community of practice & civic infrastructure

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

Sandy Heierbacher, Director

sandy@ncdd.org

Common Elements…

•facilitation

•ground rules / agreements

•safe space, equal footing

•small groups

•contentious issues and “wicked” problems

Also In Common…

•Entrepreneurial spirit

•Siloed, isolated

•Sense of urgency

•Under resourced

•No one gets me (even Mom)

You’re Not Alone in This

Pool Resources & Knowledge

What’s the Latest?• Incorporating Facebook Into Online Engagement: A Practical Guide

•Localizing Development: Does Participation Work?

•Civic Health and Unemployment II: The Case Builds

•Democracy in Motion: Evaluating the Practice and Impact of Deliberative Civic Engagement

•Bringing Citizen Voices to the Table: A Guide for Public Managers

civic infrastructure

Are we developing the UNDERLYING STRUCTURE

needed to support dialogue & deliberation work?

Are we REALLY leaving people and communities

more able to solve their own problems and create their

desired future?

All Communities are Facing…

• Fewer public dollars• Increasing responsibility for communities to

solve their own problems• Power distributed widely and thinly• Government key, but only one actor in

developing and implementing solutions• Increasing diversity and potential for

polarization- John Parr, National Civic

League, 1993

NCL’s Civic Index• Civic participation• Community leadership• Government performance• Volunteerism and philanthropy• Intergroup relations• Civic education• Community info sharing• Capacity for cooperation and consensus

building• Community vision and pride• Inter-community cooperation

Building Blocks for Civic Infrastructure

Infrastructure for Strong Democracy

• A legislative mandate for participation

• Safe, accessible physical spaces

• Broader access to technology• A sufficient facilitation

infrastructure• An organizational infrastructure• A trustworthy, fact-based media• Robust civic education

Universities = Infrastructure

• Centers for deliberative democracy

• Facilitation training

• Convening role, space, mission

• Student leadership development

• Research and evaluation support

Oregon Citizens Initiative Review

Community of Practice

• formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning

• shared domain or topic area

Many Specialized CoPs

• Fabulous Facilitators group in SF Bay Area

• ALA’s Deliberate listserv for librarians who support civic engagement

• Texas Forums

• Collaboration DC

• Local IAP2 chapters, NCDD networks, IAF groups, Art of Hosting groups, etc.

Advice from the Field

• Be clear about your purpose(s)

• Build on existing assets

• Don’t tie too closely with one approach

• Affiliate with an institution that can provide support without controlling

• Create a self-sustaining infrastructure you can fall back on

• Provide at least one open space

Prepare for Cat-Herding

More at: www.ncdd.org

Email me at: sandy@ncdd.org