Building Coalitions PART TWO Linda Major Ian Newman University of Nebraska-Lincoln Tom Workman University of Houston-Downtown

Overview of Workshops Focus is on the PROCESS of working with diverse stakeholders across the community in order to create environmental change that reduces AODV problems. PART 1 will focus on the basic theories and tools to community organizing and stakeholder relationship development PART 2 will focus on organizing opportunities for stakeholder/community deliberation and decision-making

Resources Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within, Robert E Quinn (1996) Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change, Quinn (2004) Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Results, Quinn (2000) The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey (2007) The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between People and Possibilities, Jim Haudan (2008)

Level 3: The Participating Strategy Level 2: The Forcing Strategy Level 1: The Telling Strategy Level 4: The Transforming Strategy Robert Quinn’s Model of Four Change Strategies (2000) Rational persuasion; emphasis on facts Leveraging behavior; emphasis on authority Open dialogue; emphasis on relationship Transcend self; emphasis on emergent reality

The Participating Strategy The Forcing Strategy The Telling Strategy TRANSCENDING FRAME Employing Quinn’s Perspectives to Create A Model of Community Organizing for AODV Environmental Change All three Strategy choices are viable when appropriate to the situation and objective The transcending frame enables coalition leaders and members to think broadly about collaborating between interests, recognizing the needs and concerns of others, and operating from a vision of abundant opportunity

“Informed Deliberation” A process where stakeholders are educated around a set of data and perspectives about a problem Perspective sharing broadens understanding for all stakeholders All stakeholders participate in collaborative problem-solving with new understanding of the issues

What’s A Community Forum? Involves an open group of stakeholders from specific arena or a smaller group of stakeholders coming together around a specific issue Creates an informed discussion around specific set of issues or needs Enables multiple perspectives to be shared in a single setting Provides community-wide knowledge of issues, tensions, trade-offs, and next steps.

Common Elements Presentation of Relevant Data Presentation of Perspectives or Experiences Opportunity to Experience Issue Directly Open, Recorded Discussion Formal Reporting and Next Steps

Examples from the Field The Resident Roundtable Project The “Bar Walk” –Neighborhoods –Tailgates Hospitality Community Forums –False Identification –Birthday Bar Crawls –Over-Service

Preparing Forums: Lessons Learned Establish a core planning team –Individuals representing key stakeholders –Team establishes goals for the forum and the process that supports these goals –Team helps frame the discussion so that it is broad and inclusive of all aspects of the issue –Team members solicit stakeholders from multiple perspectives to participate –Team processes the forum, communicates the outcomes, and helps enact next steps for progress

Preparing Forums: Lessons Learned Outcomes can’t be dictated by an agenda; the goal is NOT convincing the community to go along with your plan Effective outcomes of a community forum are expanded awareness of the tensions, trade-offs, and perspectives that must be considered in order to find a lasting solution to the problem. The outcome is “collective insight.”

Preparing Forums: Lessons Learned Framing is critical –Issues, experiences and deliberations need careful and thoughtful framing –Frame needs to be communicated from invitation through introductions and discussion DATA: What do we KNOW Perspectives: What does it FEEL like living in this reality? Purpose: Why are we here and what can we gain from this experience?

Preparing Forums: Lessons Learned Post-forum follow-up should build a public record of progress –Report back the discussion and the input to those present and those they represent –Careful editing: Let people hear their voice in reports –Identify tensions and trade offs for various stakeholders –Identify established common ground –Capture the energy toward creating viable solutions –Articulate next steps as public record

Preparing Forums: Lessons Learned Most forums may NOT be the best choice for media inclusion –People need safe place to voice dissent and tensions without dissent becoming the headline –Forums are exploration opportunities and not places where clear community statements can be made. –Post-forum reports or implementation activities are better for media,

Small Group Exercise Let’s Create a Forum:  Choose the issue to serve as forum topic  Determine key stakeholders who have a vested interest in the issue  Core Team?  Voices at the forum?  Identify data that might help inform the discussion  Determine the frame for the discussion  Determine potential forum outcomes  Create an agenda supporting the intended outcomes

Results Enactment of new policies –Digital Drivers License –Increased penalties for disorderly house citations Increase in support across community –Birthday Bar Crawl – Voluntary Agreement Reduction in binge drinking rates and related problems Clarity in media coverage and public discussion

For more information Tom Workman University of Houston-Downtown 713/ Linda Major University of Nebraska 402/ Ian Newman University of Nebraska 402/