• We view community as a complex tapestry of interconnected conversations. Public dialogue can be understood as a series of “conversational turns” in which what occurs in one set of meetings is incorporated into the next round of discussions; each discussion growing out of one context and affecting the next context.

• In addition to interconnected conversations, we view community as comprised of stakeholder groups with different and sometimes conflicting ideas of what their community should be. We see these differences as enriching rather than problematic.

• Community building is central to our work and requires active engagement with all community members.
  

• We believe there should be support from the top for initiatives from the bottom. It’s crucial for governments and community organizations to recognize and support public engagement, and for community members to feel heard. This often requires creating new places for quality communication to occur between residents and community leaders.

• We treat language as “fateful” and recognize that the way issues are framed and discussed affects outcomes as well as the level of trust and respect among the various stakeholders. Therefore, we work collaboratively to name and frame public conversations.

• We see the engagement process as a series of dialogic conversations. We think of dialogue as the ability to state your perspectives, values, and desires while remaining open to the perspectives, values, and desires of others. Engaging in this form of communication creates the conditions for trust and respect and opens up possibilities for enriched actions.

• We recognize that as facilitators we must remain neutral with regard to the outcome of community decisions, but vigilant about the process in which those decisions are made.

Dialogue is a special form of communication that creates positive results for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. Some of the outcomes of dialogic communication are:

• A more engaged, effective and satisfied level of participation
• More constructive relationships among diverse stakeholder groups
• Recognition of one’s own and others’ legitimate interests, respect for others beliefs and experiences, and increased understanding of both sides’ underlying beliefs and values
• An understanding of how community members shape and define issues and problems by their joint actions, and how to move forward into more constructive patterns of communication
• Emergent leadership and enhanced capacities within the community to organize and run high-quality, inclusive, and constructive meetings
• Concrete plans and decisions based on collaboration and consensus, resulting in greater buy-in and community ownership

Our Approach

PDC is committed to fostering high quality communication in the public sphere that results in collaborative problem solving, appreciation for different perspectives, and identification of common ground.
Our approach to dialogue and public conversations distinctly focuses on communication processes and the resulting outcomes and relationships created in our communities.  Working collaboratively with our clients, we design and guide communication processes that foster trust and respect, build relationships, and focus on desirable outcomes for all members of the community.

7 Principles for Developing Public Dialogue in Communities

1. We view the community as a system comprised of a complex tapestry of interconnected conversations. Thinking systemically will help us to identify the various “stakeholder” groups in the community and involve them in our project. Additionally, it enables us to see each step of the project as a series of “conversational turns” in which what occurs in one series of meetings is incorporated into the next round of discussions; each discussion growing out of one context and affecting the next context.
2. We view the community as a “multiverse” containing many social worlds. In addition to interconnected conversations, the community is comprised of stakeholder groups with different and sometimes, conflicting ideas of what their community should be. We see these differences as enriching rather than problematic.
3. We involve the public in the project from the beginning. We think if community building is to take place, residents need to be involved throughout the project.
4. We believe there should be support from the top for initiatives from the bottom. Most residents are not interested in “just talk,” instead they want to see the connection between their ideas and community initiatives and action steps. We think it’s crucial for city government to recognize and support resident involvement and for residents to feel heard. This often requires creating new places for quality communication to occur between residents and community leaders.
5. We treat language as “fateful” and recognize that the way issues are framed and discussed affect the “outcomes as well as the level of trust and respect among the various stakeholders. Therefore, we always work collaboratively with the community.
6. We see the entire community process as a series of dialogic conversations. We think of dialogue as the ability to state your perspectives, values, and desires while remaining open to the perspectives, values, and desires of others.  We think that engaging in this form of communication creates the conditions for trust and respect and opens up possibilities for enriched actions.
7. We recognize our own role in the “system.” Although we are not members of the community, we realize that whenever we facilitate a discussion or attend meetings of community stakeholders, our presence makes a difference. We need to continually remind ourselves that as facilitators we must remain neutral with regard to the outcome of community decisions, but we are passionate about the process in which those decisions are made. The process is one in which our role is to be on everybody’s side and in which all parties feel

The challenges facing local governments and other public agencies require new ways of engaging the public. For many public leaders, the potential promise of public engagement is tempered by concerns about how to effectively manage the process.
• Is your organization prepared to engage with the public in creative problem solving?
• Are your community members prepared to engage with your organization and staff in creativeproblemsolving?
• Does your organization and community have the capacity, knowledge base and skill set to engage effectively?
The PDC can help public leaders assess organizational and community readiness, deliver direct public participation services, and provide training for administrative staff, elected officials and community members. All of our work is customized. We do not offer pre-packaged programs. Whether you are just getting started in public engagement or have extensive experience, we have the tools, methods and experience to take you to the next level.