(Virtual Training) IAP2's Public Participation for Decision Makers

Do you make decisions affecting the public? Do you consult with the public as you make your decisions? Are you sometimes reluctant to include them in the conversation?

Who should take this course: 

• Politicians
• Senior Executives and Management
• Project Managers
• Engineers
• Planners
• Non-profit organizations

Who should not take this course:

• Public participation practitioners (we recommend taking Foundations in Public Participation)

IAP2’s Public Participation for Decision Makers helps decision makers get the best value from a public process. The session looks at the Foundations from a decision maker’s point of view and offers a perspective on how public participation can be integrated into the overall project plan. It examines the costs and benefits of public participation, discusses when and why to not involve the public in an organizational decision, and emphasizes the importance of both the decision being made and the promise to the public about their involvement in that decision process. Finally, the session provides an overview of what the decision maker should know about the public participation practitioner’s role.

You’ll learn:

• the foundations of Public Participation (P2)
• how P2 can be integrated into the overall project plan
• the costs and benefits of a P2 process and how to get the best value
• the importance of both the decision to be made and the promise to the public about what their involvement means in making that decision
• when to involve the public in an organizational decision -- and when not to.

This online course will be offered in one, three hour session.

— Cancellation policy —

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, executives and decision makers will have learned:

• How public participation ties into their decision-making processes
• When and why to have the public participate in their decisions
• The decision maker’s unique role and commitment
• Key concepts to consider when involving the public

Trainer: Tannis Topolnisky, CP3

Tannis is a Certified Public Participation Professional, a licensed trainer of the IAP2 Foundations and Decision Makers courses and has been training engagement practitioners for 14 years. Her passion is in creating the space where people come together to make a difference in the individual, the organization, their relationships and beyond into programs, policies and decision making. She has experience in a wide diversity of projects where impacts on health, livelihood, relationships, well-being and community are most common. She has worked with organizations and on projects that have received national and international recognition of excellence, including IAP2 Canada and IAP2 International Core Values Awards.

“What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.” – Paulo Coelho