Performance Measures for Public Participation Methods

It has become increasingly important for public agencies to be transparent in how they meet their customers’ needs. The public, their customers, pay for these services through taxes and fees. It stands to reason that they should be sure they are getting a good value for their money. One way to do this is by measuring performance, not only for core duties like planning, programming and investing, but also for more policy-oriented work like public engagement. Public engagement can be designed to integrate the views, concerns, and issues of the public into the decision-making process. By including the affected public early in the process, agencies can plan, design and build projects and programs that reflect community values and increase citizen ownership and buy-in. The result is increased agency credibility and more efficient and effective implementation. This study illustrates how strategies of performance measurement can leverage the results of public engagement activities in transportation development and operations. The research identifies eight best practices for evaluating public participation efforts: Coordinate Expectations as to what purpose the public engagement approach should serve. Designate Resources not only to implement public engagement activities, but also to evaluate them. Aim for Fairness to determine if outreach efforts are effective in reaching representative samples of the public. Stay Flexible by designing evaluation techniques that suit the broadest possible range of circumstances; Distinguish Outputs from Outcomes, with the former describing the volume of feedback on a particular project (number of participants or comments, for instance), and the latter characterizing how that feedback influenced the project. Use Quantitative and Qualitative Measures Consistently to ensure that each measure supports clear understanding of changes in participation and action supporting desired policies. Track Results over Time to evaluate changes in public sentiment and make adjustments to improve public participation. Keep It Simple – Start Small, and recognize that even the most modest efforts can produce meaningful results if those efforts are consistently applied. Researchers present a set of sample performance measures in three categories: 1) those involving observation of participation by members of the public; 2) those requiring direct dialogue or other interaction with the public; and 3) those demonstrating how public engagement can affect agency goals and/or project outcomes.

• Record URL:
  https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/PRC-17-89-F.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/34900
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Authors:
  • Griffin, Greg
  • Stoeltje, Gretchen
  • Geiselbrecht, Tina
  • Simek, Chris
  • Ettelman, Ben
  • Metsker-Galarza, Madison
• Publication Date: 2018-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Performance measurement; Public participation; Transportation planning
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01663389
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: PRC 17-89 F
• Files: NTL, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 21 2018 10:12AM