MORNING - Plenary: Keynote ||| 9 - 10:30 am

11 am - noon  What’s Your Story: Exploring Storytelling as an Engagement Technique

Tru Taylor, MODUS 

Kiera Vandeborne, MODUS

How can our stories be ways to open people's hearts and minds to deeper engagement? This sesion will showcase how various communities use forms of storytelling as an engagement strategy (from digital tools to written and spoken word). Participants will be walked through an interactive exercise where they practice telling their own stories to build community trust or enter a dialogue. Through this session, we will discuss how practitioners can overcome common barriers to participation, connect with a multitude of audiences, and embed lived experiences into decision making processes through the lens of storytelling.

11 am - noon   What Do Your Online Participants Really Want? Choice Architecture and Purposeful Design Provide the Foundation for Meaningful Input

Joseph Thornley, 76 engage

Elizabeth Thornley, 76 engage

Online engagement has the potential to extend the reach of our engagement initiatives to people who simply could not or would not participate in person. Yet, how many of us can say though that every online engagement was a success? Most of us have seen comments like, “You weren’t really listening,” or “You talked about what you wanted to talk about, but not what we wanted to talk about.”

This session will explore the behavioural science, design and choice architecture that underpins successful, meaningful online engagement. Examples will be provided to illustrate practical do’s and don’ts that participants can use when planning their next online engagement. And at the end, participants will be armed with a set of proven best practices.

11 am - noon  How Can a City Help Businesses During Construction? Embedding Economic Justice into Municipal Infrastructure Projects

Nehama Rogozen,  San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Infrastructure projects can bring significant growth and opportunity to cities and communities. New projects, whether transportation or development-oriented, can bolster the local economy in positive ways. However, they often present significant challenges for businesses that find themselves located in the middle of disruptive construction zones, often for years on end. What is a municipality’s responsibility to its small businesses?

This session, through an economic justice lens, explores the different ways that municipalities of all sizes can support local businesses during the planning and implementation phases of construction projects. Participants will learn about construction mitigation efforts in several global cities, with a special case study about San Francisco’s work in major commercial zones. Several tools will be shared that participants can use when returning home.

11 am - noon  Creating A Culture of Listening: How Citizen Input Was a Cornerstone to BC's COVID-19 Response

Tanya Twynstra, British Columbia Provincial Government

Dominic Seiterle, British Columbia Provincial Government

Using the IAP2 spectrum as the guide, this presentation will talk about how the BC government informed, consulted, involved and collaborated with citizens throughout the two years of the pandemic. This input would become a way of doing business during the pandemic to inform communications and policy development. Find out more about key engagement activities like how we hosted 24 townhalls to provide opportunities for citizen questions and answers, how we observed people using vaccine cards to give us ideas on how to improve them, how we worked with parents and kids to design information about vaccinations and how we talked to people in 12 languages about COVID-19 content in their language.

11 am - noon  Nothing About Us, Without Us: Applying an Equity Lens to Climate Change Engagement

Alla Guelber, City of Calgary

Catriona White, City of Calgary

Shane Gagnon, City of Calgary

Calgary’s Climate Strategy update aimed to reach the voice of historically marginalized groups, including Indigenous peoples, and center them in the engagement process. The Engage and Climate teams applied a concentric circle model to guide strategy, communication, and barrier reduction. Through a host of virtual engagement tactics and “on the ground” measures delivered through community partners, a diversity of voices and perspectives were gathered. This process provided a rich understanding of what “embedded equity” means and how relationship building and making space at the table will guide future climate action. Participants in this session will learn how lessons learned can be brought forward into our collective practice.

AFTERNOON - 90 minute sessions ||| 1:30 - 3pm

1:30 - 3pm  Reimagining Traditional Strategic Planning: Using Co-design to Engage Diverse Voices in a Digital-first Context

Precious Ile, MA, PMP - Co-founder, Impact Plus Consulting

Amarachi Nnah-Ogbonda, MBA - Co-founder, Impact Plus Consulting

Ever participated in strategic planning processes without buy-in? Or one that misses the mark in meaningfully engaging diverse voices or online participants, particularly with increasing fatigue and burnout from the pandemic? We’ve been there and are on a mission to change the narrative with you! Strategic planning is arguably the most important exercise for all organizations and impacts every aspect of your work – from budgets, programs, to partnerships. This session invites leaders and public participation practitioners to rethink traditional approaches to strategic planning using co-design to meaningfully engage diverse participants in a remote context. Drawing on our consulting experiences across three continents, participants will be equipped to confidently navigate challenges with lack of buy-in, authentic engagement, or misalignment using practical, inclusive co-design principles, tools, and techniques.

