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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8b. Endorsement of DEI update to the Public Engagement and Noticing Manual (PEN) Item 8b Department: Administration Cost Center: 1001 For Agenda of: 5/2/2023 Placement: Business Estimated Time: 45 minutes FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager Prepared By: Whitney Szentesi, Public Communications Manager SUBJECT: ENDORSEMENT OF THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND NOTICING MANUAL RECOMMENDATION Endorse the updated Public Engagement and Noticing (PEN) Manual to serve as a strategic guide for staff to increase diverse participation in City programs, projects and policy decisions. POLICY CONTEXT The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into its operations and delivery of community services as part of its efforts to make San Luis Obispo a more welcoming place for all1. The proposed DEI updates to the PEN Manual are intended to help further that goal. The update is also intended to ensure that the PEN Manual is consistent with City policies and work, including but not limited to the adopted Climate Action and Safety Element of the City's General Plan. The City’s Mission Statement includes community involvement at its core and strives to provide opportunities for all persons to participate in attaining the goals of the city. Furthermore, it speaks to providing persons with accurate and timely information on issues that affect them and encouraging the full use of City services. REPORT-IN-BRIEF The updated PEN Manual is a 22-page guide designed to help City staff and officials think about and implement the best approach to encouraging active and diverse public participation in City projects, programs, and policy decisions. It defines public engagement and outlines benefits, principles, and challenges to encourage diverse public participation. 1 The City of San Luis Obispo’s Vision Statement: The City of San Luis Obispo is a dynamic community embracing its future while respecting its past with core values of civility, sustainability, diversity, inclusivity, regionalism, partnership, and resiliency. www.slocity.org/Goals Page 281 of 349 Item 8b The manual also outlines five key steps to successful public engagement planning, each with its own prompts, tools, and questions to consider: 1. Understand the current situation. 2. Define audiences – who are impacted or interested? 3. Identify the appropriate level of engagement. 4. Develop an action plan. 5. Review and evaluate public engagement efforts. The updated manual’s audience section offers new information related to underserved or underrepresented communities in San Luis Obispo, Census data, community partners by interest area, hard-to-reach community members, and people with communications disabilities. Sections three and four focus on a spectrum of public engagement, with three distinct levels: Inform, Consult and Collaborate. By helping staff identify the appropriate level of engagement and the tools that they are expected to use for each level of engagement, this manual will ensure that the City’s public engagement efforts are appropriate for the situation and consistent from project to project. 1. "Inform" focuses primarily on one-way communication from the City to community members to inform them about a public project, event, or upcoming meeting. 2. “Consult” focuses on two-way communication and generally includes instances where local officials ask for the individual views or recommendations of community members about proposed public actions and decisions that have been identified or the scope is limited due to previous Council direction (e.g., study session) or other regulations. 3. “Collaborate” is characterized by two-way communication and refers to open- ended processes through which impacted or interested community members receive or provide new ideas on the topic at hand and feedback to decisionmakers. Finally, the updated PEN Manual provides information on how to measure the success of any engagement plan and encourages staff to review and re-evaluate their engagement efforts as a project/program unfolds and after implementation of an engagement plan . DISCUSSION Page 282 of 349 Item 8b Background The City of San Luis Obispo’s current PEN Manual is a strategic guide for City staff to use when they are working on City projects and policy initiatives. City Council first endorsed the PEN Manual in 2015 to bring consistency to how the City engages and notifies the public about issues that impact and benefit them. The first iteration of the manual was also designed to help set community expectations for public engagement and noticing. Since then, this manual has been recognized as a national model for other cities to replicate when engaging the public and was given the Platinum Public Engagement Award from the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. Also, since 2015, there has been a global pandemic and other social changes that forever shifted expectations of public engagement even at the local level. In addition, the City has seen community engagement increase dramatically over the last eight years, as evidenced by the growing number of website pageviews, social media prese nce, survey respondents, and more. Since 2015, the City’s website pageviews have increased by 77% (1.2 million in 2015 to 2.2 million in 2022), over 22,000 people have visited Open City Hall since the City began using it in 2015, and the City’s social medi a content has been shown over 49 million times since first launching the City’s Facebook page in 2019. SLOCity.org Website Pageviews Over Time City Social Media Content Impressions Over Time Page 283 of 349 Item 8b In response to the City’s commitment to making San Luis Obispo a more welcoming and inclusive place for all, the City is focused on developing programs and policies to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and advance the recommendations of the DEI Task Force. As part of the 2021-23 Financial Plan, City Council adopted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Major City Goal. This PEN Manual update helps achieve the City’s Major City Goal Strategy 2.7: “Access, Inclusion, Support for Underrepresented Communities,” which identifies the following goals: 1. Increase and diversify the community members who understand, navigate, feel connected to, and actively participate in the systems essential to creating meaningful improvements in the City. 2. Sponsor public art and cultural activities that center the history, experiences, and contributions of the City’s historically marginalized populations. 3. Increase understanding of the needs and ways to support undocumented residents. 4. Enlist efforts to ensure they know they are eligible for and how to receive City services. By adding DEI updates to the PEN Manual, City staff will have greater success engaging with and reaching more diverse groups that may not have felt comfortable engaging with the City, which in theory advances City programs, projects, and policies by better incorporating diverse voices, ideas, and interests. These updates to the PEN Manual will also help City staff provide equitable opportunities for community partners to participate and help shape City programs, projects, and decisions. Brief Summary of Updates After consulting staff, the Human Relations Commission, and community members, including DEI partners and engagement experts, the following changes were made to the PEN Manual:  Added a clear definition of public engagement as well as a list of benefits, principles, and challenges staff may face when trying to increase diverse participation.  Added a step-by-step approach to developing a public engagement plan for any project or policy decision to ensure consideration of underserved or underrepresented groups. There are five defined steps: (1) Understand the Situation, (2) Define the Audience, (3) Identify the Level of Engagement, (4) Develop Action Plan, and (5) Review and Evaluate.  Added new population and demographic information and additional groups/audiences to consider based on the City’s recent experience engaging underserved and underrepresented groups including contact information. Page 284 of 349 Item 8b  Replaced the Engagement Matrix and Toolkit with a spectrum of engagement, an audience mapping tool, and an engagement toolbox for each objective and level of engagement, with an increased focus on equity through translation services and auxiliary aids and services.  