Public engagement and citizen expectations

This event provides participants with a forum to hear and interact with a leading speaker on public engagement and citizen expectations.

Overview

Public engagement is now a condition of good governance. This seminar sets out a new model of public engagement based on five pilot projects carried out in Canada. It provides a systematic approach to when, where and why governments should engage the public; and what kinds of processes they should use for which tasks.
Donald Lenihan, advisor, public engagement, Government of New Brunswick, Canada, will explain when and why it is necessary to move beyond conventional consultations to engage stakeholders, citizens and communities in dialogue and action.
Ultimately, governments must adopt a new role as a facilitator. This will require new skills and capacities for public servants.
The model of public engagement Donald will examine, aims at three overarching goals:
1. Promoting more effective government and governance
2. Strengthening civic participation and responsibility
3. Defining and developing the forms of leadership appropriate for a complex environment

Donald Lenihan is the founder of Crossing Boundaries (www.crossingboundaries.ca), a non-partisan, multi-stakeholder network from across Canada.
Donald is currently an advisor to the Government of New Brunswick on public engagement. He has recently completed a ground-breaking piece of work on A New Model of Public Engagement: Giving Citizens, Communities, and Stakeholders a Real Role.
Donald is the author of numerous articles and studies and the former columnist with the Hill Times newspaper in Ottawa.

For more details please contact the Commission on 02 6202 3783.