Full Report - Knight Program in Community Building

HURLEY | THE PUBLIC PROCESS 7Stages in the ProcessWithin the field of consensus-building, there are well-recognized stages in theprocess: (1) assessment/convening, (2) building the agreement, (3) implementation,and (4) evaluation. These stages are not purely linear. Activities in one stage maylead participants to revisit an “earlier” stage. However, these stages describe tasksthat must be completed, and provide a framework for understanding the overall arcof the process.Each of these stages relates to aspects of using charrettes in a planning process.I will discuss each stage in turn, describing the tasks undertaken as part of a consensus-buildingprocess, and then discussing how they relate to charrettes.Step 1: Assessment/ConveningThe assessment/convening stage is crucial in consensus-building. This stagesets the tone for the entire consensus-building process. Common tasks undertakenin this stage include:• Stakeholder Analysis• Determine if collaborative process is appropriate• Secure commitment from stakeholders to participate• Arrange first event/meeting• Agree on ground rules, including a decision rule• Choose a facilitator• Stakeholder Training (if appropriate)“Stakeholder Analysis,” a technique developed as an application of systems theory,has three primary components: identifying the stakeholders; identifying the interests,influences, resources, and power that those stakeholders have and can use; and mappingthe relationships among different stakeholders. Identifying the stakeholders simplymeans answering as completely as possible two questions: “Who can affect the project?”and “Who is affected by the project?” The first question is strategic. Anyone whocan affect the outcome of the planning and development process should be involvedas early as possible. The second question is driven by concerns about equity. Thesecond and third components of stakeholder analysis provide information abouthow to influence the “system,” the group of people who have a relationship to aproject. Some people will need to be involved early and often, some only once,some at certain points in the decision-making process. A thorough stakeholderanalysis prevents unpleasant surprises later in the project.