IAP2 USA offers a variety of training courses focused on effective public participation, including a 2-day Planning for Effective Public Participation course, a 1-day Effective Communication for Public Participation class, and a Techniques for Effective Public Participation 2-day class. These courses cover essential skills and methodologies for engaging citizens, managing public meetings, and using proven techniques to foster communication and consensus-building. Additionally, a new 2-day workshop titled 'Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation' provides strategies for addressing public anger and creating effective stakeholder engagement.

1. IAP2 USA Training Courses Available (4)
Planning for Effective Public Participation (2
days)
This 2-day Planning class is critical for developing effective public participation. Using
IAP2’s Spectrum for Public Participation, you’ll learn how to establish clear and
achievable objectives for a public involvement program and how to define the promise
to the public. Course materials include exercises using IAP2’s five steps for planning
effective public participation. You’ll learn how to guide your organization in conducting
public involvement and how to plan for the timing, techniques, and resources needed
to make citizen engagement a success.
You’ll also learn the practical importance of the IAP2 Core Values and how the IAP2
Code of Ethics relates to both practitioners and clients.
The detailed real world examples and practical hands-on exercises will give you the
tools needed to build realistic public consensus among your stakeholders.
Note: Planning for Effective Public Participation is a prerequisite for all other IAP2
Public Participation Certificate training.
Effective Communication for Public
Participation (1 day)
This one-day class will give you the fundamental communication skills specifically
geared to public participation practitioners. You’ll learn the Principles of Authentic
Communication. You’ll focus on specific tools used to prepare and present information
materials effectively in a variety of forums, small and large group meeting techniques,
and facilitation essentials. This course will give you the skills and confidence to deal
with difficult, issues, meetings and people. This course is valuable for both beginners
and seasoned communicators. It covers the skills that are critical to effective public
involvement and for managing the most difficult, high stakes public situations.
At the end of the day you’ll understand the importance of active listening, the
essentials of risk communication, how to create effective written and verbal
presentations and how to work effectively with news media.

2. Techniques for Effective Public Participation (2
days)
This class takes you way beyond public meetings. You’ll learn a range of practical
techniques that can be used in a variety of situations to better communicate with
people, build trusting relationships with citizens and get their help and support with
public projects. Techniques that you’ll learn include the World Café, Revolving
Conversations, Citizen Jury, Advisory Groups, and many others that you’ll be able to
use immediately in your work.
The class includes full overviews of more than 40 of the most proven tools and
techniques that have been tested, refined and used effectively by public participation
practitioners around the globe. Interactive exercises and practical tips will take you
beyond the theory, and take-home materials used throughout the two-day session
reinforce skills that you’ll put to immediate use.
You’ll know how to get beyond endless, rancorous debates and instead create effective
forums for discussion and dialogue. You’ll learn how to avoid the many problems
encountered in traditional public meetings. You’ll leave this class armed with a detailed
student manual covering the course materials and a packet of IAP2 Tip-sheets offering
practical advice for selecting, using and evaluating a broad range of public consensus
building activities.
Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation:
Moving from Rage to Reason
A fresh, new 2-day training course from The International Association for Public
Participation:
Public anger is an increasing fact of society. Growing global citizen outrage causes
government gridlock, lawsuits, stopped projects, election losses, loss of time, money,
and destroyed credibility.
Emotion, Outrage and Public Participation is a new workshop that builds on IAP2’s
global best practices in public involvement and the work of Dr. Peter Sandman, a
foremost researcher and expert in public outrage and risk communication.
This course will help you move people from rage to reason and engage stakeholders in
building consensus for better decisions.
This practical, hands-on workshop is a fresh 2-day mix of lecture, video, small and
large group discussion and authentic, real world exercises that give you the tools and
ability to manage the tough public issues that you face and move your projects
forward.