Approaches to Local Governance

Today’s Local Governance

Environment
 Erosion of trust in government;
 Cynicism toward government;
 Diversity of citizens’ views;
 Complex issues;
 Polarization;
 A breakdown in basic civility;
Traditional Local Governance Roles
 Local officials – Issue framers, experts, analysts,
policy producers/decision-makers;

 Citizens – Voters, feedback providers, policy

consumers, policy consumers/reactors;

 Community Organizations – Issue framers,

feedback providers, policy position advocates.
 Traditional Local Governance
Challenges
 Wicked problems;
 How issues get named and framed;
 Getting sufficient perspective;
 Limitations of discussion and debate.
 Problem Types
Problem Problem Problem Responsible
Type Definition Solution Parties
I Clear Clear Expert

II Clear Unclear Expert

Constituent
III Unclear Unclear Various/
Collaboration

(Michael Huggins, Public Collaboration Associates, 2013)

 Wicked Problems (Type III)

 Complex, interdependent issues

 Lack a clear problem definition
 Conflicting values and perspectives
 Multiple stakeholders
 No right or wrong, only better or worse
 Key to success is collaboration & engagement
 Collaborative Local Governance
 Addressing community issues as a community-wide
responsibility and activity
 elected officials, citizens, and community organizations all
have a role…and a responsibility…to address community issues

 Assumptions
 Regardless of demographic makeup, communities are highly
diverse, in terms of needs and perspectives
 The best local policy decisions are those which are well-
informed by the broadest set of perspectives, and which
address the broadest set of community needs
 Collaborative Local Governance
Provides a Way…
 ...to address the challenge of wicked problems;

 …to get citizens and civic organizations involved in

meaningful ways, to address community issues;

 …to name & frame local issues, and deliberate

around alternative actions with a clearer picture of
community-wide needs & interests;
Collaborative Local Governance Roles
 Local Elected Officials
 Issue-namer and framer, convener, educator, dialogue
participant, deliberator, learner, public engagement
champion, decision-maker.
 Citizens
 Issue-namer and framer, dialogue participant, deliberator,
learner, informer, voter.
 Community-serving Organizations
 Issue-namer and framer, convener, dialogue participant,
deliberator, learner, educator.
 Discussion Question
 Do you have examples of “wicked” in
your community? How have you
addressed them? Examples can come from
any local jurisdiction – Town, Village,
City, or County government.

 What approach to local governance do

you have in your community, and how is
it working?
 Debate & Discussion vs.
Dialogue and Deliberation
Debate Discussion Dialogue Deliberation

• Compete • Exchange • Search for shared • Weigh alternatives

• Argue • Discuss meaning • Choose
• Promote • Build • Inquire, explore, • Make choices
Opinion relationships discover • Seek overlap
• See Majority • Understand • Share stories, • Seek common
• Persuade/Dig • Reach across perspectives, and ground
in • Loose structure experiences • Flexible structure
• Tight Structure • Listen • Listen to learn • Learn
• Express • Usually slow • Examine • Usually slow
• Usually fast • Clarifies assumptions • Clarifies
• Clarifies • No decision • Explore alternative • Make decisions
• Win/Lose points of view
 Why Engage the Public More?
 Policies that accurately reflect the range of community
needs and interests;
 Representative policy = supportable local policy;
 Reduce conflict among interests;
 Provides a way for experts to explain complex issues
and inform how people see and think about issues;
 Reduce transaction and opportunity costs;
 Provide safe, civil, spaces and means for people to talk
and learn from each other about issues and each other.
 Citizen Engagement Values
International Association of Public Participation (IAP2)

 Public participation is based on the belief that those who are

affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the
decision-making process;

 Public participation includes the promise that the public's

contribution will influence the decision’\

 Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by

recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of
all participants, including decision makers.
 Citizen Engagement Values
 Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement
of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.

 Public participation seeks input from participants in

designing how they participate.

 Public participation provides participants with the

information they need to participate in a meaningful way.

 Public participation communicates to participants how their

input affected the decision
Civility in Public Discourse
Civility isn’t a new idea

“Every action done in

company, ought to be with
some sign of respect, to
those that are present,”
George Washington (at age 16)
- Rule #1, 110 Rules of Civility and
Decent Behavior
 What does the public think?

