A Framework for Public Involvement

Decision-makers must determine how much influence and information will be shared with the public. This decision is key to ascertaining which public involvement techniques are appropriate and how much public involvement needs to be done. The following framework can be used to determine the types of public involvement tools and techniques to use based on the level of public involvement desired.

If the manager determines that public acceptance of a management decision is unnecessary or reasonably likely then public awareness and education methods, such as brochures or displays, may be appropriate public involvement techniques. If, however, the manager is unsure of public acceptance then techniques which seek to understand public opinion, such as focus groups or talking with key informants, may be necessary before decision making.

For more controversial decision making or in instances where public acceptance is desired and/or required a more involved public involvement process may be necessary. Often this process would involve raising awareness among the public as well as gathering public opinions about the management issue. A variety of public involvement techniques that encourage information exchange between the agency and the public may be appropriate from surveys and focus groups, to workshops and advisory committees.

In some instances transparent public involvement in decision making is desirable. Based on the level of controversy and the variety of interested publics different techniques can be used. Techniques such as conflict resolution may be used to settle highly contentious issues. For longer-term planning and implementation processes co-management arrangements may be considered necessary.

In general, there is greater public ownership of decisions made with or through public involvement processes. Yet all decisions do not require large amounts of public involvement. Readers interested in a decision tree that can be used to help determine the level and amount of public involvement needed are referred to J.C. Thomas. 1995. Public Participation in Public Decisions: New Skills and Strategies for Public Managers (Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco) and J.E. Force and D.J. Forester. 2002. Public Involvement in National Park Service Land Management Issues. Social Science Research Review, USDI National Park Service.

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