Dialogue and Deliberation for Civic Engagement in Chicago

December 5th 2012

What we did

• Use of dialogue & deliberation – Residents– Chicago area – Community issues– Public policy

• Broad outlines– Not exhaustive!

D&D: Guiding definitions• Dialogue…

is a process that allows people, usually in small groups, to share their perspectives and experiences with one another...(it) can and often does lead to personal and collaborative action.

• Deliberation…is a closely related process…that emphasizes the importance of examining options and trade-offs to make better decisions.

Source: National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD)

Methods

Participatory Budgeting

Charrettes

Community Visioning Workshop

Study Circles World CafeCivic Reflection

Deliberative Polling™

21st Century Town Hall Meetings™

Restorative Circles

Appreciative InquiryOpen Space Technology

Race Dialogues

Conversation CafeFuture Search

Citizens Jury

Online Forums

Participatory Appraisal

How we did it

• Qualitative research– Secondary source review– Focus group 10 experts– 38 individual interviews

• Written report

Work in progress…to be completed by YOU

Today Later

Key Learning

What we expected What we found

Understanding the Field

Exploration

• Learn about selves, community, issue

• Foundational– Develops skills – Builds social capital– Models good process

Project on Civic Reflection

Exploration

Core Support = HumanitiesProgramming, funding, facilities (Cultural Center)

Process expertise, materials, training

Exploration

Café Society at Ron’s Barber Shop

Cultural and Historical Museums and Centers

Cambodian American Heritage Museum Dialogue photo: Rebeccah Sanders, CCA

Exploration

Local Arts Community

Neighborhood Writing Alliance

Exploration

Media

WBEZ discussion on race & sexual orientation, photo: Bill Healy

Exploration

Libraries

ExplorationCPL, Harold Washington Library Center

Entrepreneurial Initiatives,Issue Groups

Across the Table

Exploration

Decision-Making

• Influence public decisions & policy

• Improve public knowledge

• Deliberative = reach consensus recommendation

Town Hall Meeting in Cretephoto: Chicago Tribune

Decision-Making

Innovation at a Small Scale

• City Wards– 1970s Neighborhood

Governance – Participatory Budgeting– Master Plans, Council,

Participatory Town Halls

• Suburbs– Evanston 150– DuPage County– Elgin budget

Participatory Budgeting in Ward 49

Decision-Making

Planners and Technical Experts

Residents “playing” Transopoly (from CNT)photo: CMAP

CHICAGO COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION TOOLKIT

Decision-Making

Civic Education

Mikva Challenge

Decision-Making

City and County Government

• New Mayor + County Board President– “engaged residents”

• City Departments– Chicago Cultural Plan

• Education & Crime– 80s/90s: LSCs & CAPS– CPS: FACE = CACs– CPD: ?

Town Hall Meeting on City Budget, Kennedy-King College, 2011photo: The Gate

Decision-Making

Collaborative Action

• Empower groups and individuals to solve complex problems– Identify shared needs +

desires– Idea generation– Action plansImagine Chicago

Collaborative Action

CBOs as Gateways to Residents

• CBOs as partners for public consultations– Pro: efficient, effective– Con: can limit diversity

of opinions

• Interest in alternatives– New topics, people,

methods (online)

Little Village Environmental JusticeOrganization, park consultation photo: Jay Dunn

Collaborative Action

Work of Community Organizers

• Use D&D, but limit – 1-on-1=commitment– Priority: mobilization for

action

• Ambivalence– Action vs. Dialogue– Resident-government

collaborationLISC Chicago community visioning session photo: Martha Brock Photography

Collaborative Action

Integrating D&D into organizing

• New models = collaborative thinking

• Community wisdom + government power

Collaborative Action

COFI: Community Organizing and Family Issues

Conflict Transformation

• Resolve conflicts• Foster personal healing• Improve relationships

between groups

Marae Encounters, Field Museum photo: Christopher J. Philipp

Conflict Transformation

Dialogue Across Difference

• Race, ethnicity, income, faith– Barriers to policy-making

YWCA Community Conversations on Racephoto: YWCA Evanston/North Shore

Conflict Transformation

Restorative Justice• Community-owned

processes – From courts to schools,

public housing, churches

Conflict Transformation

Precious Blood Ministry Peace Circle, Back of the Yardsphoto: Allison Clark/Medill

Civil Discourse

Chicago Tea Party coordinator at Town Hall in Oak Lawn, 2009photo: Southtown Star

Conflict Transformation

Supports

Skills – Training, Process Consulting

Illinois Art of Hosting Training

Supports

Technology

• City government– Crowdsourcing, open

data, practical apps

• Neighborhood forums– EveryBlock, blogs, list-

serves, Facebook

• Planning tools

Supports

Funders

• McCormick and Spencer Foundations– Civic Education, PACE

• Limited awareness & understanding

• Outside traditional funding models– Evaluation, effectiveness

Donor’s Forum Engage to the Nth Degree convening 2012

Supports

Research

• Many local academics with D&D expertise

• Promising partnerships– UIC’s Great Cities

Institute/IPCE & Participatory Budgeting

– Adler School & Restorative Justice

Participatory Budgeting Press Conference 2012photo: UIC, Great Cities Institute

Supports

Communities of Practice (CoP)• No local CoP for civic

engagement• Related

– Art of Hosting Illinois– IAF Chicago (facilitators)– Cook County Restorative

Justice Committee– Open Government,

Planners, OD, etc. • National

– NCDD– IAP2 (Midwest Chapter)

NCDD 2012 Conferencephoto: C.W. Lee

Supports

Opportunities

How to go from this to this?

Exploration

• Plenty of space to grow– Topics– Geographies– Demographic groups– Methods

• Foundational– Model good process– Promote civil discourse

Re-Thinking Soup at Jane Addams Hull House Museum

Opportunities

Decision-Making

• Greatest need and opportunity– Complex problems– Reconsider roles– New leadership– Participatory Budgeting

• Better processes + skills• Legal frameworks• Be open to unexpected

champions!

Chicago Cultural Plan 2012 Consultation,Bridgeport photo: Chicagoist/Chuck Soto

Opportunities

Collaborative Action

• Unique opportunity – Strengths of community

organizing + D&D

• Dialogue to action• Community wisdom for

new solutions

BAAWG: Building Academic Achievement Within This Generation, Bolingbrookphoto: Linda Ozbolt

Opportunities

Conflict Transformation

• Restorative justice = embedding D&D in communities – Spread, connect

• Dialogue on race & inequality – Remove barriers to

decision-makingMy Evanston, My Neighbors race dialogue photo: North Shore United Way

Opportunities

Supports -- Skills & Technology

Skills• Widespread skills training

– Affordable & appropriate

• Process generalists• Process innovators

Technology• Barely scratched surface!

– Open data + dialogue– Mix online and face-to-face– Serious games

Opportunities

Supports -- Funders & Research

Funders• Expand awareness &

improve understanding• Incorporate D&D into

projects– Legacy in civic infrastructure

Research• Thought leaders

– Build case: how works, why important

• How to define & measure success

• New models

Opportunities

Supports -- Community of Practice

• Building a civic infrastructure is a big job = work together– Collaborate across

“streams” and fields– Share learning– Common supports– Open new paths– Leave something behind

Opportunities

NCDD 2012 Conferencephoto: Nancy White

Now, to you….

Questions?

Report content: Janice Thomson

janice.kay.thomson@gmail.com

Report additions, next steps, and IPCE: Norma Ramos

neramos@uic.edu