Civic Engagement - Public Conversations Project Dialogue

If your organisation needs to explore a deeply divisive topic that seemingly can’t be resolved through compromise then Public Conversations Project Dialogue (PCP Dialogue) could be a method which works for you.

These issues are often rooted in deeply personal aspects of identity, values and worldviews, and often undermine the creation of a cooperative and constructive style of interaction within a community.

Who?

PCP Dialogue is a methodology developed by the Public Conversations Project based in Boston, USA. It often brings together multiple parties with a wide range of views – including civil society, industry, academia, non-governmental organisations and community leaders.

In the mid-nineties, PCP Dialogue was used to tackle the highly polarised debate occurring in Maine’s forests over plans to protect endangered species.

More than 80 stakeholders – including forest landowners (industrial and non-industrial), environmental groups, academics, state and federal government agencies, citizen activists, and sporting groups – came together to develop a more collaborative approach to biodiversity through the Maine Forest Biodiversity Project.

The project led to a public outreach programme and three shared publications, as well as the development of a collaborative relationship credited with shaping new legislation, launching the Forest Ecosystem Information Exchange, and inspiring similar dialogue for freshwater ecosystems.

How?

PCP Dialogue can be used as a standalone process without a predetermined outcome, or as part of a wider process.

Regardless of the context, all PCP Dialogues are focused on the primary goal of shifting relationships or communication rather than necessarily reaching agreement.

Following a preparation stage and the development of ground rules, the exercise enables a structured process for speaking, listening and reflecting, with equal opportunity for all to participate, and an opportunity to explore doubts as well as certainties.

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