. Communication – Did the communication materials provide clear, objective, and helpful information to participants at appropriate phases of the project?
28. Transparency – Were the levels of involvement and influence clearly communicated with participants? Were results and updates reported back to participants?
29. Overall comments regarding the effectiveness of
community engagement.
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 24
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
30. Was the process effective? Why or why not?
31. What would you do differently next time?
Please send completed evaluation form along with participant feedback to the Neighborhood Engagement Division (https://riversideca.gov/cedd/neighborhood- engagement) once your process is complete.
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 25
26 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS
Who should you engage with? Consider all types of community -based organizations, neighborhood groups, and other audiences. Identify stakeholders at the beginning of a project and notify them of key decision points or opportunities to provide input. Stakeholders can provide community expertise that enhances the engagement process. They can also help you reach more and broader networks. This list is not inclusive of all community stakeholder groups, it is just an example to get you thinking about who should be included on your list.
GROUPS/AUDIENCES RIVERSIDE-SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
Arts/Culture Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts Foundation, Mission Inn Museum & Foundation, Old Riverside Foundation, Riverside Arts Council, Riverside Museum, The Fox Foundation, Business
Arlington Business Partnership, Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Downtown Partnership, The Pick Group, local businesses, large corporations, employers
Community At Large Arts Walk, National Night Out, Riverside Farmer’s Markets, Riverside Public Library, ratepayers, commuters
Education
Alvord Unified School District, California Baptist University, California School for the Deaf, La Sierra University, Riverside Community College, Riverside Unified School District, University of California Riverside, private and public schools, PTSA’s Government City Council, boards, commissions, volunteers, other agencies (RTA, RCTC, State, etc.) Human Services Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Services, Community Settlement Association, Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank
Media Black Voice News, KVCR, La Prensa, The Press Enterprise Mobility Riverside Bicycle Club, Riverside Transit Agency, transit users Neighborhoods Contact Neighborhood Engagement Division for a list Nonprofits American Legions, Elks, Family Service Association, Habitat for Humanity, Operation Safe House, Riverside Women’s Club, Rotary clubs, faith-based organizations Outdoors Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, Friends of Riverside’s Hills, Riverside Garden Council Property Owners Commercial brokers, real estate professionals Students Alvord School District, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Youth Council, individual schools, youth groups
Parks & Recreation Park Advisory Boards, park and trail users, PR&CS customers Diversity and Inclusion Deaf and hard of hearing and indigenous communities, people with disabilities Seniors Dales Senior Center, Janet Goeske Center, La Sierra Senior Center
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
1. Who will be impacted (positively or negatively)?
Consider geography – who lives, works, or plays nearby?
2. Who NEEDS to know about this?
Is there a legal requirement?
Is there a group with an imperative interest?
3. Who will contribute to this conversation?
Who are the experts?
Are there outside sources who discuss the same topics?
From your answers to the questions below, you will develop your Stakeholder List. This list of organizations and individuals will also include up-to-date contact information. Though the general public has a stake in the outcome and are considered stakeholders in the broad sense, your stakeholders are a distinct group who may include community members, businesses, and organizations that will be affected by the project and should be strategically engaged. While the broader “public” should be informed and included on a project, the stakeholder groups generally spend more time and effort contributing throughout the conversation.
Stakeholders can be both external and internal to the organization. External stakeholders can include other governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, community groups, special interest groups, businesses, and individual residents. Internal stakeholders can be other City departments or committees that could be impacted or included.
CREATING YOUR STAKEHOLDER LIST
27CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
4. Who or what group is missing?
Each stakeholder list should include:
• Experts
• Clubs
• Personal interest groups
5. Who has the potential to stop this project?
Is there anyone or any group who will dislike the idea or be impacted to an extreme extent?
6. Who could make the project better?
How could this be more inviting to the public?
Who would have a unique perspective?
7. What questions would I ask a resident?
If you were on the outside of this issue or project, what would you want to know?
8. Whose life or schedule stands to be alerted by any aspect of this project? • Residents
• Professionals
• Hard-to-reach populations
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 28
Considerations for developing your Vision Statement:
• A vision statement is a statement about ideal conditions or how things would look if the issue important to you were completely, perfectly addressed.
• Common characteristics of vision statements:
o Understood and shared by members of the community
o Broad enough to include a variety of local perspectives o Inspiring and uplifting to everyone involved in your effort o Easy to communicate- for example, they are generally short enough to fit on a T-shirt • Examples:
o Caring communities
o Safe streets, safe neighborhoods
o Health for All
Instructions:
1. Identify one person to take notes while the group brainstorms ideas and one person to document the decision reached through consensus
2. Ask the following questions, record key points, and discuss common themes: (30 minutes) a. Essential why: What is the dream or ideal that you and your community seek? b. Essential what: What would have to change for this dream to come true?
