This article is written by Katherine Cole, Director, Citizen Engagement at the Correctional Service of Canada.

  • **The problem: ** Most public servants, experts in their field, rely on evidence-based information, but are challenged when it comes to involving the public in their work.
  • **Why it matters: ** Involving those most affected by decisions of the public service enriches the problem-solving and decision-making processes, yielding better decisions in relation to the programs and policies we implement.
  • The solution: Luckily a framework exists, along with tools and training, to understand the value of public participation, and how to do it.

More than 10 years ago I saw a notification about ‘IAP2’ training being offered at work. At the time, I had little knowledge of the concept of public participation (‘P2’), but I jumped at the opportunity nonetheless. I wanted to gain some new skills and it also piqued my curiosity because it spoke to my personal interests in community building. That was ten years ago and I continue practicing P2 professionally.

IAP2 is the International Association of Public Participation, a global network of practitioners that have set the standard for public participation, which IAP2 defines as “any process that involves the public in problem-solving or decision-making and that uses public input to make better decisions”.

Looking back, I feel very lucky to have been able to take this training. Now I sit on the Board of Directors and am a member of, IAP2 Canada, which is my way of giving back to those who have dedicated so much to build IAP2. I encourage you to look up their engagement spectrum, values and code of ethics and you might be interested in the foundations training.

Ultimately, we must remember that, as public servants, we serve the public.

IAP2 is based on the fundamental belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. This is a mindset. It takes mental flexibility to make the shift toward an openness to others’ ideas. The training is an opportunity to grow your own awareness about our powers as public servants and how we can (and must) share those decision-making powers with those most impacted or affected by our decisions. It also requires an organisation that believes in accountability and transparency, willing to expose itself and share ideas, and is willing to manage the potential and perceived risks of this approach.

When we work with the public, or stakeholder organisations that represent the interests of a slice of that public, we have to be willing to expose ourselves and share power. It has to be meaningful to the public — they want to see that they have some degree of influence and that their perspective is not only valued but considered. This is especially important with stakeholders who may be working within our sector — who are on the ground or working with the clients who are affected by our systems. They have a unique perspective that we will never be able to acquire as public servants. They will likely hold values and have ideas that are divergent from our own but that is not a sufficient reason to not work with them. We should seek to hear from them and work to find some common ground where we can agree to work together.

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I love the IAP2 spectrum that maps out the level of engagement from “involve” to “consult” to “collaborate” and “empower”, with each level having its own commitment statement. The more contentious an issue is, the more we must move along that spectrum of engagement. Most people think the opposite: the more contentious the issue, the less they want to engage! I always say that when something is difficult and challenging, people think they can just hide behind a rock and it will disappear. It doesn’t, actually, and people can see that you’re hiding. The risks of not engaging and ‘letting people into the tent’ are actually worse because you will never get buy-in for your programs, policies, activities, etc.

With every milestone in our work as public servants, we should be thinking ‘who do we bring into this tent’? That is the ‘lingo’ that we often use in Canada. The other expression we commonly use is that when you go to do your engagement, stakeholders don’t want something that is ‘fully baked’ or ‘fully cooked’. If you think about a dinner party, your stakeholders don’t actually want to show up for a full five-course meal with wine pairings all thought out! They really want to be with you from the beginning: from the moment you start thinking about your dinner party. They want to help you plan the menu, buy the ingredients, help you cook, set the table and then they will be happy to sit down for dinner with you. They want to be partners in this process, not your in-laws who expect you to do all of this AND clean up after (lol). If you treat your dinner party in that way, they will probably also help clean up and do the dishes. They will probably have special skills or knowledge that, once combined, will result in a better meal. Isn’t that a better approach than just dealing with the clean-up? No one wants nasty letters to the Minister or to be on the constant churn of answering media requests. If you’re so bogged down in the aftermath of poor decision-making then you never have time to make improvements. As a result, you often become vulnerable to being told what to do, rather than having the time to build evidence-based options, with your public being a source of that evidence base.

Ultimately, we must remember that, as public servants, we serve the public. Our salaries are paid by those who trust us to do our best for them. For those that are serving the most vulnerable within our society, the role entrusted to us becomes even more critical. Yes, we must be evidence-driven but we cannot overlook the evidence of lived experience. Their experience is evidence too. Taking the time to engage with our public is the most critical thing we can do. These members of society often bring specialised skills and knowledge that, as public servants, we cannot fully represent or attain. During the pandemic, we often said that “we are stronger together,” which is critically true in the work we do with and for our society.

I hope this gives you something to think about in your work as a public servant. It is incredibly important work that we are privileged to be able to do. We are also entrusted to do it well and I believe it is our inherent duty to engage those most affected by our actions. If you have any questions, I would be happy to hear from you. I can be found on LinkedIn.

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