Who We Are

About IAP2 Canada

International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Canada is an association of professionals in the field of public participation (P2), who seek to promote and improve the practice in relation to individuals, governments, institutions and other entities that affect the public interest in Canada and around the world.

IAP2 Canada members are a diverse community of professionals, citizens, academics, and decision-makers who are committed to involving the public in decisions that affect them.

Our membership of over 1000 individuals from across Canada includes the following sectors:

Local, provincial, and federal government
Education & health care
Energy sector (including power, oil & gas, renewable energy, mining & forestry)
Non-profit & academia
Infrastructure & property development

IAP2 at all levels – Federation, Affiliates and Chapters – attracts people who are passionate about public participation, so you will often see people who volunteer in many different ways: from different boards, to conference steering committees, to newsletter or webinar contributors and more. There are many, many ways to become involved, connect with others and learn from a growing professional network.

What We Do

We carry out our mission according to the 2021-24 Strategic Plan and organizes and conducts activities to:

Serve the learning needs of members through events, publications, and communication technology;
Advocate for public participation throughout the world;
Promote a results-oriented research agenda and use research to support educational and advocacy goals, and;
Provide technical assistance to improve public participation.

The Strategic Plan is created based on feedback collected in the Community Survey.

Pillars of Public Participation

As an international leader in public participation (P2), the IAP2 Federation developed three pillars for effective P2 processes. Developed with broad international input, these pillars cross national, cultural and religious boundaries, and they form the foundation of P2 processes that reflect the interests and concerns of all stakeholders.

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Our Mission

IAP2 Canada advances effective public participation practice and supports practitioners.

Our Vision

Canadians are meaningfully engaged in decisions that affect them by way of purposeful public participation.

How is IAP2 Organized?

IAP2 Canada and other affiliate boards focus on the services and information required for members within their country. In Canada, we are focussed on developing a broad range of member benefits and services. The IAP2 organizational model is to have a federation which is comprised of national affiliates (like IAP2 Canada). This model recognizes that affiliates are best able to deliver IAP2 knowledge, information, services, and value to members through a national lens. At the same time, this organizational structure makes it easier to share knowledge between affiliates so we are all able to gain easy access to international best practices in public participation.

The IAP2 organizational model is as follows:

IAP2 Federation – the international body
IAP2 Affiliates – national organizations such as IAP2 Canada, IAP2 USA, IAP2 Australasia, IAP2 Southern Africa, IAP2 Latin America, etc.
IAP2 Affiliate Chapters – regional Chapters

The IAP2 model thus allows for local engagement, national representation and international participation.

How do Chapters fit in?

Members of the seven regional Chapters are first members of IAP2 Canada. Chapters are a major benefit of membership as they provide the regional/community link for members and provide opportunities for regional engagement.

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What does the IAP2 Federation do?

The IAP2 Federation Board (the international body) focuses on broad, strategic, internationally-impacting initiatives such as:

IAP2 Foundations Training
Certification
Standards (in development)
Licensing of IAP2 trainers
Integrity of the IAP2 "brand"
Participation in broad-focused information sharing, such as the Journal of Public Participation

The IAP2 Federation has a direct link with trainers in every affiliate and each affiliate has its own unique training strategy. In Canada, trainers are able to train anywhere and they operate based on an entrepreneurial model. Where it can get confusing is that IAP2 Canada or any Chapter can decide they want to host training with a licensed trainer. This means that IAP2 Canada or the Chapter is acting as a host for the course, and contracts an IAP2 licensed trainer to teach the program.