The Public Participation Playbook Goes Live

The newly released US Public Participation Playbook suggests federal managers need to think about how to engage the public from the get-go.

The playbook launched after months of work by 70 experts, across dozens of agencies. After publishing the playbook, the authors’ first step was to take a play out of their own book -- asking the public for its input on the strategy. From “clearly define and communicate your objectives,” to “transparently report outcomes and performance of participation,” the playbook functions as a how-to guide for government managers to actively engage the public as part of their efforts to create meaningful federal services. Although implementing these plays will likely be a challenge, the concept is relatively straightforward -- the more citizens are given a say in the design of their own services, the higher the likelihood that it will fulfill the public’s needs.