Today is the last official day to respond to the Open Government Dialogue survey that’s up at www.tiny.cc/jr76x Over a dozen leading organizations in public engagement and transparency (NCDD, IAP2, the League of Women Voters, AmericaSpeaks, OMB Watch, etc.) are collaboratively conducting a survey of people/groups who participated in any of the three stages of the recent Open Government Dialogue (the one that’s feeding into the Open Govt Directive on transparency, participation and collaboration).  We’ll be providing White House officials with feedback and recommendations on […] (continue)

We’re in the midst of a great conversation on the main NCDD listserv about the violence and mayhem at town hall meetings on health care legislation, and what our community of practice can/should do to help ensure future political events are more democratic and productive.  A lot of thoughtful posts have been added by people you may have heard of like Pete Peterson, Barnett Pearce, Kenoli Oleari, John Godec and a number of others.  Here’s the latest post, from Martin Carcasson, Director of Colorado State […] (continue)

About 90 people came together in DC Sunday through Tuesday for “Strengthening Our Nation’s Democracy 2” — a working session organized by AmericaSpeaks, Demos, Everyday Democracy and Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Invited guests were leaders in electoral reform, public deliberation, community organizing, and collaborative governance, and we were joined at different times during the meeting by a number of members of the Obama administration. (Click here for background materials, confirmed participants, meeting agenda, etc.) I shared insights and questions from […] (continue)

A number of organizations in the fields of public engagement and transparency (NCDD, IAP2, the League of Women Voters, AmericaSpeaks, OMB Watch and others) are collaborating to evaluate the 3-phase Open Government Dialogue so many of you participated in recently. Visit www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eTvTvChVronq9O_2fZwwCbBQ_3d_3d to complete the 25-question survey.  The survey will be live for 2 weeks and if you participated or even just observed the Open Government Dialogue process, your feedback is most welcome!                     (continue)

About 90 people are coming together in DC over the next few days for “Strengthening Our Nation’s Democracy 2” — a working session organized by AmericaSpeaks, Demos, Everyday Democracy and Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Invited guests come from a broad range of backgrounds, including electoral reform, public deliberation, community problem solving, and collaborative governance, as well as key members of the Obama administration. (Click here for background materials, confirmed participants, meeting agenda, etc.) This will be an opportunity for participants […] (continue)

In a new occasional paper published by Public Agenda’s Center for Advances in Public Engagement (CAPE), NCDD member Martin Carcasson of Colorado State University’s Center for Public Deliberation outlines three broad categories of goals for deliberation. The essay explores how a clearer understanding of the goals and purposes we are trying to achieve through public engagement can sharpen our methods and increase our impacts. It offers a practical framework to help practitioners systematically consider both their short-term and long-term goals and the strategies that will […] (continue)

Nonprofits and consultants in our field are still learning how best to harness increasingly popular social media outlets like FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  The growth rates for such platforms is staggering, and since building a presence on such sites is free, we would be remiss not to get into the action. Of course NCDD’s on FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  But did you know we also have over 1,000 pictures posted at Flickr?  And that we’ve created public playlists organizing dozens and dozens of D&D videos […] (continue)

NCDD member PublicDecisions is offering a 3-part live, online course this October on “Effective Techniques for Engagement.” Dues-paying NCDD members save 20% on PublicDecisions trainings. Email Paul Coelus at Paul@PublicDecisions.com for details on registering at the discounted rate. (More members discounts.) John Stephens, another NCDD member, is the instructor for this course.  John is Associate Professor of Public Administration and Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The course will be taught in three 90-minute sessions on October 6th, 7th, and 8th. […] (continue)

If you have been thinking about participating in Fielding Graduate Institute’s extraordinary Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement Certificate Program (DDPE), now’s the time to apply.  The early bird registration deadline has been extended to the 25th, so you can still save $250 in tuition.  Plus – dues-paying NCDD members are eligible for an additional 10% discount! Tuition is $3,740 if you register before July 25, 2009. NCDD members’ tuition is $3,365 (a 10% discount of $375). This year’s graduate certificate program runs from August 10, […] (continue)

With the transition to a new presidential administration that focused its campaign on getting people involved in government, 2009 has been a whirlwind year of unprecedented opportunity and possibility for the dialogue and deliberation community and all those working in public engagement.  Below is an outline/timeline of what’s happened so far this year that’s relevant to our community of practice. On his first day in office, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a memorandum to leaders of executive departments and government agencies calling for a new […] (continue)