Public Involvement Programs Research Articles

Public involvement in transit planning: a case study of Pierce Transit, Tacoma, Washington, USA

As consultants to Pierce Transit, the authors were responsible for conducting an assessment of the newly-established, county-wide ‘timed transfer’ bus system. Guided by a strong public involvement programme, the system had been planned to replace outdated Tacoma Transit with its single transfer point, downtown Tacoma. The timed transfer system responded to the need for people to travel between suburban locations throughout the county. The new system was partly established experimentally with several temporary transfer centres in place. A system assessment needed to assure the Board of Commissioners that the new system was working well before they took the political risk of investing in permanent facilities. Instruments were developed to survey opinions of the four major groups using, operating and managing the system: riders, drivers, staff and board members. The strong positive response (along with other important critical feedback) supported the board in moving ahead with the development of permanent facilities. The Pierce Transit case study illustrates several key dimensions of a general model of public involvement and interactive decision-making relevant to the planning of large scale public service and investment systems as a prelude to detailed design programming.

Public involvement: A Canadian government manual for planning and implementing public involvement programs

The Canadian federal government has recently developed a manual on public involvement to be used by senior level civil servants. The Cabinet requested that departments undertaking Initial Environmental Evaluations (lEEs in the Environmental Assessment and Review Process) include public input at this early stage. While public input has been part of the formal, large-scale project review process, many smaller-scale public and private sector projects have only required an interdepartmental committee review unless the committee(s) established the need for a formal review. The majority of these projects have been small-scale, ranging from airport expansions, new buildings, and waste treatment plants to building additions and renovations in national parks. Normally, such projects would not warrant a formal process let alone a major public involvement program. However, there are some projects which generate significant public concern. To cope with these, the federal government decided to develop a manual on public involvement to be used by senior level managers and line managers in a number of federal departments. Due to the continued expectations of limited resources being available to these managers, it was realized that, in most cases, they would have to carry out their own public involvement programs without external assistance, either from other departments or from the private sector. In December 1986, Praxis, a consulting firm based in Calgary, Alberta, was contracted to undertake this year-long project. Praxis was awarded the project for two basic reasons. First, the company was capable of assembling a comprehensive team of leading North American practitioners and theoreticians. Second,

Science Literacy Needs of Public Involvement Programs (1)

Science Literacy Needs of Public Involvement Programs (1)

Resolving resource conflict: The role of survey research in public involvement programs

There is increasing awareness of the costs of controversy in natural resources planning and management, and growing interest in ways of resolving conflict out of court. Traditional approaches to public involvement—public hearings and analysis of correspondence—do little to resolve conflict. Survey research is a technique that has potential in promoting consensus solutions. Comparisons of written input and two surveys associated with a controversial plan are offered in partial support of this position.

Managing a Public Involvement Program

Developing a public involvement program and determining what procedures and methods are effective in water resources planning are described. Analysis is based on experiences in the development and management of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Involvement Program as part of a flood control project. Guidelines from previous efforts are identified as they relate to the goals of: (1) Involving the public in a study; and (2) meeting the objectives of a study. The public involvement program used such methods as a Delphi panel, public meetings and workshops, public information fact sheets, media contacts, and information packets. These methods were used in identifying water‐related problems and evaluating alternatives to those problems. Methods should be carefully selected, focusing on program purpose and expectations. The flexibility of a public involvement program should also be a major consideration, to allow for change as a study progresses.

APPLES AND ORANGES: TOWARD A CRITIQUE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN GREAT LAKES DECISIONS

The opportunities for concerned citizens to become involved in Great Lakes planning are increasing. It is opportune to review critically the quality of the public involvement programmes. This critique is accomplished in three steps. First we discuss the theoretical rationales for public involvement. Second, we examine the alternative approaches to the evaluation of public involvement. These sections provide a context for the third part: the case study on the PLUARG (Pollution from Land Use Activities Group) public involvement programme which is evaluated in terms of effectiveness, representatives of participants, interest of participants, public input to the final report, timing and accountability of the process. The analysis points to the risk of self-serving evaluations and to the need for ongoing and independent evaluations of public involvement programmes.

The Policy Delphi and Public Involvement Programs

Involvement of the public in water resources planning is generally required by federal law. However, the specific approach and techniques for involvement are left to the discretion of agencies participating in the particular project. This has resulted in considerable debate and experimentation aimed at discovery of effective public involvement techniques. This paper posits the Policy Delphi as one such technique, elaborates the major assumptions and rationale of the technique, and reports on an application of the approach in a water resources planning project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Policy Delphi proved to be a useful component of the public involvement program in this case, providing both planners and the wider public with informed opinion about water resources issues and alternatives. Methodological issues for consideration in future applications of the technique to water resources planning are discussed.

South Australia's approach to salinity management in the River Murray

According to recent estimates, annual economic losses in South Australia due to River Murray salinity amount to $4 million. At constant prices they would rise to $10 million annually in the absence of remedial action. In recognition of the valley-wide problem, the three River Murray States and the Commonwealth have developed, with the aid of consultants, a co-ordinated programme for controlling drainage and salinity problems. The programme is now being implemented. The South Australian contribution consists of six measures, varying from the $13.2 million (1980/81 values) Noora Scheme, which will divert saline drainage water to an evaporation basin out of the valley, to agricultural measures such as improving irrigation practices to reduce saline accessions to groundwater and to drainage systems. Development of this set of measures was greatly aided by a public involvement programme. As a result of these initiatives, South Australia's salinity objectives will be achieved in the immediate future, but unless further control measures are identified and implemented, salinities will continue to increase, and by the year 2000 will again greatly exceed objective levels. An extensive research, monitoring and investigation programme is under way to help identify further opportunities for salinity mitigation and to aid in future decision making. Improvements in on-farm water application efficiency, and management of the whole River Murray, having regard to salinity as well as water quantity objectives, appear to present important opportunities.

Qu' Appelle Basin Study: public involvement program

Qu' Appelle Basin Study: public involvement program Get access K J Dick K J Dick Science Policy Secretariat, Saskatchewan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Science and Public Policy, Volume 6, Issue 3, June 1979, Pages 178–184, https://doi.org/10.1093/spp/6.3.178 Published: 01 June 1979