The new Public Engagement Primer from Public Agenda is a valuable resource for those trying to better understand what public engagement is all about, and for those trying to explain it.

Public engagement creates conditions for average citizens to effectively get involved in deliberation, dialogue and action on public issues that they care about. In a few short pages, the primer explains how public engagement helps create civic capacity for public problem solving, offers 10 core principles of effective public engagement
and enlists a few examples of key practices and strategies. The primer also describes the power of "Citizen Choicework," a critical element in many deliberative processes.

Some other essentials covered in the primer:

• Authentic public engagement vs. business as usual
• Capacity-building vs. event-oriented approaches to engagement
• Responding thoughtfully and conscientiously to the public’s involvement
• Building long-term capacity
• Strengths and weaknesses of various engagement approaches and strategies

The PDF is available for free download at:
http://publicagenda.org/pubengage/pdfs/public_engagement_primer.pdf

More information is available through Public Agenda’s Center for
Advances in Public Engagement at:
http://publicagenda.org/pubengage/pe_cape.cfm