collaborative | inclusive | effective

Hampton, Virginia, for two decades, has become one of our nation’s poster children for effective and inclusive civic engagement. Their efforts have been widely recognized, in particular for their sustainability. In too many cities, an effective collaborative process is followed by “business as usual.” In Hampton, that has not been the case.

According to the city website, awards received in the past year have included “the 3CMA Savvy award for the city’s “I Value” campaign, as well as a Silver Circle award from 3CMAfor “The Hampton 400 Oral History Project,” plus the Governor’s Innovation in Local Government award, and a designation of Citizen-Engaged Community from the Public Technology Institute.

Now, Hampton has been recognized internationally. They were one of the seven finalists for the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize of the Bertelsmann Foundation which recognize places that “vitalize democracy through participation.” Votes are in and Hampton placed fourth among some impressive competition. Information on their efforts can be found here: http://bit.ly/kol6Rt

Several years ago, Michael Bayer and I chronicled their work in neighborhoods, Hampton, Virginia, for two decades, has become one of our nation’s poster children for effective and inclusive civic engagement. Their efforts have been widely recognized, in particular for their sustainability. In too many cities, an effective collaborative process is followed by “business as usual.” In Hampton, that has not been the case.

According to the city website, awards received in the past year have included “the 3CMA Savvy award for the city’s “I Value” campaign, as well as a Silver Circle award from 3CMAfor “The Hampton 400 Oral History Project,” plus the Governor’s Innovation in Local Government award, and a designation of Citizen-Engaged Community from the Public Technology Institute.

Now, Hampton has been recognized internationally. They were one of the seven finalists for the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize of the Bertelsmann Foundation which recognize places that “vitalize democracy through participation.” Votes are in and Hampton placed fourth among some impressive competition. Information on their efforts can be found here: http://bit.ly/kol6Rt

Several years ago, Michael Bayer and I chronicled their work in neighborhoods, showing how their commitment to good process ultimately carried the day and led to more engaged, stronger neighborhoods. That publication can be found here: http://issuu.com/billpotap/docs/learning-from-neighborhoods-hampton?mode=a_p

What I’ve always found impressive about Hampton’s work is the way engagement is not the job of a select number of employees, it is the way the city works. This ethos extends beyond city government to nonprofit and community organizations throughout the city.  Hampton is truly a collaborative community in the strongest sense of that moniker. 

Many have lamented the loss of public support for public education.  Indeed, Dave Matthews 1996 book, Is there a Public for Public Schools? tackled this question head on.  Now, the Public Education Network, long a leader in promoting civic engagement in public education, has published The Civic Index for Quality Public Education.  This tool:

• Helps communities define and measure their support of their public schools
• Helps communities identify what they are doing right and what they can do to improve their support for their public schools
• Offers strategies and other resources for communities to increase their support for their schools

I was particularly impressed with the resource section which offers ideas for how to increase support for public schools in your community.  These materials, which are supported by a diverse array of education organizations, can be found at:  www.civicindex4education.org. 

UK institutions continue to set the pace in efforts to promote authentic civic engagement.  The newest publications from the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability (Citizenship DRC) at the University of Sussex offer lessons learned from a cross country comparison across 15 nations.  The Centre, an international network of researchers and activists exploring new forms of citizenship that helps make rights real, has published Champions of Participation: Engaging Citizens in Local Government, a 52 page document with unflinching analysis of the challenges and opportunities in making civic engagement work. 

Two of the lessons certainly reflect my beliefs:

Community involvement is at the heart of sustainable change and is central to the task of revitalising democracy, improving service delivery, tackling poverty and building strong, resourceful communities. It is not an optional extra, but is essential if we are to achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes for people and society.

Citizens should be ‘makers and shapers’ of policy and practice rather than merely ‘users and choosers’ of public services. They should also be encouraged to speak and act as part of a community, as well as exercise the freedom to make their voices heard as individuals.

Indeed, in the press for time that characterizes our “do it now” culture of performance, it is often these meaningful civic roles that are lost in the haste to make “progress.”  The report and numerous support documents can be found here.

Originally posted January 2008.

I don’t know what heaven is like, but I know it has changed recently.

John Parr, mentor, colleague and friend, recently entered; much too early as they say. Remembrances of John as well as of Sandy, his wife, and Chase, his daughter have been circulating on the internet, our town square for dispersed communities. John, one of my colleagues said, was one of the nicest persons he ever knew. That refrain has been common. So too was the observation that Denver and Colorado are better places because of John’s leadership and passion; because of his sense of how to bring people together — powerful people and ordinary citizens – to find the common good.

Whether it was electing a mayor, raising $10 billion for a new transit system, or guiding a consensus building process on topics from wellness to climate change, John was bringing people together in spaces – where they often found their best selves – and together were able to forge a new path. When all too many of his consensus building colleagues were focused on agreements and plans, John focused on results; Civic Results was the name of his firm.

It helped that John was an incurable insomniac. When I stayed at his cabin, the former saloon of Baltimore,Colorado, I found that no matter how early I awoke, John had been up for hours, having added numerous items to his massive to-do lists, as he kept track of dozens of projects. Every project was important. Many colleagues reported that their last conversation with John was about gathering information on colleges to ensure that Katie, his youngest daughter, found just the right place.

His mentees at Eastside High School were also important projects. He tells the story of the first student he mentored, who, when he first met John, wondered whether this bearded, somewhat professorial white guy had any street cred. John learned that his new mentee often did not make it to school on time and promised to pick him up and drive him to school. Instead of taking the family Subaru, John fired up the old Porsche that Sandy bought him for his 50^th and picked up his new mentee, instant cred. That tireless creative spirit drove countless other projects – all equally important – whether it was helping the new governor or the new mentee.

So imagine, a new, insomniac angel entering heaven, one who’s used to democratizing the process everywhere he goes, a person who is used to making change happen – good change – wherever he goes. Imagine heaven, a place where gentle, all-knowing, autocratic leadership has dominated since the beginning of time. We have an indomitable force meeting an immovable power structure. My bet is that St. Peter has a new counselor, and a new, more inclusive, more democratic heaven is in the works. Who says nice guys finish last.

Colleagues around the world are working to improve their public conversation.  The Canadian International Development Agency, UN Development Program, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance and several other organizations have published Democratic Dialogue: A Handbook for Practitioners.. Backed by a technical assistance team of 90 practitioners, the Handbook is a part of a larger effort to help countries learn the value of dialogue and consensus building processes and build capacity to design and manage the processes. The manual, which is also available in Spanish and more resources can be found on their website.