Separated the guide from contact lists, checklists and other tools that will likely need to change often, including a media list, editable workbook that can be customized for each situation, and survey best practices (including standardized demographic questions). These will be provided as part of an appendix for staff once the updated PEN Manual is finalized. Next Steps Should Council endorse the DEI updates to the City’s PEN Manual, staff will then focus on creating an appendix and training materials, including necessary templates, an editable workbook with checklists, survey best practices, meeting best practices, and more resources to ensure that the steps outlined in this manual are put into practice. The City’s Public Communications Manager will also work with the Office of DEI to create a PEN Manual training plan for staff, which will include monthly information sessions held at various locations as well as individual team trainings. Staff also plan to develop public information materials to continue to help educate the community about various ways they can participate in the City’s decision-making processes as a part of the City’s ongoing communications efforts. Previous Council or Advisory Body Action A study session was held at a public meeting held by the City’s Human Relations Commission in January 2023, at which time staff presented the proposed changes to the manual and received feedback which has been incorporated into the draft manual. Public Engagement To inform the DEI updates to the PEN Manual, staff:  Conducted a PEN Manual survey targeted to City staff to understand how it is currently being used.  Conducted research to identify better practices that could be replicated here in San Luis Obispo to increase diverse participation.  Conducted interviews with DEI partners.  Reached out to the International Association for Public Participation for public engagement best practices.  Reached out to the Independent Living Resource Center for best practices for accessible meetings.  Presented the draft manual at a study session held by the Human Relations Commission.  Partnered with a group from the Cal Poly Journalism Department to conduct research on community members who are currently disengaged and how to best reach them. Page 285 of 349 Item 8b All suggestions, comments and recommendations were, as appropriate and to the best of staff’s ability, incorporated into the document that is presented before Council and a draft of the updates was shared with the groups engaged in the update. CONCURRENCE This update to the PEN Manual was created in partnership with the City’s Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Every department was surveyed about the City’s 2015 PEN Manual. Department representatives provided input and feedback on this updated version. FISCAL IMPACT There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the endorsement of the DEI updates of to the PEN Manual. Some recommendations, such as the use of an interpreter or translator for a meeting or project, may have an additional cost which will need to be factored into corresponding budgets as needed. An individual line item for funding for these activities is not currently included in the 2023-25 Financial Plan recommendations. Rather, related costs are expected to be covered by allocated budgets. As additional tools become available, their merits will be evaluated and proposals will be made for fundin g, consistent with the City’s normal budget augmentation processes. ALTERNATIVES 1. Direct staff on specific changes to the PEN Manual update. Staff can return at a later meeting to review and discuss changes. This is not recommended since the PEN Manual is not adopted by Resolution and may change over time without formal hearings. 2. Do not endorse PEN Manual update. This is not recommended because transparency, accountability and public engagement are core values of the organization. ATTACHMENTS A - Draft PEN Manual Update May 2023 Page 286 of 349 Page 287 of 349 1 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 2 PRINCIPLES & CHALLENGES ...................................................................................... 4 GETTING STARTED – QUICK GUIDE ........................................................................... 5 STEP 1: UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION ..................................................................... 6 STEP 2: DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE .............................................................................. 7 STEP 3: IDENTIFY LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT ........................................................... 15 STEP 4: DEVELOP ACTION PLAN .............................................................................. 18 Engagement Toolbox ..................................................................................... 19 STEP 5: REVIEW AND EVALUATE ............................................................................. 22 Page 288 of 349 2 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Communities work best when residents, organizations, and institutions are engaged and working together for the good of all. San Luis Obispo is no exception. The people who live, work, and play here take enormous pride in this City and care deeply about keeping it healthy and vibrant. Our City wants to accommodate different perspectives and encourage more residents to be informed and involved in shaping decisions. The City recognizes that participation in public policy decisions and public services, programs and projects is an important aspect of democracy. Note that marketing of city services is generally managed department by department. For example, the Parks and Recreation Department enrolls residents in classes; the Utilities Department educates the community on water conservation; and SLO Fire Department follows up EMS calls with satisfaction surveys. While there are elements of marketing in all communication outreach, we’re talking about something different here: improving communication efforts so people get involved in decisions on topics that affect them. Ensuring that community members know what’s going on and getting them involved in the process will help generate consensus decisions, enhance transparency, and foster greater trust. The City seeks to offer community members tangible and impactful opportunities to participate, including setting priorities and shaping the future of San Luis Obispo, and thus the City intentionally invests in equitable community engagement. The following pages are designed to make staff and officials think about the best approach to encourage active and diverse public participation. This guide outlines considerations and steps that staff can use as reference for engaging the public on a wide variety of issues. Public Engagement, Defined What is public engagement? According to the Institute for Local Government, public engagement is defined as the activities by which members of the public become more informed about and/or influence public decisions.1 It usually includes a combination of providing access to relevant public information, gathering input, discussing, connecting, identifying, and providing choices, and allowing for deliberation on major public decisions. 