A previous ADRIA lunch in Calgary with Judy Hoad was an opportunity to learn where your skills can be applied in the political/public arena. This arena surrounds our lives daily and with a multitude of issues and opportunities such as dogs and parks, cycling lanes, long term planning, land use and development, etc. The issues themselves however do not only bring conflict. How the public consultation and engagement process is managed may also bring conflict and opposition when in fact the process is trying to engage, inform and learn with the stakeholders. Curiosity and clarification skills, and BATNA and WATNA skills are clearly applicable in the process as well as ADR principles such as relationships and communication.

A project may house conflict or opposition. The political leader(s) or the community and stakeholders may also have conflict or concerns with a project. When a project is costly, delay or change is a concern to the proponent. And public involvement is usually required before a decision is made. The political leaders involved in the consultation process may have concerns such as ‘not in my term of office’, or to maintain or increase votes. The stakeholders and/or community may come with impossible demands or protectionism such as ‘not in my back yard’. The consultation process wants to deliver outcomes of public mediation or negotiation - such as to better understand public and constituent expectations, develop relationships and clarify issues.

The consultation process can engage budget planning, bylaw development, long term planning, and land use and development. Each of these areas has compliance guidelines and legislative regulations. The process however also involves community and stakeholder inputs which are uncertain and without guidelines. Ultimately the goals of the process are to build better decisions, establish innovative and /or cost-effective solutions, and meet expectations of the decision-makers through communication and collaboration.

One challenge in building relationships and strengthening communication is defining who the stakeholders are. What are the best forums to engage the right parties and any stakeholders impacted by the project? If the public has concerns how are their concerns heard? Consideration needs to be given to the effectiveness of the consultation process and at what costs, both financially and to relationships. Open houses are one method that is used today to inform, listen and learn, consult, and collaborate with the stakeholders.

What is the goal of public consultation? To appear in the community with minimal information? Or to be open to dialogue and input? The public is often suspicious and resistant to changes that might affect them. Everyone expects to be heard and have their inputs valued. One of the pitfalls is as simple as room set up. For example if a raised podium is used, this leads to the perception of authority, power imbalance, etc.

Alternately, a forum using a free flowing format allows for smaller groups to connect contributing to more one on one conversations and hopefully strengthening relationships. Workshops or a world café bring out many points of view. Encouraging groups to form with special interests brings specialization and shared understanding. Examples of special interest groups might be technical, community impact, financial, planning, infrastructure, environmental, etc.

Planning such consultation needs to define who the stakeholders are, and how and when to engage them. Consultations and engagement in the political/public arena require preparation, focus, trust and respect. One paradigm is doing the minimum and hoping to slide through. The other is fully engaging, disclosing and working through what appears as chaos. Letting go is hard for project proponents. Accepting change is hard for the public with no knowledge or input. The world of public consultation brings the parties together and assists in an accepted sustainable project.

Judy Hoad has decades of public consultation experience on major projects in Calgary and provincially.