3. Come to consensus about what the vision statement should be by considering the following: (10 minutes) a. Will it draw people to the common work?
b. Does it give hope for a better future?
c. Will it inspire community members through positive, effective action? d. Does it provide a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning process?
4. Record the agreed upon statement on your handout.
Notes:
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
DEVELOPING A VISION & MISSION STATEMENT
29CITY OF RIVERSIDE
Considerations for developing your Mission Statement:
• A mission statement describes what the group is going to do and why it is going to do that. • Guiding principles for mission statements include:
o Concise. Mission statements generally get their point across in one sentence. o Outcome-oriented. Explain the fundamental outcomes your organization is working to achieve. o Inclusive. Make broad statements about your groups’ key goals but are not limiting to specific strategies or sectors of the community.
• Examples:
o Promoting child health and development through a comprehensive family and community initiative. o To develop a safe and healthy neighborhood through collaborative planning, community action, and policy advocacy.
o Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas and resources.
Instructions:
1. Identify one person to take notes while the group brainstorms ideas and one person to document the decision reached through consensus.
2. Carry forward ideas generated in developing your vision statement. Gather the ideas generated that described the “essential why” or the dream/ideal you seek and the “essential what” or what would have to happen for the dream to come true.
3. As a group select the statements that have particular relevance for the vision statement identified and brainstorm potential mission statements (e.g. Our mission is to ______________ (essential why) through (or by)____________________ (essential what). (30 minutes)
4. Come to consensus by considering the following: (10 minutes) a. Does it describe the what your group will do and why it will do it? b. Is it concise (one sentence)?
c. Is it outcome oriented?
d. Is it inclusive of the goals and people who may become involved in the work?
5. Record the agreed upon statement on your handout.
Notes:
The Mission of our initiative is (the essential why):
through (or by) (the essential what):
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT CITY OF RIVERSIDE 30 Considerations for developing objectives:
• Objectives are specific measurable results of an initiative. They provide specifics about how much of what will be accomplished and by when (e.g., By (date), _____ will increase/decrease by X%.) • There are three basic types of objectives:
o Process objectives: aim to measure the extent to which progress is made toward other objectives (e.g., By 2020, establish a comprehensive plan to improve emergency preparedness.) o Behavioral objectives: aim to measure changes in behaviors of people (what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behavior (e.g., By 2025, the percentage of 15-19-year-old youth reporting use of alcohol in the past 30 days will decrease by 25%) o Community-level outcomes objectives: aim to measure the product or result of behavior change in many people (e.g., By 2025, the percentage of people living adequate housing in X community will increase by 30%.)
• Common characteristics include:
o Specific: they tell how much of what by when
o Measurable: information can be collected, detected, or obtained from records o Achievable: they are possible to achieve AND it’s feasible for your group to reach them o Relevant: there is a clear connection to how they fit with the overall vision and mission of the group o Timed: timing by which it will be achieved is clear in the objective itself and an overall timeline o Challenging: they stretch the group to set its aims on significant improvements that are important Instructions:
1. Identify one person to take notes while the group brainstorms ideas and one person to document the decision reached through consensus.
2. Begin by drawing on expertise from the group to determine what needs to occur to see real progress toward your vision and mission. Then, together, form a list of one or two general goals (e.g., Improve emergency preparedness programs; Increase understanding of the causes and solutions to address school-shootings).
3. Then for each goal, develop one or two objectives. Consider what would have to change to suggest you are making progress toward that goal. Describe how much of what would change and by when and state your objectives. Consider the following questions:
a. What measures of activities or outputs would help us assess whether key activities are completed? b. What changes in behavior would we see if the effort is successful?
4. Critique your objective based on SMART+C attribute and come to consensus about what the objective(s) should be. Record the agreed upon objective below.
Goal(s):
Objective(s):
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
DEVELOPING OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
31CITY OF RIVERSIDE
Considerations for developing strategies:
• A strategy is a way of describing how you are going to get things done. It tries to broadly answer the question, “How do we get there from here?”
• A good strategy considers barriers and resources, stay in-line with the overall vision, mission, and objectives.
Often initiatives use many different strategies to achieve their goals. • Common characteristics of good strategies include:
o Give overall direction- points to an overall path without dictating a narrow approach o Fit resources and opportunities- takes advantage of current resources and assets o Minimize resistance and barriers- good strategies attract allies and deter opponents o Reaches those affected- strategies connect interventions with those who it should benefit o Advance the mission- likely to make a difference on the mission and objectives • Examples:
o Increase collaboration among key sectors and stakeholders to develop improved emergency preparedness protocols
o Increase coordination and integration of existing services to increase access to adequate housing o Assist schools in the development of substance abuse curriculum for health classes Instructions:
1. Identify one person to take notes while the group brainstorms ideas and one person to document the decision reached through consensus.
