- Establish why you need to consult the community; do not hold a public meeting or consult unnecessarily; this wastes people's time, and may create disinterest for the future.
- Consider the circumstances of the community and the issues.
- Schedule a series of meetings. A suggested series follows:
- Introduce project and key personnel
- Supply project information
- Allow the community to ask questions and identify issues of concern
- Provide contact pointsIdentify groups with specific concerns for targeted consultation
- Break between meetings allows participants to consider views and concerns
- Reintroduce project
- Activate good listening skills
- Clarification and expansion of issues
- Information and feedback on how issues and concerns are being met
- Presentation at the conclusion of a project or make recommendations for the community's consideration
- Discuss ongoing participation in the process
- Publicise and advertise the meeting
- Advertise weekly in local media
- Book a venue and arrange catering with flexibility as to numbers as attendance is difficult to predict
- Venue should be neutral territory
- Provide no alcohol.
- Provide refreshments at the conclusion of the meeting
- Timing: Conduct the meeting at a time where the largest number of participants can attend
- Inform participants of Chairperson, Facilitator, Guest speakers
- Work closely with the chair
- General format is presentation followed by question time
- Present agenda
- Field questions
- Record comments
Considerations
- Widely advise the ways feedback from the community is being incorporated into the projectAvoid allowing the meeting to be taken over by a vocal community
- Be prepared to change tack during the meeting
- Cater for people with disabilities or from non-english speaking backgrounds
- Never lose your temper
- Set up early (Source: Sarkissian, W et al, 1999 & Ontario Guide to Public Participation)