 2010 Study by Allegheny College (PA) and

Indiana-Purdue University Ft. Wayne

 Random survey of 1000 Americans to

assess their attitudes and views around
civility in politics.
 95 % of Americans believe civility in politics is important for a
healthy democracy.

 87% of Americans suggest it is possible for people to disagree

about politics respectfully.

 Citizens paying close attention to politics are four times more

likely to say the tone of politics has gotten worse than those who
pay only modest attention to the news.

 Women define civility differently than men, and are more likely
to label recent public political behaviors as uncivil.
• 40% of Americans believe the least civil politicians should
suffer a “trip to the woodshed,”

• 32% said they should take a manners class with Emily Post;

 85% of Americans believe politicians should work to cultivate

friendships with members of the other party.

 63% of Americans say civility has gotten worse in the past few
years.

 Women are more likely to be turned off by negative politics

than are men.
It’s easy for incivility to develop!
 Lots of pressures…from everywhere;
 Issues are complex, difficult…wicked;
 A lot at stake for citizens, for
communities, for local officials personally;
 Frustration develops and tempers can
flare.
 What’s the civility payoff?
A civil atmosphere makes it possible to
thoughtfully and effectively talk about, learn about,
consider, and leverage a wide range of ideas and
perspectives;

When leaders talk about issues effectively it

becomes possible to find solutions which might not
have otherwise surfaced.
 New Jersey State League of
Municipalities
1. Thou shalt not rudely interrupt a colleague
midsentence, nor “speak over” a colleague while
she/he is speaking;

2. Thou shalt not assume that shrillness of tone is a

substitute for substantive dialogue;

3. Thou shalt not resort to “zingers” designed solely to

embarrass your target;
 New Jersey State League of
Municipalities
4. Thou shalt not allow legitimate critique of policy and practice
to become a personal attack aimed at the person who devised
the policy or implements the practice;

5. Thou shalt always recognize that your colleagues were also

elected, just as you were, and deserve the same level of respect
for having run and won;

6. Thou shalt not ridicule or belittle a colleague, or a member of

the public, simply because he or she disagrees with you on an
issue.
 A Synopsis of Civility Principles
 Tolerance
 respect and acknowledge the legitimacy of opposing views

 Respectful Interaction
 no personal attacks, belittling, name calling, profanity, insults,
or disparaging remarks.
 no jumping to conclusions without knowing what is being
said or suggested
 no interrupting someone when they have the floor.
 does permit offering constructive criticism or politely
challenging one’s assumptions, both of which may serve to
enhance the policy dialogue.
 A Synopsis of Civility Principles
 Listening
 to understand what someone else is saying
 to understand their views and interests

 to consider new information and become better informed

 Does not include gathering information to repudiate or

attack someone

 Compromise
 recognizing and accepting that the best decisions are often
necessarily a product of compromise where good-faith
attempts are made to integrate opposing interests
 focus is on the greatest public good
 A Synopsis of Civility Principles
 Dialogue
 Examine assumptions and interests behind positions.

 Dialogue is deeper and more purposeful than discussion.

 The intended outcome is to ‘discover’ synergistic solutions.

 Analysis and Deliberation

 The intent is to carefully examine as many facets of an
issue or problem as possible.
 The purpose is to craft a solution that serves the greatest
good.
 Civility in Local Government
3 Examples from the Field
 Douglas County Board of Supervisors, WI)
 Evansville, WI
 Seminole County, FL
Citizen Engagement
 Examples of Public
Engagement Strategies
 Issue-specific public learning events
 Deliberation events, in-person and on-line
 Study Circles
 ChoiceWork Dialogue sessions
 Consensus Conferences
 Deliberative Polling
 Issue Naming & Framing
 Citizen Engagement Methods
IAP2 Toolbox
 Public participation tools and techniques;

 Organized around 3 public participation objectives:

1. Sharing information

2. Compiling and provide feedback

3. Bringing people together

 Citizen Engagement
3 Examples from the Field
 Clear Vision, Eau Claire (WI)

 Sustainable Dubuque Initiative (IA)

 Lake St. Croix Nutrient Loading Project (WI, MN)

 Leadership Opportunities for
Local Leaders
 If you’re an elected official, talk to your colleagues
 If you’re not, talk to your elected officials
 Start talking about collaborative governance locally
 Start a local civility project
 Become a trained dialogue facilitator
 Tap into a network…read, learn, share
 Convene an community issue dialogue, but start small
and with a popular but inert issue