2. Begin by considering your goals and objectives. Consider the following:
a. What risk and/or protective factors contribute to challenges in this area? Use the “Understanding Factors that Contribute to the Problem” worksheet to generate discussion. b. Who are the targets of change (people who experience or at risk for experiencing the issue or problem) and agents of change (those in a position to help contribute to the solution)?
3. Generate one or two potential strategies that aligns with your goals and objectives, addresses factors contributing to the issue, and considers agents and targets of change. Consider the following:
a. What resources and assets exist that can be used to achieve the vision and mission? b. What obstacles or resistance exist that could make it difficult? c. What are potential agents of change willing to do to serve the mission? d. Which strategies reach those especially at risk for experiencing the problem?
4. Come to consensus about which strategy/strategies to focus on for action planning and record your agreed upon strategy below.
Risk/protective factors:
Targets of change:
Agents of change:
Strategy:
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT CITY OF RIVERSIDE 32 CITY OF RIVERSIDE 33
15 Participation Techniques
These 15 techniques were chosen strategically from the dozens available. The list is far from exhaustive, but these were chosen because they fit the goals of the policy, are innovative, and/or underutilized.
Open meetings are over-utilized, especially since there are so many other potions.
Please consider alternative methods when planning outreach events. Also, please review the C
ommunity Calendar to see if there is an event that covers a similar topic or involves the same stakeholders as well as events that attendance is expected to be high as it will detract from your event. Your outcome will be better if you are not competing for the community’s time.
Several City staff members have been trained extensively on these tools and many more through training courses, research, and experience. This number will continue to grow with additional opportunities for trainings in the future. If you are interested in more information on ow to use a tool or participating in trainings, please contact a member of the Neighborhood Engagement Division.
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
34 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
TECHNIQUE CONSIDER WHY IT WORKS POTENTIAL ISSUES
Briefings
Use existing meetings
of social groups,
neighborhood
organizations, and clubs
as a platform to provide
information, education,
and hold discussions
Groups often need
speakers and look for ways
to be more involved
Which groups are
stakeholders for your
project? Examples: Rotary
Clubs, parent groups,
Kiwanis, businesses,
HOA’s, neighborhood
organizations, special
interes
t groups.
KISS – Keep It Short and
Sweet
Be engaging by including
visual aids, props, and
provide opportunities for
interaction
Excellent tool for the “go-
to-them” approach
Control of information
Reaches a wide variety of
individuals who may not
have been attracted to
another format
Opportunity to expand
mailing lists
Similar presentations can
be used for different
groups
Excellent relationship-
building tool
Can get mixed groups of
stakeholders, so you will
need to speak to multiple
interest areas and
concerns
Some organizations have
tight agendas, time may
be limited
Expert Panels
Public meeting designed in
“Meet the Press” format
Staff member from various
departments or
communications team
interviews experts from
different perspectives
Can be conducted by a
neutral moderator and
include the option for the
community to submit
questions beforehand
Agree on ground rules
beforehand
Be clear about the topics
that will be discussed
Choose your “experts”
wisely – Can they answer
a variety of questions?
Are the comfortable with
public speaking?
Be sure questions are
unbiased and include
different topics
Encourages education to
a diverse audience and
potentially the media that
will cover the story
Presents opportunity to
display the facts,
showcase the complexities
of an issue, and dispel
scientific misinformation
Requires substantial
preparation and
organization
May enhance public
concerns by increasing
visibility of issues
Success easily affected
by participating parties
Electronic Forums, Social Media Groups, E-mail
Utilization of electronic
mailing lists and social
media platforms that
members can easily join
and leave
Can provide access to
an array of information
formats such as video,
photos, and links to
more resources
Online resources are
useful but should be
supplemented by hard
copy versions
The Internet is saturated
and competitive
Extra effort needs to
be taken for messages
to stand out or for
stakeholders to read an
email
Easily accessible for most
people including hard- to-
reach populations such as
low income and homeless
– these groups often rely
heavily on their mobile
devices because they do
not have access to full
computers. Take this into
account when writing
emails and creating social
media content
Very inexpensive or
free
way to directly reach
stakeholders
Be careful not to overuse
social media platforms
People can easily suffer
from “over-reach” and not
all projects warrant
groups, email, or social
media posts
Substantial effort is needed
to maintain accurate
email addresses and
engagement
Won’t attract older
generations or people who
are not tech savvy
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 35
TECHNIQUE CONSIDER WHY IT WORKS POTENTIAL ISSUES
Response Summaries
An ongoing form of
documentation that
provides feedback to
the public regarding
comments received
and how they are being
incorporated
May be used to comply
with legal requirements for
comment documentation
Use publicly and openly to
announce and show all
comments were addressed
Strongly supports the City’s
goal of transparency and
co-creation
Demonstrates active
listening and how
responses are being
incorporated
Can also address why
some ideas would not work
Can be time consuming to
stay on top of comments
and keep stakeholders up
to date, especially if there