1 Institute for Local Government, “What is Public Engagement & Why Should I Do It?”, Aug. 31, 2016 Page 289 of 349 3 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Purpose of this Guide The purpose of this guide is to help City employees: • Develop a comprehensive, equitable, and consistent approach to public engagement and outreach. • Provide opportunities to participate for impacted or interested marginalized groups. • Identify impacted or interested community members and create an engaged and representative group of involved community members. • Determine the appropriate level of public engagement for each public policy decision, public project, or public program. • Implement timelines and strategies that fit individual projects and ensure the public has access to accurate and relevant public information. • Understand how public engagement efforts can be measured. • Streamline the processes of public engagement both internally and externally. Benefits of Public Engagement Engaging diverse communities on public projects, policy decisions or changes, or public programs can help City staff in a variety of ways. Some of the benefits include: • Solutions that best meet the public's needs, • Fewer project delays caused by needing to rework solutions late in the process or unforeseen controversy, • Increased support for solutions, • Less chance of going over budget because the solutions were not acceptable to the public or the project team missed something the public cared about, and • Increased trust. The City of San Luis Obispo expects City staff to use this manual as a guide for developing public engagement plans for everything from existing public services to new public projects, public policy decisions, significant public events, and more. Page 290 of 349 4 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l When developing your plan, keep in mind the following principles and potential challenges: Plan Ahead and Follow Up. It’s important for staff to spend time developing an engagement plan before decisions are made and to follow up once key decisions are made. Give yourself time to prepare the plan, get input and feedback, and implement the plan. Give community members adequate time to be informed, educated, and interested. Likewise, after a decision is made, be sure to do the appropriate follow up to close the loop with key impacted or interested community members, partners, and anyone you engaged throughout the process. If you don’t follow up, participants may feel that their contribution was ignored or pointless and may not engage with the City again. This doesn’t mean that feedback is automatically implemented, but you must communicate why or why not and how. For example, if you posted a survey to Open City Hall, be sure to post the outcome there once it is known. If you posted a news item to slocity.org, follow up with a news item about the decision. Do it Right, Not Rushed. Focus on striking a balance between what is fair and what is fast. We may have deadlines we need to reach, and it’s important to consider those deadlines as you engage the community. But it’s more important to think about how you can involve the right people at the right time and get meaningful feedback or input. Take your time and be thoughtful in your approach. It is imperative to engage anyone who may be connected to the project or item, and specifically to engage the people most affected by a decision (i.e., a change in the hours at the pool may not be a large-scale issue but is of keen interest to swimmers). Activities should include demographic surveys/questions to determine if participants are representative of the demographic makeup of San Luis Obispo. No one likes to be surprised by a change or given short notice. Start early and keep in touch. Cultivate Community Connections. The City government cannot solve every issue on its own. We need an engaged community to work with us to solve complex problems. That requires relationship-building and trust. Whether you’d like a more diverse audience to attend your event, more meaningful input, more productive feedback, or new ideas, you cannot do it alone. Cultivate relationships with different community members, community-based organizations, nonprofit groups, and City staff and officials. Ask them for their help getting the word out. Shift the question from “what do you want?” to “what would you do?” and, ultimately, “what should we do, together?” This takes the public out of the role of an individualistic consumer of public services to being part of a team effort to address problems. Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity. Some groups face barriers that can make establishing relationships or communicating with them more challenging such as language barriers and literacy, and access to technology issues. Place a high value on comprehensive engagement. Extra consideration is needed to ensure that there is equitable access to information for all impacted or interested community members. Reach out to nonprofits, businesses, faith-based or spiritual organizations, and other groups and work with them to help you engage hard-to-reach groups. At the same time, we know the City has limited resources. Time, staffing resources, financial resources, and community interest are all limited. Rather than trying to do it all, focus on actions that will help you solve the problem and focus on getting productive, quality feedback or ideas from a diverse group of people or communities who are impacted by the decision. Give your project the attention it requires and equitably incorporate diverse people, voices, ideas, and information to help lay the groundwork for quality outcome. Page 291 of 349 5 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Step 1: Understand the Current Situation Before you can develop a successful public engagement plan, it’s important to fully understand the situation. This requires some research and analysis. This is not the time to develop tactics for your engagement plan. Rather, this is the time to focus solely on the facts related to the problem you are trying to solve or opportunity you are working to seize. If you don’t understand the problem or the opportunity, you will not be able to explain it to someone else. This is your chance to fully understand the issue at hand and lay the groundwork for a successful public engagement plan. Step 2: Define Audiences – Who are impacted or interested? It’s important to identify who has an interest, in a particular issue, decision or outcome before you can develop a successful public engagement plan. This includes people who will benefit from the decision, people who could be negatively impacted, and those who are simply interested in the topic. This also includes people within the City organization as well as community members and community-based organizations. Likewise, it’s important to identify who will make the formal decisions for this topic, issue, or project. Some decisions will be made at the staff level, by Department Heads, by Advisory Bodies, or by City Council. Identifying the impacted or interested community members and decisionmakers early on will help you avoid false expectations and identify the appropriate level of public engagement needed. Also, consider leaning on fellow City staff who already have strong connections with community-based organizations. Step 3: Identify the Appropriate Level of Public Engagement Determining the accurate level of engagement is the foundation for your entire plan. Once you have a better understanding of the current situation and your well-defined audiences, now it’s important to identify the appropriate level of engagement that is needed. Public engagement does not mean inviting as many people as possible or making a new project profile on every social media platform. Sometimes one event and posting to the City’s primary social media accounts is sufficient, other times you’ll need several or you will need to create spaces that respond directly to cultural, and language needs to develop an appropriate level of engagement. This guide has tools that can help you determine the appropriate level of engagement depending on both the decisionmakers and the impacted or interested community members. The level of public engagement can range from keeping the public informed to involving the public’s participation in the decision-making process. Involving the public early and at the appropriate level can lead to better decisions and helps create community buy-in. Step 4: Develop Engagement Plan, Including Any Follow-Up Now that you understand the situation, have defined your audiences, and have identified the appropriate level of engagement, you can develop your action plan. For this, you will need to identify resources, outreach tools, and deadlines. Each task in the action plan should start with a verb. Consider making your plan and timeline available to the public for awareness. For example, “Host 3 focus groups; or “Develop a project landing page on the website.” Step 5: Review and Evaluate Take the time to evaluate your plan during and after implementation. We are all busy, which