1:30 - 3pm   'Forensic Analysis’ of Hybrid Facilitation Engagements – Lessons from the Trenches

Dr. Rebecca Sutherns

As we continue to sort out new ways of collaborating across dispersed teams and geographies, our ability to facilitate productive, engaging hybrid meetings is emerging as a critical skill. We are living through a key learning moment and opportunity in our profession to shape the parameters of productive remote collaboration even as people are keen to get back together in person. This session explores what we're learning in that space, using analyses of several case studies drawn from multiple settings at various stages of pandemic life as the jumping off point for a lively discussion. The session will help participants determine what they need to make hybrid meetings effective for all involved, no matter how they join the conversation.

1:30 - 3pm  Many Pathways Lead to Stronger Relationships: EPCOR's Indigenous Engagement

Anne Harding - CP3, Forum Community Relations

Jed Johns, Manager, Government & Indigenous Relations - EPCOR

This fast-paced session will take participants along the journey of how a utility company is approaching engagement with the 32 Indigenous Nations and communities in whose traditional territory they are operating. This session will share stories from EPCOR’s engagement activities over the last 18+ months with Indigenous Nations and communities, as the utility plans for future flood mitigation work. Together we’ll unpack multiple engagement methods that have been applied and discuss how approaches have evolved as a result of community input, including the integration of Indigenous Ways of Knowing into the engagement program. If you’re looking for ideas, inspiration, and thoughtful consideration of effective and culturally appropriate ways to engage Indigenous Nations and communities, this session is for you!

1:30 - 3pm  HYBRID (French-English live interpretation) - Les femmes ne participent pas. C’est parce qu’elles ne sont pas intéressées… Mais encore! // Women Do Not Participate. It's Because They're Not Interested... Wait, What?

Pierre Batelier, Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement - BAPE

Odile Rochon, Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement - BAPE

Le Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) présentera un portrait inédit de la prise de parole publique des femmes dans le cadre de ses travaux depuis sa création en 1978. Nous explorerons et questionnerons les déterminants de la prise de parole publique des femmes dans le cadre d’audiences publiques et comment, dans certains contextes, ces enseignements peuvent se transposer pour encourager la participation d'autres groupes sous-représentés. Dans le cadre de cet échange, nous partagerons les apprentissages et pistes d’action tirés de la littérature, d’expériences d’autres institutions mais aussi de nos propres démarches d’analyse qualitative sur la participation menées tant en interne qu’en partenariat avec des organisations qui partagent notre volonté d’accroître la diversité dans le domaine de la participation publique. 

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The Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) is a reference body responsible for informing and consulting the population on projects and on other matters relating to the environment in Quebec. In this interactive session, we will present a never-before-seen portrait of women as public speakers in its consultations since 1978. Participants will then be led to explore and question the elements that may influence whether women will speak publicly during public hearings and how these learnings may be transposed to foster public participation of other underrepresented groups. As part of this discussion, we will share learnings and courses of action drawn from literature and from our own qualitative analysis carried out in partnership with organizations that share our desire to increase diversity in public participation.

1:30 - 3pm  Community Connectors-in-Residence: Building Power, Raising Voices, and Elevating the Experiences and Priorities of Communities of Color

Ryan Hanschen, Community Engagement Manager, City of Boulder

Ana Karina Casas Ibarra, Community Connector, Boulder

Community Connectors-in-Residence have created community engagement sessions where participants from underrepresented communities (e.g., Latinx, Nepali, low-income) have then insisted on bringing these sessions to their own neighborhoods or networks. Learn how this co-designed model led to the development of community initiated ‘Building Power & Raising Voices’ sessions, on-going dialogue with underrepresented community members, and a culminating presentation to city council that shared the most pressing issues and the most inspiring bright spots surfaced by community members. Join staff and community members as we dive deep into strategies and tangible examples of co-created and irresistible community engagement.