is a large audience or
social media comments
are included
Television – Riverside Cable Access Channel 3
Television programming
and video creation to be
shared through television
and online platforms such
as YouTube
Video creation and
recording is openly
available to you though
Cable Channel 3 but may
come at a cost to your
Department
Video is the fastest growing
method of information –
the brain interprets images
much more quickly that it
does text
Capability to access video
through mobile devices
has made it even more
effective
Our Riverside TV crew
is creative and highly
experienced
Can be used in multiple
areas and reach several
stakeholder groups at
once
Many people will take the
time to watch rather than
read
Provides opportunity for
positive media coverage
at ground breakings and
other significant events
Difficult to gauge impact
on audience
Needs several layers of
involvement and planning
Cable Channel 3 is
available but their
schedule often fills quickly,
be sure to reach out well
in advance if you plan to
use their services
Community Facilitators
Use qualified individuals
in local community
organizations to
conduct project
outreach
Define roles,
responsibilities, and
limitations up front
Select and train facilitators
carefully
Promotes community-
based involvement and
co-creation
Capitalizes on existing
networks and relationships
Enhances project
credibility
Can be difficult to
control information flow
Extra effort us needed to
maintain expectations
Interviews
One-to-one meetings
with stakeholders to
gain information for
developing or refining
public participation
and consensus-building
programs
Conduct in person when
possible, particularly useful
when considering
candidates for committees
Plan your questions well
Provides in-depth and
personalized information
in a non-threatening
environment.
Builds deeper
relationships and gives
interviewees a sense of
empowerment
Can be time consuming
and difficult to schedule
multiple interviews
Extra efforts needed to
accurately record
conversations and
thoughts
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
36 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
TECHNIQUE CONSIDER WHY IT WORKS POTENTIAL ISSUES
Charettes
Intensive sessions where
participants design
project features
Best used to foster creative
ideas
Be clear about how results
will be used
Promotes co-creation
and problem solving
Opportunity for
innovation and pilot
projects
Participants may not
be seen as
representative by
larger public – don’t
assume their opinion is
representative of entire
group
Citizen Juries
Small groups of citizens
empaneled to learn about
an issue, cross-examine
witnesses, and make a
recommendation
ALWAYS non-binding with
no legal standing
Requires skilled moderator
Commissioning body must
follow recommendations or
explain why not
Be clear about how results
will be used and that it is
NOT a vote
Great opportunity
to develop deep
understanding
Pinpoint fatal flaws or
gauge public reaction
Resource-intensive
Extra emphasis is
needed to manage
expectations
Surveys and Polls
Questions created to
gather a sampling of
opinion for targeted
feedback
City does not externally use
the term “survey” unless it is
statistically valid
Externally say
questionnaire, feedback
form, poll, etc.
If you need statistically
valid results, a consultant
should be obtained, which
can be expensive
Take great care in
formulating
questions
– have several people
review them to ensure they
are clear, won’t be
misinterpreted, and will
gather useful information
Most suitable for general
aptitude gauging
Provides input from
individuals who would be
unlikely to attend meetings
Gathers input from cross-
section of the public
Higher response rate than
mail-in surveys
Easily shared, can be very
engaging and fun
Statistically valid surveys
are expensive and time-
consuming
“Over-surveyed, under-
represented” is a common
phrase or thought from
some groups within
Riverside so be sure to
thoroughly consider if you
need a survey, what is the
purpose of the questions,
and how will the results be
used
Coffee Klatches – Kitchen Table Meetings
Small meetings within a
neighborhood usually
at someone’s home or
welcoming communal
space
Be sure to be extra
polite, appreciative,
and supportive
Relaxed setting is
conducive to open
dialogue
Maximizes two
-way
communication
Often need existing
relationships and trust
to organize
Fairs and Events
Central event with
multiple activities to
provide project
information and raise
awareness
All issues – large and small –
must be considered
Make sure adequate
resources are available
Think about the thought
process and interest of
your stakeholders – what
would make them picture
themselves at your event
Focuses public attention
on one element
Conducive to media
coverage
Allows for different levels of
information sharing
Good opportunity for
interactive activities
Public must be motivated
to attend
Can be expensive
Can quickly lose a crowd
if not done well
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 37
TECHNIQUE CONSIDER WHY IT WORKS POTENTIAL ISSUES
Study Circles
A highly participatory
process for involving
numerous small groups in
making a difference in their
communities
What works best is multiple
groups work at the same
time in different locations
and then coming together
to share out
Structured around an
actual study guide
Large numbers of people
are involved without
having them all meet at
the same place
A diverse group of people
agrees on opportunities
for action to create social
change
Allows for strategic
discussion of targeted
information
Participants may find
that the results are hard
to assess or feel that the
process didn’t lead to
concrete action
May be difficult to
get segments of the
community to commit
Symposia
A meeting or conference
to discuss a particular topic
involving multiple speakers
Provides an opportunity for
presentations by experts,
professionals, and a variety
of people highly involved
Requires upfront planning
to identify appropriate and
interesting speakers
Needs strong publicity
People learn new and
diverse information
Educational foundation for
informed participation and
discussions
Great tool for early in your
