Once our Project Discussions have produced a Discussion Report, that report then becomes the starting point for the Public Discussion phase of our work. While Public Discussions, which we sometimes refer to as “Citizen Discussions,” differ in certain respects from our Project Discussions, the two discussion phases are interrelated. They share certain discussion techniques, they may overlap in time, and they are certainly interactive with each other.
Our Public Discussions are similar to our Project Discussions in that they also use an active facilitator to conduct small group (5-8 participants) discussions that explore and further develop possibilities for public policy. As in a Project Discussion, there is a commitment to open participation, a focus on developing broad conceptual possibilities rather than deciding or solving specific and near-term issues, and an opportunity for civic engagement and personal growth.
Public Discussions differ from Project Discussions because rather than creating the possibilities from scratch, they begin with the possibilities presented in the Discussion Report. Also, while the objective of a Project Discussion is to develop the possibilities and produce a Discussion Report describing them, the objectives for our Public Discussions are, first, to provide participants with a more meaningful, hopefully more civil process for public discussion. And, second—and through that discussion process—to help all citizens to more fully consider and confidently make their own, individual choices about the long-term direction of public policy on the selected topic(s).
Public Discussions
Once our Project Discussions have produced a Discussion Report, that report then becomes the starting point for the Public Discussion phase of our work. While Public Discussions, which we sometimes refer to as “Citizen Discussions,” differ in certain respects from our Project Discussions, the two discussion phases are interrelated. They share certain discussion techniques, they may overlap in time, and they are certainly interactive with each other.
Our Public Discussions are similar to our Project Discussions in that they also use an active facilitator to conduct small group (5-8 participants) discussions that explore and further develop possibilities for public policy. As in a Project Discussion, there is a commitment to open participation, a focus on developing broad conceptual possibilities rather than deciding or solving specific and near-term issues, and an opportunity for civic engagement and personal growth.
Public Discussions differ from Project Discussions because rather than creating the possibilities from scratch, they begin with the possibilities presented in the Discussion Report. Also, while the objective of a Project Discussion is to develop the possibilities and produce a Discussion Report describing them, the objectives for our Public Discussions are, first, to provide participants with a more meaningful, hopefully more civil process for public discussion. And, second—and through that discussion process—to help all citizens to more fully consider and confidently make their own, individual choices about the long-term direction of public policy on the selected topic(s).