means evaluation can get overlooked in the rush to the next assignment or project. However, evaluating what worked - and what didn’t work - can lead to future successes. Page 292 of 349 6 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Before you can develop a successful public engagement plan, it’s important to fully understand the situation. This requires some research and analysis. This is not the time to develop tactics for your engagement plan. Rather, this is the time to focus solely on the facts related to the problem you are trying to solve or opportunity you are working to seize. If you don’t understand the problem or the opportunity, you will not be able to explain it to someone else. This is your chance to fully understand the issue at hand and lay the groundwork for a successful public engagement plan. A successful public engagement plan will help you determine how a specific course of action will solve a well-defined problem or seize a well-defined opportunity. This is your chance to define that problem or opportunity. Ask yourself the following questions. Note: Staff members do not have to answer all these questions. Rather, the questions are to get staff member to be thinking about the big picture and whole situation. Staff can use the provided workbook to describe the current situation. • What is the problem we are trying to solve? • What are your objectives or goals for this project? • How might you measure the success of engagement? (See: Step 5 – Review and Evaluate for suggestions) • What is the action, program, project or policy you need to communicate? • How significantly will this item affect people? • Who will make the final decision on this item? Is it a staff decision? Is it subject to advisory body review? Will City Council ultimately receive the item for action? • What history or past actions has led up to this issue? What has the City done in the past? Who has the City engaged on this topic in the past? • How are different groups impacted? Is there quantitative data to demonstrate impacts or benefits? • What resources are available? How much time and money are available? • Do you have a team to help you, and, if so, what are their roles? • What does success look like? • When does outreach need to happen? Is there a current project timeline? Are there milestones or deadlines that need to be met? • Are there barriers to participation? What are they? • What group(s) will be the most impacted by this? • How will underrepresented community members be affected? (Such as but not limited to BIPOC, low-income, disabled, elderly, non-English speakers, families with young children, students, unhoused, and LGBTQIA+.) • How does work already being done help to address community concerns? • Who/how will data gathered be input, analyzed, or summarized? • Are there local, state or federal laws or regulations you need to consider? • Are there any City staff members or City teams outside of the direct project team who might be impacted by the decision or might have connections with community- based organizations that will be impacted? • Are there potential financial or economic impacts, positive or negative to the City? • What might go wrong? How might your approach mitigate for challenges? • What are you hoping to achieve through improved communications? • What are the desired outcomes? How will you measure your success? Page 293 of 349 7 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l It’s important to identify who has an interest, in a particular issue, decision or outcome before you can develop a successful public engagement plan. This includes people who will benefit from the decision, people who could be negatively impacted, and those who are simply interested in the topic. This also includes people within the City organization as well as community members and community-based organizations. Likewise, it’s important to identify who will make the formal decisions for this topic, issue, or project. Some decisions will be made at the staff level, by Department Heads, by Advisory Bodies, or by City Council. Identifying the impacted or interested community members and decisionmakers early on will help you avoid false expectations and identify the appropriate level of public engagement needed. Also, consider leaning on fellow City staff who already have strong connections with community-based organizations. Much of your success in engaging the public will be based on your understanding of the audiences. It’s important to clearly define your audiences to ensure that you can ultimately solve the problem or seize the opportunity. When defining audiences, consider historical context and how such audiences or community groups are now reclaiming their own identities and definitions. Note: Please reach out to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion if you have questions about identities or definitions. You will likely have more than one audience. It’s a good practice to identify at least three target audiences and define those groups as best as you can. Depending on the complexity of the issue, you may find that you have more than three specific target audiences. Think about both internal staff and external impacted or interested community members2. Also include the decisionmakers as part of your specific target audiences. In your engagement plan, use a brief paragraph to describe each well-defined audience. Pay particular attention to underserved/underrepresented groups who are traditionally harder to reach and engage with but who are still impacted by certain decisions, such as Black, Indigenous, 2 Community members include people who live here, people who go to school here, people who work here, or people who play here (or any combination of the three). Page 294 of 349 8 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l and people of color (BIPOC) community members, low-income, elderly, those with disabilities, non- English speakers, families with young children, students, unhoused, and our LGBTQIA+ community members. For many underrepresented/underserved community members, providing feedback is often challenging due to language barriers, financial constraints, and time constraints and the need to work, transportation issues, and a lack of childcare. Consider incentivizing their participation by providing non-traditional accommodations that will enable them to participate such as extended hours for feedback, interpretation services, and other incentives such as childcare, food if the meeting is during a typical meal time (breakfast, lunch, dinner). To start, ask yourself the following questions. 1. Who will be impacted positively or negatively? Consider geography (those who live, work or play nearby); consider financial impact (those who might not be able to afford the changes). Consider those who have the most to lose or the most to gain by the decision or outcome. 2. Who NEEDS to know about this? Consider if there is a legal requirement or if there are groups with an imperative interest or who have significant influence. Consider whose life or schedule stands to be altered by an aspect of this issue or project. 3. Who can or will contribute to this conversation? Consider the interested parties, the experts, outside sources that discuss this same topic, voices with historical knowledge and understanding, etc. Consider who already knows about this issue and is interested. 4. Who or what is missing? Consider what obstacles might be preventing them from engaging on this topic. Each impacted or interested community members list should consider: o Experts and professionals o Clubs and community groups o Personal interest groups o Underserved/underrepresented populations 5. Who may not be in favor this project? Consider groups or individuals who will dislike the idea or be extremely impacted by the decision. 