outreach or at points of
contention
Experts might not represent
different perspectives
Controversial presenters
may draw protests or
negative views
Tours and Field Trips
Provide tours for key
stakeholders, elected
officials, advisory groups,
and the media
Know the number
of participants to
accommodate and plan
for
Include refreshments and
transportation options
when possible
Can be self-guided with
additional tools such as
recordings or maps
ALWAYS consider safety
precautions
Often seen as a special
treat or “reward” for extra
involvement
Opportunity to provide
rapport and a feeling of
being an “insider”
Reduces outrage and
misinformation by making
choices more familiar
Number of participants
can be limiting logistically
Potentially attractive to
protestors
Transportation and liability
come in to play
Modeled from IAP2’s Public Participation Toolbox
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
An evaluation plan should be an integral part of your overall written plan for a quality reporting project. To support the planning of an evaluation, this page co vers the following topics:
• Purpose of the Evaluation
• Evaluation Questions
• Evaluation Criteria
• Starting Early on Data Collection
• Collecting Data for an Evaluation
• Data Collection Methods To Answer Evaluation Questions • Data Collection Tools and Activities
• Data Analysis
• Reporting Evaluation Findings
Purpose of the Evaluation
To clarify the purpose of your evaluation, start by identifying what you need to learn in the short and long term. Think specifically about the decisions you and your partners are facing and when they have to be made. Key issues include:
• What are you hoping to learn from the evaluation?
• What decisions do you expect to make as a result of the evaluation? • When do you
hope to make those decisions?
Since your resources are sure to be limited, answering these questions will help to set priorities for learning.
Evaluation Questions
Evaluations are most useful when they inform key decisions by answering the right question at the right time. What specific questions do you need to answer to adequately inform your decisions? Note that you may have several questions and that different questions may be appropriate to ask at different stages of your effort. For example, you will probably need answers to questions about your process sooner than you need answers to questions about results. • Learn about evaluating the process
• Learn about evaluating the results
ELEMENTS OF AN EVALUATION PLAN
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 38 The number of questions you can address depends largely on the time and resources available. It also depends on whether you can save money by using the same data collection methods to gather the answers to more than one question at a time. For example, you might use a single community survey to address questions about whether your audience was aware of the report, sought it out, or used it. But this type of survey probably wouldn't work for determining whether people understood the report.
Evaluation Criteria
To properly evaluate your efforts, develop specific criteria for success. Here are some issues to consider:
• What would count as success in reaching your audience? o What will you consider a successful process?
o What will you consider a successful result?
• How would you determine whether someone had used your information? • How would you know whether you did enough outreach?
The credibility of your evaluation with various stakeholders will depend in part on whether you define success in a way that resonates with them. They may have different points of view about the most important criteria for success. Make sure you get their input and come up with a clear set of criteria that reflect a shared vision.
You might find that clarifying your criteria leads to useful, if sometimes thorny, discussions about exactly what you are trying to achieve, for whom, in your initiative.
Starting Early on Data Collection
Planning your evaluation as early as possible makes it easier to start on your assessment when you want to. People who start late often find themselves playing "catch up" and end up struggling getting the information they need.
As early as possible, decide when you will start work on collecting feedback. If you are evaluating your processes, you need to move quickly to gather the data you need. If you are evaluating your results, you may also need to start early if you hope to collect data on the situation before your report is issued. This information is often called baseline data.
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 39 However, even if you are well along in your efforts, and have not been able to focus on evaluation yet,
you can and should start as soon as possible. If you are in this for the long haul, you need to harness evaluation tools to help the project move forward in the right direction as you get more sophisticated and perhaps more ambitious.
Collecting Data for an Evaluation
How will you measure whether each of your criteria has been met? When you're thinking about what data to track, keep in mind that the things that are easiest to count are not necessarily the most informative. For instance, the number of reports mailed out to residents does not tell you whether they read it, understood it, or used it.
When you develop your plan, answer these questions:
• Are there existing or standard measures or will you have to devise your own? • What data sources will you use?
• Are some data already available that you can use? Most of the time, there is relatively little existing information relevant to quality reports. This means you will need to collect "primary" data from a variety of sources. Some of your primary data will be qualitative in nature; some will be quantitative.
One important thing to consider is whether you are collecting data on individuals or groups/organizations:
• If you collect data on individuals, you will likely focus on their:
o Knowledge.
o Attitudes, beliefs, and preferences.
o Experiences and responses.
o Behavioral intentions (what they intend to do in the future). o Actual behaviors.
