Public Involvement

Often public involvement is needed for communities to move forward with the decision making process. CDCS facilitates public meetings using interactive deliberative methods that embrace the public voice. This deliberative method supports the creation of common ground. The Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of Community Affairs, along with other governmental agencies realize the importance of public involvement. While designing roads and evaluating comprehensive plans, citizens are encouraged to share their opinions, their concerns, and their knowledge. Citizens weigh choices and are asked to analyze each option, the arguments for and against each option, their trade-offs, costs, and consequences. CDCS encourage citizens to examine their values as individuals and as community members. Public involvement sessions enable diverse groups of citizens to determine together what direction they want to take, what kinds of action they favor and what they oppose, for the common good. This provides a means to citizens to move from making individual choices to making choices as members of their community.

Carpe Diem Community Solutions, Inc.'s president has proven experience in working with The Kettering Foundation and its Public Policy Institute (PPI).

The PPI provides training that teaches individuals to be moderators of deliberative community forums. In forums, participants share their opinions, their concerns and their knowledge. Participants weigh several possible solutions for society to address a problem. They analyze each approach, the arguments for and against and the trade-offs, costs and consequences of each choice. Moderators encourage participants, as they gravitate toward one option or another, to examine their values as individuals and community members.

Forums enable diverse groups of Americans to determine together what direction they want to take, what kinds of action and legislation they favor and what they propose for the common good.

By offering a framework, Carpe Diem Community Solutions, Inc. helps the public take an active role in policy decision-making.

Carpe Diem Community Solutions, Inc. can work in your community to provide the following:

» Moderator training
» Moderate community forums
» Issue framing training
» Framing community issues

Click below to download Public Involvement brochure.

» Public Involvement brochure inside
» Public Involvement brochure outside