6. Who could improve this project? Consider people with unique perspectives or relevant personal experience. For example, people whose kids attend a local school have experiencing traveling on nearby roads at peak times. UNDERSERVED/UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN SAN LUIS OBISPO The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) has defined underserved communities as disproportionately burdened areas in the region that are economically distressed and/or historically underrepresented as a part of the local government process. As noted in the City's Climate Adaptation and Safety Element of the General Plan, there are 13 variables that address a wide range of socioeconomic and population-based factors to geographically define areas. The 13 variables are: • Racial Minority • Ethnic Minority • Disability Status • Household Income • Free or Reduced-Price Meals • Educational Attainment • Language Proficiency Page 295 of 349 9 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l • Renter Affordability • Housing Ownership Affordability • Older Adults: Age 75 Years and Older • Youth: Age 15 Years and Under • Households with No Vehicle Available • Households with No Computing Device Available A detailed and interactive map of these locations can be found on SLOCOG’s website at https://slocog.org/programs/data-services/gis-mapping/disadvantaged-communities. GROUPS BY INTEREST AREA Certain topics interest everyone, regardless of an individual’s ability, language, or background. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you engage diverse audiences and understand the barriers of engagement for traditionally underserved or underrepresented communities. Below are examples of topics or interests and potential impacted or interested community members who can be engaged for each based on the specific City policy or project. Note: This is not a comprehensive list. For a complete and up-to-date list including media contacts, please contact the City’s Public Communications Program at communications@slocity.org. Access & Parking: Neighborhood groups, Cal Poly students, business owners and managers, property owners, people with disabilities, people who work in SLO but don’t live here, people who visit SLO, people who use alternative modes of transportation than cars, nearby schools, Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, SLO County Undocusupport, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, San Luis Coastal Unified School District under Education, CAPSLO, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, United Way of SLO County, Building a Better SLO. Arts & Culture: SLO County Arts Council, SLO Rep, SLO Museum of Art, SLO Symphony, SLO Wind Orchestra, Opera San Luis Obispo, SLO Vocal Arts Ensemble, Festival Mozaic, Conzona Women’s Ensemble, Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, dance groups, Orchestra Novo, Central Coast Youth Chorus, Central Coast Follies, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Page 296 of 349 10 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, faith-based organizations, United Way Youth Board. Business, Commerce, Economy: SLO Chamber of Commerce, REACH, Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Downtown SLO, real estate associations, merchant groups, tourism interests, local chapter of American Institute of Architects, Cuesta College Business & Entrepreneurship Center, MCSC Women's Business Center, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, 805 La Voz Facebook group, SLO U40, YPNG, SLO Climate Coalition. Child Care and Education: Big Brothers Big Sisters of SLO County participants, California Conservation Corps, CAPSLO, SLO Parks and Recreation Youth Services participants, SLO Chamber of Commerce, REACH, SLO County Office of Education, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, Local PTAs, Cal Poly, Cuesta College, Literacy for Life, Laurus College, charter schools, private schools, Children’s Museum, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, SLO County Undocusupport, CAPSLO, faith-based organizations, 805 La Voz Facebook group, United Way of SLO County, United Way Youth Board. Environment: EcoSLO, SLO Climate Coalition, SLO Environmental Justice Alliance, Central Coast Outdoors, California Conservation Corps, Bike SLO County, SLOCOG, SLO RTA, SLO Transit, Rideshare, Active Transportation Committee, SLO Bicycle Club, SLO Car Free, Sea Otter Savvy, The Beaver Brigade, The Land Conservancy, Central Coast State Parks Association, Visit SLO, SLOCal, Pacific Wildlife Care, One Cool Earth, SLO Green Build, Earth Day Coalition, Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter, Northern Chumash Tribal Council, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO Page 297 of 349 11 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, SLO U40, YPNG, Building a Better SLO. Housing & Development: Neighborhood groups, Property owners, Developers RoundTable, local surveyors and engineers associations, Home Builders Association of the Central Coast, Operation Webs, local chapter of American Institute of Architects, Peoples Self-Help Housing, HASLO, SLO Green Build, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, SLO County Undocusupport, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, CAPSLO, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, SLO Housing Facebook group, 805 La Voz Facebook group, SLO U40, YPNG, United Way of SLO County, Build a Better SLO. Homelessness: CAPSLO’s 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, ECHO (El Camino Homeless Organization), 5Cities Homeless Coalition, County of San Luis Obispo Homeless Division, People’s Self-Help Housing, Restorative Partners, Family Care Network, SLO County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Fire Safe Council, Services Affirming Family Empowerment (SAFE), Center for Family Strengthening, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, SLO County Office of Education’s Health Management and Safety Committee, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, local private and charter schools, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, SLO County Undocusupport, 5Cities Homeless Coalition, County Homeless Services Division, faith-based organizations, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center. Neighborhood: Neighborhood groups or other identified neighborhood areas, NextDoor, Student Community Liaison Committee, Homeowners Associations (owners & renters), Residents for Quality Neighborhoods, Save our Downtown, Alta Vista, Neighborhoods North of Foothill, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, SLO County Undocusupport, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, The Link Family Resource Center, Building a Better SLO. Safety: SLO County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Fire Safe Council, Services Affirming Family Empowerment (SAFE), Center for Family Strengthening, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, SLO County News and Public Safety (Facebook Group), SLO County Office of Education’s Health Management and Safety Committee, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, local private and charter schools, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Lumina Alliance, Latino Outreach Page 298 of 349 12 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, SLO County Undocusupport, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, 805 La Voz Facebook group. Recreation: Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers, Cal Poly Black Academic Excellence Center, Cal Poly Black Student Union, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, SLO County Undocusupport, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, Student Community Liaison Committee, The Link Family Resource Center, 805 La Voz Facebook group, SLO U40, YPNG, United Way Youth Board, Community Gardeners. Transportation: Bike SLO County, SLOCOG, SLO RTA, SLO Transit riders, Rideshare, Active Transportation Committee, Student Community Liaison Committee, SLO Bicycle Club, SLO Car Free, Team Kman, Bovine Classic, Getting to School Safely, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, Cal Poly Multicultural Center, Cuesta Cultural Center, Latino Outreach Council, NAACP SLO, Northern Chumash, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO, GALA Pride and Diversity Center, Salinan Tribe of SLO and Monterey Counties, SLO County Undocusupport, Independent Living Resource Center, PathPoint SLO County, Cal Poly Disability Resource Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Cuesta College Disability Support Programs & Services, UCP of SLO, SLO Health Access, The Link Family Resource Center, 805 La Voz Facebook group, SLO U40, YPNG, Building a Better SLO, SLO Environmental Justice