• When you collect data about groups or organizations, you may also collect data on their:
o Plans.
o Policies.
o New initiatives.
When you collect data about groups or organizations, you are typically collecting the data from individual people in the group or organization who CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 40 are knowledgeable about the group or organization in question. These people are sometimes called "key informants."
Data Collection Methods, Tools, and Activities
How will you collect data on your measures? You are likely to be using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods in your evaluation as well as perhaps tapping into existing data, especially if you are evaluating a web-ba sed report.
The method you use depends on the question you are asking as well as the time, resources, and talent that you have available. You must also consider what will be credible to the audience for your evaluation findings. The tools you need and the activities you carry out depend on your data co llection methods. When you are collecting primary data, you typically ha ve to develop tools specifically for your situation.
When you develop your plan, consider these questions:
• What tools will you need to collect data?
• Do some tools already exist that you can use as is?
• Can you get samples of tools that you can adapt or simply use as a template for your own?
• Who will collect the information—one of your own staff or people hired for this specific purpose as consultants or contractors?
Surveys
A survey asks a systematic sample of a population a set of questions that they answer using a specified set of responses. The sample population could be community members (including those you hope to reach), people who actually use reports, or representatives of purchasers, providers, plans, or policymakers.
Surveys ask a series of questions that can be closed-ended (where a limited set of answers is provided for each question) or open-ended. The use of closed-ended questions means that survey results are quantifiable.
Surveys may be administered by mail, by telephone, in person, or over the Web.
Some Web sites incorporate a survey “feedback” function that asks questions and solicits comments from site visitors.
What's needed for surveys?
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 41 • A "sampling frame" from which you can choose a representative (i.e., random) sample.
• The survey instrument, preferably one that has gone through some initial testing.
• A cover letter or
other form of invitation to motivate survey response.
• A way to distribute the survey (mail, telephone, or Web). • A way to follow up with people who don’t respond to the survey. • A system for creating and managing a database of survey responses. • A plan and a method for analyzing the results.
• Either a "vendor" that will conduct the survey for you or staff skilled in survey design, administration, and analysis.
Focus Groups
In a focus group, a small group of individuals spends 1 to 2 hours in a guided discussion of a small set of questions. The individuals typically have certain characteristics in common, but they may also be diverse on other characteristics.
Unlike questions on surveys, the questions asked in focus groups can be answered in any way that the participants choose. No predetermined answers are provided.
The interaction among participants and how they influence each other are both part of the "data" that is of interest. In some focus groups, participants complete a brief survey at the beginning to capture their demographic characteristics or other information. In others, participants respond to a
stimulus provided by the moderator.
What's needed for focus groups?
• Access to a pool of people from whom you can recruit focus group participants who fit your criteria (often provided by a private vendor that specializes in commercial and/or academic focus group research). • A detailed moderator guide, with primarily or exclusively open-ended questions.
• A skilled moderator.
• A facility to hold the focus group session(s) that is convenient, neutral, and attractive without being too plush. Focus group firms often rent their facilities for this purpose.
• Any materials that you want to use to stimulate the groups' responses. • One or more ways to record the focus group (audiotape, videotape, or notes) and summarize or transcribe the conversation. Focus group firms can provide this service.
• A method to analyze the results of all your groups. This may include a qualitative data analysis software program.
• Staff who have skills in qualitative data analysis.
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 42 Key Informant Interviews
A key informant interview focuses on a single individual or a very small group of individuals who are chosen because they:
• Have had a particular experience.
• Have played a particular role.
• Are likely to reflect a particular perspective on your report.
One or two interviewers ask the key informants a set of "open-ended" questions that permit respondents to say what they want in their own language. These interviews can be conducted in person or by telephone.
In some cases, interviews are highly structured: questions are asked in the same order, with the same wording, of everyone. Semi-structured interviews are more common; in such interviews, interviewers can reword the questions to fit the situation and change the order of questions. In all kinds of interviews, one can use "probes" (either specified ahead of time or identified during the interview) to delve deeper into a topic or issue.
What's needed for interviews?
• A method to identify and recruit the people you want to interview. • An interview protocol with primarily or exclusively open-ended questions. • Skilled interviewers.
• A way to record the interviews and either summarize or transcribe them. • A method to analyze the results of all your interviews. This may include a qualitative
data analysis software program.
• Staff who have skills in qualitative data analysis.
Web Analytics
With the growth of the Internet has come a parallel growth in methods to assess how and by whom a given Web site is being used. Analytics can also indicate whether links or ads you have placed to let people know about your report are actually being used. These methods are carried out by private companies, sometimes for a fee. Certain search sites, for example, offer free Web analytic services.
Data Analysis
Analysis methods vary by how you collect the data. Quantitative data require typical statistical analyses. Be sure you have the expertise and the software required to conduct these analyses.
