Online Dialog

There are many ways government officials and community leaders can engage the public around the myriad issues that affect people's lives.  It is our stance that quality public engagement must take into consideration seven core principles if it is to effectively build mutual understanding, meaningfully affect policy development, and inspire collaborative action among citizens and institutions.

The following seven principles overlap and reinforce each other in practice.  They serve both as ideals to pursue and as criteria for judging quality.  Rather than promoting partisan agendas, the implementation of these principles generates authentic engagement in public problem-solving.

The Seven Core Principles

1. Preparation - Consciously plan, design, convene and arrange the engagement to serve its purpose and people.
2. Inclusion - Incorporate multiple voices and ideas to lay the groundwork for quality outcomes and democratic legitimacy.
3. Collaboration -  Support organizers, participants, and those engaged in follow-up to work well together for the common good.
4. Learning - Help participants listen, explore and learn without predetermined outcomes -- and evaluate events for lessons.
5. Transparency - Promote openness and provide a public record of the people, resources, and events involved.
6. Impact - Ensure each participatory effort has the potential to make a difference.
7. Sustainability - Promote a culture of participation by supporting programs and institutions that sustain quality public engagement.

Rule 1: IROC. Classify all communications as one of the following:

• Information: No reply required.
• Request: Reply options are “Yes” or “No” (System asks “why?”). No response is considered “No”
• Order: Reply options are “Accepted” or “Rejected” (System asks “why?”). System follows up aggressively when it gets no response.
• Confirmation: Reply options are “Yes” and “No” (System asks “Why?)

Rule 2: Passive approval. “Yes” is assumed for all intra-company requests unless you hear “no” within 48 hours. “No” requires a rationale.

Rule 3: Brevity. Use short words. Use short sentences. Use short paragraphs. Be clear.

Rule 4: If it wasn’t said by email, it wasn’t said. “I told you on the phone last week,” “I told you in the hall” etc., are unacceptable.