Community Engagement & Public Participation

public_meetingBoth municipalities and developers are grappling with an increasingly complex and time consuming approval process and decision-making environment for major projects. Special interest groups, the general public and landowners who are potentially impacted by new projects demand a significant role in the planning and approval process. In this environment, public authorities are increasingly requiring that the private sector undertake formal consultation programs as part of any major development proposal. Brown & Associates, Inc. designs and manages public consultation programs in support of diverse planning projects. Effective community engagement and public participation strategies are designed to meet the context and scale of the project, the requirements of approval agencies, and expectations of potentially affected stakeholders. Services projected by Brown & Associates, Inc. can include stakeholder identification and issue identification, public and stakeholder communication and engagement programs, reporting on results of consultation and involvement processes, and liaising with stakeholders to resolve project concerns. Techniques employed may include individual meetings with stakeholders, advertising and newsletter communications, facilitation of public workshop groups, open house meetings, and public opinion surveys.