The analysis of qualitative data is less familiar to most people, but there are systematic and rigorous ways to analyze transcripts from interviews and focus groups. Qualitative analyses of the content of these transcripts are used to identify themes, patterns, and variations across different kinds of respondents.
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 43 When you develop your plan, answer these questions:
• What techniques will you use to analyze and interpret the data? • How will you ensure your analysis is rigorous and viewed as trustworthy by your audience?
• Who will do the analysis? Many report sponsors contract with consultants to conduct the analysis and report their findings.
Reporting Evaluation Findings
Over the years, evaluators have learned that how, when, and to whom they report their findings has a big influence on whether the results ever get used. Just a s you
need to be very aware of your audience in designing and distributing a quality report, you have to be clear about the audience(s) for your evaluation results.
Considerations in Developing an Evaluation Report
• When developing the report on your evaluation findings, consider the following questions:
o Who needs to act on the results?
o Who needs to make decisions based on the results?
• Who would be interested in your findings from outside your community? • How can these findings be used to promote your efforts? • How much time will each audience want to spend looking at your findings? • What's the best way to communicate with them?
o A long, detailed report?
o A brief summary report?
• An in-person briefing with some PowerPoint slides and adequate time for discussion?
• Something else that fits into your organization's "standard operating procedures?"
• What kind of presentation will resonate most with each audience? o Graphs and charts?
o Stories and examples?
o A combination?
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 44 CITY OF RIVERSIDE 45
SUCCESSFUL FACILITATION
Our role is to provide a safe, welcoming, and informative space for public involvement. As such, we are facilitators, and as difficult as it may be, staff’s opinions cannot be included in our outreach efforts. This can be difficult, especially if you have spent months and countless hours on a project that you are passionate about. As facilitators, staff must act only as catalysts for productive conversations. Effective facilitation skills are essential to successful public deliberation, especially when dealing with what could be a contentious issue. It is crucial to have a leader in the room who enables all opinions to be heard and stimulates conversation.
If a facilitator is needed for your project, there are members of City staff who are trained in Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitation methods that can be helpful to you in your outreach efforts. Outside consultants can perform in this capacity as well.
Tips for Effective Facilitation:
A. Facilitators set and enforce ground rules. They design the conversation, set an expectation of respect, and make it known that all voices are equal. If somebody is using disrespectful language, it is the facilitator’s responsibility to ask them to stop. • Try: “That term makes me uncomfortable and might be hurtful to others. Could you please refrain from using it?”
B. Facilitators allow everyone to speak. If somebody is dominating the conversation, don’t try to stop them from talking, but rather get others involved in the discussion. As City staff, this can be difficult because exceptional customer service is a vital part of our job. It is helpful to remember that if you are giving your undivided attention to just one person, you are not providing good customer service to the other participants in the room. • Try: “Those are good points. Let’s be sure to hear what others have to say as well.”
46 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
• Try: Setting the event into smaller working groups or designating specific comment times.
C. Skilled facilitators have the ability to look beneath emotional responses and bring to light the underlying interest, need, or concern.
• Consider: Someone may be speaking loudly or seem angry, but it just might be that they fear an aspect of their life will significantly change.
CI. Room setup creates the stage for your outreach event. It gives participants clear direction and helps facilitate feelings of equality if done properly. This includes everything from lighting to background noise.
• Consider: Creating
smaller working groups and circular table/chair formations when possible.
• Consider: Don’t isolate speakers by putting them on a stage or behind a podium. This sets a tone of “us versus them.”
CII. Attitude and context are extremely important! If you set a conversation in a negative tone or come at it from what is perceived as the wrong angle, your outreach efforts can be doomed from the beginning.
CIII. Facilitators must always maintain neutrality and must avoid giving any preferential treatment.
• Consider: During discussions, we often nod our heads as a way of participating in the conversation, but this can be construed as agreement.
• Try:
Statements like, “I hear what you’re saying” or “that’s an interesting perspective.” • Try: Someone on staff should actively take notes or record conversations. This shows the audience that responses are being taken into account and has a future purpose.
CIV. Asking purposeful questions is an understated art form. Facilitators are allowed to have an outside perspective, which should not be used to see who isn’t speaking and what’s not being said. Where are gaps in the conversation? • Consider: If
the group is stuck on a seemingly impossible resolution, ask “What would we need in order to make that happen?” instead of telling the group that isn’t an option.
• Try: Empowering and open-ended questions that show you value in your participants opinion, such as: “You have a great deal of experience in XXX. What do you think?” • Try: Summarizing thoughts and concerns by saying “I am hearing that the group is concerned that.”