Alliance, SLO Climate Coalition. UNDERSTANDING SAN LUIS OBISPO’S POPULATION When identifying audiences and impacted or interested community members, it’s important to think about not only the issues but demographics. Each specific target audience will have different lived experiences and different interests, needs, desires, or preferences for communication. According to the US Census Bureau (2021), there are 47,545 people in San Luis Obispo living in 19,035 households. Of those: • Age Range: o Age 17 and younger: 14.1% o Age 18 to 64: 72.6% o Age 65+: 13.3% • Sex: o 49.1% are female o 50.1% are male • Language: o About 83% speak only English o About 17% speak other languages (11% speak Spanish) o 3.4% are veterans • Disabilities: 5.6% are under age 65 and live with a disability; There are many types of disabilities which can restrict participation, such as those that affect a person’s: o Vision o Hearing Page 299 of 349 13 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l o Movement or the ability to get from one place to another o Thinking o Remembering o Learning o Communicating • Education: o 94.9% high school graduate or higher o 51.6% bachelor’s degree or higher • Race and Ethnicity: o 82.4% are white alone o 33.2% are BIPOC (Non-White Race and Hispanic Origin) ▪ 18.5% Hispanic or Latino ▪ 7.2% two or more races ▪ 5.3% Asian/Asian American/Desi ▪ 1.6% Black or African American ▪ 0.4% Indigenous or native American ▪ 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander • 1,942 employers o 907 men-owned businesses o 351 women-owned businesses o 259 minority-owned businesses o 1,333 nonminority-owned businesses • 385 people are experiencing homelessness3 o 248 sheltered individuals o 137 unsheltered individuals • Income levels in SLO4 INCOME GROUP AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCOME LEVEL BY NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOUSEHOLD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Acutely Low $11,500 $13,100 $14,750 $16,400 $17,700 $19,000 $20,350 $21,650 Extremely Low $23,000 $26,250 $29,550 $32,800 $35,450 $38,050 $41,910 $46,630 Very low $38,300 $43,800 $49,250 $54,700 $59,100 $63,500 $67,850 $72,250 Low $61,250 $70,000 $78,750 $87,500 $94,500 $101,500 $108,500 $115,500 Median* $76,450 $87,350 $98,300 $109,200 $117,950 $126,650 $135,400 $144,150 Moderate* $91,750 $104,850 $117,950 $131,050 $141,550 $152,000 $162,500 $173,000 3 Source: San Luis Obispo County 2022 Point in Time Count, City of San Luis Obispo data 4 Updated July 2022, from CA State Department of Housing and Community Development official income limits. *Median and moderate income shown for reference only. This is not an official Affordable Housing Income Level. Page 300 of 349 14 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l HARD-TO-REACH COMMUNITY MEMBERS According to the U.S. Census Bureau, hard-to-reach populations are group with a real or perceived barrier to full and representative inclusion. This can include groups who are hard to locate because they prefer to remain private, hard to contact because they are highly mobile, hard to persuade because they lack a trust in government, or hard to interview because of communication or technology barriers. Traditionally hard-to-reach groups can include youth, people experiencing homelessness, Limited-English Proficient (LEP) speakers, low-income community members, people with disabilities, and the elderly. These groups may require an extra emphasis on establishing relationships. Likewise, an awareness of barriers people face is vital when creating a public engagement plan. These barriers should always be considered. PEOPLE WITH COMMUNICATIONS DISABILITIES People who have vision, hearing, or speech disabilities (“communication disabilities”) use different ways to communicate. • For people who are blind, have vision loss, or are deaf-blind, this includes providing a qualified reader; information in large print, Braille, or electronically for use with a computer screen-reading program; or an audio recording of printed information. A “qualified” reader means someone who can read effectively, accurately, and impartially. • For people who are deaf, have hearing loss, or are deaf-blind, this includes providing a qualified notetaker; a qualified sign language interpreter, oral interpreter, cued-speech interpreter, or tactile interpreter; real-time captioning; written materials; or a printed script of a stock speech (such as given on a museum or historic house tour). A “qualified” interpreter means someone who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively. • For people who have speech disabilities, this may include providing a qualified speech-to- speech transliterator (a person trained to recognize unclear speech and repeat it clearly), especially if the person will be speaking at length. In some situations, keeping paper and pencil on hand so the person can write out words that staff cannot understand or simply allowing more time to communicate with someone who uses a communication board or device may provide effective communication. Always listen attentively and don’t be afraid to ask the person to repeat a word or phrase. Consult with the person who has a communication disability to discuss what auxiliary aid or service is appropriate. The City is required to give primary consideration to the choice of aid or service requested by the person who has a communication disability. The City must honor the person’s choice, unless another equally effective means of communication is available or that the use of the means chosen would result in an undue burden, which is defined as significant difficulty or expense considering all resources available to fund the project, program, service, or activity and the effect on other expenses or operations. A Department Head should make the decision that the person’s chosen aid or service would result in an undue burden and provide a written statement of the reasons for reaching that conclusion. Even if the choice expressed by the person with a disability would result in an undue burden, the City still has an obligation to provide an alternative aid or service that provides effective communication, if one is available. 5 Note: For a list of auxiliary aids and services, contact the City’s Public Communications Program at communications@slocity.org. 5 Source: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, “ADA Requirements: Effective Communication,” Feb.28, 2020 Page 301 of 349 15 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Now that you have identified your decisionmakers and impacted or interested community members, it’s time to identify the appropriate level of engagement needed for your project to be successful. Think of engagement as a spectrum. Expectations, promises and effort will change with each level of the spectrum. For this guide, we are referencing the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation to assist with the selection of the level of participation that defines the public’s role in any public participation process: Inform, Consult, or Collaborate. Deciding which tools to use depends on a variety of factors, including the overall impact, the level of interest, the decisionmakers and the resources available. This is where the Spectrum of Community Engagement and Impacted or interested community members Mapping tools below are essential. Use these tools to evaluate the level of impact and the group’s potential level of concern to identify your public engagement plan’s objectives, then prioritize your outreach and choose appropriate methods based on those objectives. For example, if you are recommending changes to the Municipal Code or updates to Zoning regulations, consider the community's interest in the issue and people it impacts or benefits. Insignificant administrative changes or changes that align our local Municipal Code with State and Federal law would probably fall under "Inform". However, if the changes are related to a hot topic or will have a significant impact or benefit (even if just on a few) or a broad impact or benefit on many, then it would maybe fall under the other categories. Page 302 of 349 16 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Public Participation Goal Provide the public with balanced and objective information that will create