AFTERNOON - 60 minute sessions ||| 3:30 - 4:30pm

3:30 - 4:30 pm  Know Yourself, Know Your Audience: Leadership Skills for Productive Conversations

Kelly Sayce, Founder & HEO, Strategic Earth Consulting

Rachelle Fisher, Principal, Strategic Earth Consulting

Sara Shen, Senior Associate, Strategic Earth Consulting

From convening a staff meeting to a public forum, to daily conversations with colleagues and clients, daring leaders are seeking the tools to navigate challenging conversations towards more productive and inclusive dialogue. Using the principles and strategies of Appreciative Inquiry, Roger Fisher and William Ury’s “Getting to Yes,” and Brené Brown’s “Dare to Lead,” this training will offer tips and tools to successfully support a discussion and arrive at useful outcomes. During this 60-minute interactive session, we will support participants in building their capacity and confidence to engage in challenging conversations. Participants have the opportunity for hands-on learning during the session. Additional follow up resources for expanding skills building will also be provided.

3:30 - 4:30 pm   HYBRID - A Decolonized Approach to Community Engagement in a Municipal Planning Process

Ginger Gosnell-Myers

Susanna Haas Lyons

Monica Bennington

Centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being has profound impacts on civic engagement projects that contribute to reconciliation. However, Indigenous Nations and urban Indigenous community members are too often brought in towards the end of a project, with contributions limited to only the use of art and other design finishes. This presentation will share lessons learned from a municipal planning project that aimed to meaningfully embed local Indigenous ways of knowing into every aspect of the process in culturally respectful ways. Through interactive discussion and presentation, explore strategies to support government partners in their commitments to reconciliation, center Indigenous voices in decision-making processes, and create shared benefits for indigenous communities, municipalities and the public through Indigenous centered engagement.

3:30 - 4:30 pm    IAP2 Makeover with Isabella GiaVulva 'The Engagement Drag Queen’

Isabella GiaVulva

Isabella GiaVulva the Engagement Queen is bringing her provocative sass and hilarious Broadway show tunes to Banff, to shake up IAP2 with a Drag Extravaganza! With over 10 years of experience working in community as a facilitator and visual storyteller, Fernie’s favourite Drag Queen will shine a rhinestone spotlight on how IAP2 members can create unique experiences built upon story to engage the public. Isabella’s hilarious Engagement Extravaganza will certainly break from IAP2 conference norms. Featuring three spectacular musical numbers, audience interaction and a fabulous Spectrum Makeover, Isabella’s unique presentation at its core, provokes conversation surrounding the spectrum of Public Participation and aims to shift the way facilitators choose to innovate and create experiences for the community.

3:30 - 4:30 pm    The Next Step for Lottery-Selected Citizen Panels: Equity-Driven Design

Alex Renirie, Program Co-Director, Healthy Democracy

Lottery-selected deliberative processes – often known as ‘Citizens Assemblies’ – are being used around the world to empower new voices in complex policy decisions. Healthy Democracy has designed these processes since 2008 and is a leader in the international field of deliberative democracy. While this approach guarantees demographic representation and prioritizes universal accessibility, the model has not historically prioritized equity in its design. In a recent project in Petaluma, California, Healthy Democracy made history by overselecting groups onto the Panel who have been underrepresented in past city processes. Participants in this session will hear about the successes and challenges of equity-driven design choices on the Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel and be guided through an equity-based design workshop for similar processes in their communities or work contexts.

3:30 - 4:30 pm   Cultivating Safe Spaces in P2: Lessons Learned from the Classroom

Emaan Ali, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Angella Thang, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

What are safe spaces and how do we create them in our Public Participation (P2) processes? This interactive workshop will contextualize safe spaces and highlight best practices from the educational sector that can be applied to the practice of P2. Literature from the educational sector shares diverse perspectives on the value of safe spaces and their effectiveness in promoting meaningful student engagement. Join this workshop to explore the nuances of this important topic and learn more about strategies and tools for creating safer, more inclusive dialogue on the issues and decisions that people care about.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS - ALL-DAY: Poster presentations are available for viewing throughout the day.

A Map is Worth a Thousand Words: Using Technology to Enhance Comprehensive Planning and Community Engagement

Catherine Mahoney, City of Charlotte

The Charlotte Future 2040 Policy Map (Policy Map) is the first step to implementing the city’s comprehensive plan as it translates the plan’s place-based policies to specific geographies throughout the city. While the Policy Map methodology was informed by the comprehensive plan policies, which reflect extensive community engagement, the mapping process required its own engagement effort. Learn more about how technology was used to educate the community on a data-driven process, document decision-making, and collect meaningful input.

