More Information about the Policy
Copies of the Policy and the Framework for implementing it are
available at http://www.epa.gov/publicinvolvenient/poliGv2003/
policy2003.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/publicinvolvement/policy2003/
framework.pdf
The Website for the "Internet Dialogue on Public Involvement in
EPA Decisions" is http://www.network-democracy.org/epa-pip
EPA's Response to Comments on the Draft 2000 Public
Involvement Policy is available at http://www.epa.gov/public
involvement/policy2003/response.pdf
How to Provide
Information and
Conduct Outreach
"Involvement brings the pieces together" artwork is the creation
of Erica Ann Turner, who contributed the work through an
agreement between the Art Institute of Washington and EPA.
Involvement brings
the pieces together
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Innovation
Public Involvement Staff
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW1807T
Washington, DC 20460
EPA233-P-03-008
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77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, II 60604-3590
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"Partnership with local government could make EPA more
approachable; also, local government is certainly familiar
with what outreach method works most effectively with its
particular constituents."
Nancy Howard
City of Newport News, Virginia
- Improve the understanding of long, complicated documents
by producing summaries. Also provide full text access and
straightforward guides on regulatory and science
fundamentals.
- Work with the credible media outlets of the community and
affected public to disseminate information (e.g., TV,
newspapers, radio, Internet, social or religious settings).
- Keep careful records.
- Make sure your entire team understands the
communications goals.
- Enlist help to share information in local, social, business,
and religious organizations such as city hall, community
centers, stores, libraries, and churches.
- Treat all organizations and individuals equally, fairly, and
respectfully.
Additional Resources:
The Federal Communicators' Network, Communicators'
Guide, 2000, http://www.publicforuminstitute.org/activities/2002/fcn/
commguid.pdf
U.S. EPA Office of Emergency and Remedial Response,
Superfund Community Involvement Handbook, EPA
doc#540-K-01003, 2001, http://www.epa.gov/superfunoytool/
cao/ci handbook.pdf
U.S. EPA Education and Outreach Group, "Outreach
Program," http://www.epa.oov/oar/oaqps/eoa/sbop.html
Other EPA Public Involvement Brochures
Introducing EPA's Public Involvement Policy
How to Plan and Budget for Public Involvement
How to Identify People to Involve
How to Provide Technical and Financial Assistance for
Public Involvement
How to Consult with and Involve the Public
How to Review and Use Public Input and Provide Feedback
How to Evaluate Public Involvement
How to Improve Public Meetings and Hearings
How to Improve Working with Tribes
How to Involve Environmental Justice Communities
How to Overcome Barriers to Public Involvement
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"Layman terms should not be viewed as derogatory or insulting
to one's intelligence. As a society, we are not all rocket
scientists, but we are intelligent in our own ways... Real life
terminology is crucial in getting information out to the public."
Jan Boyle - Training Coordinator
Montana Environmental Training Center
Dialogue on Public Involvement in EPA Decisions
Plan Your Work
How to Organize Your Information and Outreach
Educate yourself about the issues and become familiar with
the community, its groups, history, and issues related to your
involvement activities.
- Communicate with other agencies and EPA staff who may
have worked on similar public involvement activities or with
similar audiences to get key contact and audience
information.
• Gain an idea of the community interest and the best way to
communicate information to the affected public.
• Outline, or develop, a "process map" of your information
and outreach activities, events, and dates which you can
give to anyone interested in the process.
• Develop a strategic communication plan with clearly
defined goals and objectives so you can track progress.
• Look at the community as a whole system, enlisting help
from community groups and leaders, individual
stakeholders, experts, local officials, environmental
organizations, and tribes so you can leverage your
information and outreach involvement activities.
• Plan to communicate with the widest range of community
members with help from or through:
• Local churches, clinics, restaurants, beauty and
barber shops, and social outlets such as senior and
youth centers, malls, banks, gyms, and neighborhood
and block associations
• Government agencies, officials, post offices, libraries
• Private not-for-profit and environmental groups
• Educators, community specialists, scientists
• Older residents and other community leaders
• Consider using a neutral party to find and communicate
with those who may be interested in an issue, especially
when the issue is controversial.
Work Your Plan
- Develop messages for the community or affected public
and use the best methods available to communicate them
(e.g., articles, ads, talk shows, videos, electronically,
mailings, meetings, door-to-door contact, flyers, billboards,
etc.).
- Develop and use attention-grabbing materials and visuals
such as maps, graphs, photos, and diagrams to show your
points and the issues.
- Provide service and access for all audiences, including
foreign and sign languages and Braille or large print or
other considerations for users with physical challenges.
• Write for the public using plain English (provide alternative
languages for non-English speakers), and include a contact
name and, when possible, a toll-free number.
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Step 4: Provide
Information and
Conduct Outreach
Goal:
- Provide the public with access to accurate, understandable,
pertinent, and timely information to facilitate effective
involvement in Agency decision-making processes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its
new Public Involvement Policy in June 2003. The Policy's
overall goal is for excellent public involvement to become an
integral part of EPA's culture, thus supporting more effective
Agency decisions and actions.
The Policy provides guidance to EPA managers and staff on
how you can better involve the public in the Agency's
decision making. The Policy outlines seven steps to effective
involvement. This brochure (one in a series) offers
suggestions to help you "get started" providing information
and conducting outreach for your public involvement
activities and processes.
Why Provide Information and Conduct Outreach?
EPA seeks to give communities accurate information early,
often, and in accessible places so that they can contribute
effectively to EPA decision-making processes. Without
clearly understanding the scientific and legal basis for EPA's
decisions, most people will have difficulty fully engaging.
"Helping the community understand the EPA process is as
important as helping them understand the specific project
features. It is important to educate the community about the
expected process and what type of information is needed
from them and how/when they can/should participate."
Eileen Ringnalda
Dialogue on Public Involvement in EPA Decisions
What to Consider When You Provide Public
Involvement Information and Conduct Outreach
To adequately inform the public, you should be sensitive to
the community and affected groups' needs and learn the
answers to these questions:
- How do they prefer to receive information?
- Which are their trusted sources?
Information for
the Public
• Understand
the audience
• Outline the
process
• Communicate
strategically
• Find
community
contacts
- What is the history of this issue
in the community?
- What do they already believe or
know about the issue? Why?
- How widespread are community
interest and knowledge of the
issue?
- How long should you take to
inform before you involve your
stakeholders?
- What information sources does
the community trust? Can you
enlist their help?
Since not everyone can easily find or understand Federal
Register Notices, you'll need to use the answers to the
previous questions to develop and distribute information and
make it available through trusted sources.
To build trust, always seek transparency - be clear, direct,
and open in your communications and processes.
"Go into the community and talk to people. We cannot expect
to know why people seem disinterested unless we talk with
them. Do they have such a low level of trust because they feel
participation will be a waste of time? Are there other social and/or
economic issues for this community which are simply a higher
prionty, such as employment? Do they feel so bombarded with
information that they have simply disengaged? We don't know
unless we ask"
Bruce Smith
Facilitator - Nova Scotia, Canada
Dialogue on Public Involvement in EPA Decisions
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