better understanding of the problem, decision, alternatives, opportunities, or solutions. Gather feedback on goals, processes, shared metrics, or strategies for change. Partner with the impacted or interested community members in each aspect of the decision, especially to develop alternatives and identify the preferred solution. Promise to the Public We will keep you informed. We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge your concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. We will keep you informed about the problem or opportunity; we will look to you for creative and innovative solutions and will incorporate those ideas into recommendations as much as possible. Decisionmaker City staff, Department Heads, City Manager, Advisory Bodies, or City Council City Manager, Advisory Bodies, or City Council City Council Example Topics City procedures or process Existing programs and services Project updates Construction impacts New programs or services Expanded or changing programs, projects or services Transportation, transit or parking project, service, or policy changes General rate or fee increases New land use or housing policies New laws Major plans (e.g., General Plan, homelessness, DEI, economic dev., housing, climate action) Page 303 of 349 17 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Use the mapping tool below to help you determine the level of engagement for each audience based on their level of interest and the level of impact the decision will have on their lives. For example, if a group has a high interest in a topic, but it will have a low impact on their lives, you may want to focus on informing and consulting that group. Or if the group has a high interest in the topic and the decision will have a high impact on their lives, you may want to focus on all three levels of engagement throughout the duration of your project. Note: This is not the only tool available to identify the appropriate level of engagement, but this tool can help you get started in conjunction with the spectrum tool on the previous page. INFORM & CONSULT + INFORM & CONSULT & COLLABORATE + + INFORM INFORM & CONSULT + Page 304 of 349 18 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Now that you understand your audiences and the level of engagement required, use tables on the next few pages to help you identify the best tools and resources needed for your engagement plan. When developing your action plan: • choose a mix of digital, print, and other informational materials; • consider collaborating with community partners such as nonprofits, faith-based and spiritual organizations, schools, and/or businesses to help with outreach; • choose a mix of in-person and online activities; • create a timeline, budget, staff time implications (your department and other departments as applicable); • identify diverse locations to hold meetings with target audiences in mind; • consider how you might make each stage or task accessible to everyone (Will you need translation or interpretation services? Is the location accessible to people with disabilities and is it easy to find (visible and easy to understand signage)? The next few pages provide an Engagement Toolbox with a list of tools that you can use depending on the level of engagement needed. Some tools are expected, others are additional. It may take a few minutes to review the tools, but knowing what is available before you start will save you time and effort. Use the following questions and review the Engagement Toolbox to choose appropriate tools that will help you achieve the best outcomes: 1. Does this satisfy the public’s expectations and needs? 2. Does this project have the resources (funds, time, staff, etc.) to properly execute the use of each tool? 3. Is each tool appropriate for the stage of the project? Page 305 of 349 19 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l INFORM Regardless of who is the decisionmaker, what you do to successfully inform the public of your topic or item varies depending on the audience. This “inform” level of public engagement focuses primarily on one-way communication from the City to community members to inform them about a public project, event, or upcoming meeting. Below are the expectations for staff who need to inform the community, as well as additional information tools that are available, if needed. EXPECTATION • Post information on a highly visible place via department’s section of SLOcity.org • Share information via City News stories and email updates, in English and Spanish • Share information via social media, in English and Spanish • Present information to applicable advisory bodies, if needed • Share via key contacts and partner organizations • Notify the public via legal notice, if required (The City Clerk’s Office and City Attorney’s Office can assist with identifying whether legal notice is required and in preparing and submitting the notice for publication; the Community Development Department has its own notification standards for private development projects.) ADDITIONAL TOOLS Digital: • Website landing page • New section of slocity.org • City news stories and news releases • Events (community calendars) • FAQs • Regular internal email updates • City email updates (subscribers) • City Manager Report slide at Council • Open City Hall Announcement Email (to Open City Hall members) • E-newsletters • E-flyers/blasts • Text message alerts (opt-in only) • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Nextdoor, YouTube, LinkedIn) Direct mail: • Postcards • Letters • Flyers • Utility bill inserts Special Events: • Groundbreaking / ribbon cutting • Speaking engagements (SLO Chamber events, Rotary meetings, etc.) • A booth at different events, including Expos, Farmers Market, open houses, • Webinars or information sessions • Open houses or public facility tour Signage: • Digital signage in City facilities • Door hangers • Posters • Flyers for community bulletin boards • Billboards • Small signs • Interior signs • Banners Local news media: • Media interviews • Letters to the editor • Guest articles/contributed stories Page 306 of 349 20 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l Paid ad campaigns: • Social media ads • Print ads • Search engine ads • Local news media ads • Movie theater ads Podcast and radio ads CONSULT This “consult” level of public engagement focuses on two-way communication and generally includes instances where local officials ask for the individual views or recommendations of community members about proposed public actions and decisions that have been identified or the scope is limited due to previous Council direction (e.g., study session) or other regulations. Below are the expectations for staff who need to consult the community, and additional consultation tools that are available. EXPECTATION All tools listed in “Inform” expectations above, plus one or more of the following: • Create a more formal Open City Hall topic with a poll, with a survey, formal feedback • Host a pop-up informational booth in affected or surrounding neighborhoods, if applicable • Present a study session at a relevant Advisory Body meeting or City Council meeting and note direction and public comment, if applicable • Host listening sessions to get specific community concerns and understand expectations • Prepare an item/presentation for a public hearing (if legally required) ADDITIONAL Any additional tools listed in “Inform” above, plus: • Present a study session at a City Council meeting and invite community groups to participate • Host listening sessions to get specific community concerns and understand expectations • Listening sessions • Focus groups • Special surveys (telephone survey, mailed survey) • Neighborhood meetings or workshops, using feedback gathering technology Page 307 of 349 21 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l COLLABORATE Regardless of who is the decisionmaker, what you do to successfully collaborate with the public of your topic or item varies depending on the audience. This “collaborate” level of public engagement is characterized by two-way communication and refers to open-ended processes through which impacted or interested community members receive or provide new ideas on the topic at hand and feedback to decisionmakers. Below are the expectations for staff who