Design is a Function of Connection

Maddie Hughes, Shockey Consulting

We have all seen the presentations that are remembered for the wrong reasons. For instance, all of the slides are images, maybe there is all black text on a white background, maybe the font is comic sans, or that nothing stands out at all. You find yourself losing concentration halfway through the presentation, and it’s not due to the monotone voice of the presenter.

Let’s look together at some of the best and not-so-best design choices people have made in our public participation profession.

Getting Social: Authentic Connections and Community Building through Online Engagement

Shea Saladee, M.A.

Stefani Wilkens

Social media has forever changed - and will continue to shape - project communication tools and strategies. ​​We’ll explore how to create intentional connections and relationships in a digital-first world, and address access, opportunity, equity, strategy and technology in order to demonstrate how social media can help organizations not only build a brand but become a trusted partner in their communities.

As more people turn to their screens to form connections, organizations need to be prepared to utilize fast-paced and emerging technologies, like social media, to reach diverse audiences, provide timely, accurate information and engage in meaningful dialogue. As we move into the future, it is imperative for industry leaders to understand the necessity and value social media can bring to projects.

Lowcountry Rapid Transit – Equitable and Inclusive Video Series

Samantha Dubay, HDR

A video series was developed for Lowcountry Rapid Transit, South Carolina’s first mass transit system that will transform one of our most overlooked, diverse and unsafe corridors. The series was targeted to stakeholders and communities whose quality of life will most be enhanced by the system. This poster session will present each video’s purpose and how each video utilized different videography disciplines and goals to garner public attention. Most importantly, the underlying theme of this series was to show representation of the communities that this world-class transit system will serve, and how the project is being built for the community by the community. 

Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement at Five State Departments of Transportation

Laura LaBissoniere Miller, PRR 
Kate Gunby, PRR 

Geoff Dupaix, Utah Department of Transportation

NCHRP Research Report 905: Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development includes a field-validated and practitioner-ready toolkit to measure the effectiveness of public involvement activities. PRR designed the toolkit to collect and compare public and agency feedback on several indicators of effectiveness. 

PRR recently trained and supported five state departments of transportation (DOTs) who implemented the NCHRP Research Report 905 toolkit on transportation projects: Arizona DOT, Georgia DOT, North Carolina DOT, Texas DOT, and Utah DOT. We’ll share our experiences and how you can create space to evaluate and continually improve your public participation activities.

Playing Around: How Joy and Fun Can Reinvigorate our P2 Processes

Lindsay Humber, CP3 (Lindsay Humber Consulting)

Collectively, across our public institutions, community organizations, businesses and the general public, we are experiencing trauma and grief as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For many, the past two years have been characterized by monotony, isolation, anxiety, grief, loneliness and/or languishing. At the same time, we are spending more time in front of screens and, as a result, our attention and focus are more divided than ever before. Drawing on research about fun, joy and playfulness, this poster will explore the question: What could be the result of prioritizing fun in our P2 processes?

Professional Certification: Are You Ready?!

Wendy Green Lowe
Brenda Pichette

Dr. Cassandra Hemphill

Coach Me! Members of the IAP2 Canada Professional Certification Sub-Committee, IAP2 USA Professional Certification Task Force, and certified CP3s and MCP3s will meet one-to-one with individuals who are considering applying for certification.  We will answer questions, provide guidance, and share tips to help people decide if they are ready and to approach the process with confidence!  

Relationship Building and Equitable Engagement Through the Screen: Engagement Practices to Keep Your Organization Progressing Through the Virtual Space

Marcus Ford

Amanda Garcia-Snell

As our organizations evolve and grow, internal office culture is something that is often talked about but rarely intentionally cultivated. Moving into hybrid and/or virtual spaces over the last couple years has made it difficult to build relationships and engage with our teams in meaningful ways. Washington County, Oregon, USA, has prioritized this over the last two years and is finding success in a wide range of virtual and hybrid spaces. Take some time to connect with Marcus and Amanda about your organization’s journey, and get some tools, training, and tips specific to your needs that you can take back to your organization and start implementing immediately!