PROJECT NAME PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT LEADER
PROJECT
SUMMARY
PROJECT
OBJECTIVES
SCOPE OF
WORK
KEY
DELIVERABLES
PROJECT
TIMELINE
PROJECT
TEAM
ROLE RESPONSIBILITY
COMMENTS
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 47CITY OF RIVERSIDE
PROJECT OUTLINE TEMPLATE - EXTERNAL USE
3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522 | Phone: (951) 826-5371 | RiversideCA.gov Meeting Name/Topic
Meeting Location
Meeting Date, Meeting Time
Welcome and Introductions
6:00 – 6:20 pm, Name of the person leading
Presentation(s):
6:10-6:20 pm – Name of the person(s)
• Topic:
• Any other information
Activity:
6:10-6:20 pm – Name of the person(s)
• Topic/Instructions
o
o
Other Information:
6:30
-6:40 pm – Name of the person(s)
o
o
Questions & Answers:
6:30-6:50 pm – Lead person(s)
o
o
Closing & Announcements:
6:50-6:50 pm – Lead person(s)
o Next Meeting/Workshop/Follow Up
• Initiative History and Background
• Team Introductions
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 48CITY OF RIVERSIDE Name/Nombre Email Address/Cor
reo Electrónico Phone Number/
Número Telefónico
What Ward do you live in?
¿En qué distrito vive?
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
Meeting Title: ______________________________________________________ Location: __________________ Date: ______________ Time: _______________ CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 49
CITY OF RIVERSIDE CITY OF RIVERSIDE
SIGN-IN SHEET
50 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND MOTIVATION
Community Engagement and Project Management Homepage
https://riversideca.gov/cedd/neighborhood-engagement
Resource Guide on Public Engagement by the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation https://www.ncdd.org/files/NCDD2010_Resource_Guide.pdf Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Public Participation https://www.iap2.org/page/26/Southern
-California-Chapter.htm
Video: “Song of a Citizen” interview with Pete Peterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDlxTRB4Z8g
Video: To Manage Stakeholder Expectations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EkufUCo5qI
Video:
Ted Talk
Dave Meslin: The Antidote to Apathy
https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_meslin_the_antidote_to_apathy?language=en#t-1471 Video: Difficult People and How to Deal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6Abkn--
Zc
Video: Parks and Rec Town Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=In9oSjjltOs
Video: The Future of Public Engagement in a Hybrid World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgE0oIHxeYo
CEDD – Neighborhood
Engagement Division Library
We have a physical library of books on community engagement that range from using gamification, to inspirational stories and innovative methods. Contact Neighborhood Engagement Division staff to inquire about particular topics, pitch a book you think we should
own, or to check out a book.
50CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITY OF RIVERSIDE 51
DEFINITIONS
Community: Includes individuals or groups who live, work, play, study, visit, invest in or pass through the City of Riverside municipality.
Community Consultation: A form of community engagement that relates to the tools and practices used by staff to enable public involvement in decisions and actions that shape the community.
Community Engagement: Refers to the range of opportunities for public involvement in decision-making, relationship building, and community strengthening.
Community engagement is achieved when the community is and feels part of the process.
Community Strengthening: Refers to a sustained effort of building cohesive and inclusive communities. This process aims to increase the connectedness, active community engagement, and partnership among members of the community, community groups, and organizations to enhance social, economic, and environmental well-being.
IAP2: The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) is an international organization advancing the practice of public participation. IAP2 supports people who implement or participate in public decision-making processes.
Plan: A plan outlines a detailed future course of action aimed at achieving specific goals
or objectives within a specific time frame. A plan should identify roles and responsibilities long with resources that are required for execution and/or implementation.
Policy: A policy sets out City Council’s views with respect to a particular matter. It includes a
set of principles or rules that provide a definite direction for the organization.
Project: A planned undertaking (including strategy and policy development) that builds, enhances, and maintains City assets or enhances City services in order to achieve a desired outcome, within a defined scope and funding requirements.
Stakeholder: A stakeholder is anybody who has the ability to influence a project’s outcomes either positively or negatively. Stakeholders include identified subsets within the community. These subsets may compromise individuals and/or organizations from across the community that are
directly involved in, or significantly affected by the
project. Stakeholders
may have an interest if the project has specific change implications or has lifestyle, social, environmental, or economic impacts. For most projects there are likely to be several stakeholders.
CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Policy Title:
Citywide Community Engagement Toolkit
Policy Number:
TBD
Policy Type:
City Council Policy
and Toolkit
Policy Creation Date:
April 2021
Current Version
Adopted by City
Council:
TBD
Current Version
number:
0 3
Policy Review Date:
May 16,
2023
Parent Policy:
None
Policy responsibility:
Community & Economic Development
Department
Resolution Number:
TBD
TOOLKIT CONTROL SCHEDULE
Revised date:
September 22,
2023
Revised by: Neighborhood Engagement Division
Agueda Padilla, Division Manager
Amaris Gonzalez, Project Coordinator
Jesus Noriega,
Project Assistant
52 CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT 52CITY OF RIVERSIDE