need to collaborate with the community, as well as additional collaboration tools that are available, if needed. EXPECTATION All tools listed in “Inform” and “Consult” expectations above, plus one or more of the following: • Create an Open City Hall topic with annotations or ideas • Present a study session at a City Council meeting and invite community groups to participate • Host focus groups with regular check-ins (before and after the decision is made) • Request to attend and gather ideas at community-based organization meetings and gatherings • Host community meetings or workshops, using feedback gathering technology ADDITIONAL Any additional tools listed in “Inform” above, plus: • Community Ad-hoc Committee • Community partnership agreements with community-based organizations • Request to attend community-based organization meetings and gatherings • Community forums with participant polling, using feedback gathering technology Page 308 of 349 22 | P u b l i c E n g a g e m e n t & N o t i c i n g M a n u a l You may need to adjust your engagement plan as you implement it. Evaluating the effectiveness of your public engagement plan will allow you to adapt and be flexible as you implement the plan. This may require changes to the overall project timeline, such as pushing back decision dates, creating additional informational or educational materials in response to confusion or erroneous rumors that have surfaced, scheduling more meetings with a community group to provide sufficient time to discuss the topics, adding time for a new group of impacted or interested community members not previously identified, or expanding the public engagement process because the level of impact is determined to be greater than previously expected. Likewise, once you have completed your engagement efforts and are ready to either decide or recommend a decision, it’s important to report what you did, who you engaged and how, and whether you satisfied your objectives at the outset of the public engagement planning process. Some questions to consider when evaluating your public engagement activities: • What worked? • What could have gone better? • Did you reach your project’s goals or objectives? How do you know? • Did your engagement activity adhere to the expectations set out in this guide? • Were individuals and impacted or interested community members given adequate opportunity to participate in all aspects of the process? • Who wasn't at the table who should have been? • What can be done to connect more effectively with and involve them next time? • Were the tools you chose most appropriate given your unique circumstances and constraints? • Were the needs of persons with disabilities considered? • Did you allocate sufficient resources (time, human, and financial)? • Did you effectively record and analyze the input received? • Were participants provided with feedback regarding how their contribution was used? • Were participants generally satisfied with the engagement efforts? Were organizers? To measure success of your engagement plan, after the decision is made consider: • Visibility/Reach. Can you quantify the number of opportunities provided to see or hear about the project? Can you quantify how many people it reached within your target audiences? How many people viewed your landing page or opened the news email? • Registrations/Surveys. How many people registered for or attended your outreach events? How many surveys were completed? How many active participants did you have? • Questions, Comments, Complaints. Can you track the number of inquiries, comments, or complaints you got on your project? Was the overall sentiment positive, neutral, or negative? See appendices: Rapid Review Worksheets for participants and City staff/officials to evaluate the effectiveness of the engagement. Page 309 of 349 Page 310 of 349 May 2023 Endorse the updated Public Engagement and Noticing (PEN) Manual to serve as a strategic guide for staff to increase diverse participation in City programs, projects and policy decisions. MISSION STATEMENT VISION STATEMENT MAJOR CITY GOAL: DEI RECENTLY UPDATED POLICIES, SUCH AS THE CLIMATE ACTION AND SAFETY ELEMENT OF THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN Award-winning guide for staff Created in 2015 to: Ensure consistent public engagement from City Set community expectations Not updated since 2015 A lot has changed To increase diverse participation Major City Goal strategy/task 2.7: “Access, inclusion and support for underrepresented communities” More people than ever before SLOCity.org Website Pageviews Over Time City Social Media Content Impressions Over Time Variables include: Racial minority Ethnic minority Disability status Veteran status Lower household income Lower level of education Lower language proficiency Older adults and younger community members Households with no vehicles or computing devices Levels of engagement Inform Consult Collaborate Still shows audiences by areas of interest (expanded list) Best practices and questions to consider before engagement begins Updated guide includes specific steps to help staff develop public engagement plans for any City project, program or policy decision: 1.Understand the Situation 2.Define Your Audience 3.Identify Level of Engagement 4.Develop Action Plan 5.Review and Evaluate More information to help staff define audiences up front: New population and demographic info More groups and audiences to consider Information about underserved and underrepresented groups, including historically hard-to-reach groups and people with disabilities More tools for identifying appropriate level of engagement per project and audience Updated Inform Expectations Post information on a highly visible place via department’s section of SLOcity.org Share information via City News stories and email updates, in English and Spanish Share information via social media, in English and Spanish Share via key contacts and partner organizations Present information to applicable advisory bodies, if needed Notify the public via legal notice, if required Updated Consult Expectations All tools listed in “Inform” expectations, plus one or more of the following: Create a more formal Open City Hall topic with a poll, with a survey, formal feedback Host a pop-up informational booth in affected or surrounding neighborhoods, if applicable Present a study session at a relevant Advisory Body meeting or City Council meeting and note direction and public comment, if applicable Host listening sessions to get specific community concerns and understand expectations Prepare an item/presentation for a public hearing (if legally required) Updated Collaborate Expectations All tools listed in “Inform” and “Consult” expectations, plus one or more of the following: Create an Open City Hall topic with annotations or ideas Present a study session at a City Council meeting and invite community groups to participate Host focus groups with regular check-ins (before and after the decision is made) Request to attend and gather ideas at community-based organization meetings and gatherings Host community meetings or workshops, using feedback gathering technology Collaborated with DEI partners, including Cal Poly, UndocuSupport, Diversity Coalition, Lumina Alliance, United Way of SLO County, etc. Consulted DEI and public engagement experts including Office of DEI, Independent Living Resource Center, and International Association for Public Participation Consulted City staff and the Human Relations Commission Inform is next 1.Finalize PEN Manual & create materials for staff to put into practice, including Editable workbook with checklists Survey best practices Meeting best practices Up-to-date templates and contact lists 2.Inform: City staff Community members on ways to engage with the City Endorse the updated Public Engagement and Noticing (PEN) Manual to serve as a strategic guide for staff to increase diverse participation in City programs, projects and policy decisions. Access & Parking Arts & Culture Business, Commerce & Economy Child Care & Education Environment Housing & Development Homelessness Neighborhood Safety Recreation Transportation List included is specifically designed to be thought exercise for staff and the groups listed are not the only groups to consult or collaborate with for each interest area.