Institute for Local Government’s updated public engagement training gives local government leaders the right tools to harness this moment

The world of public engagement has shifted dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. California’s cities, counties and special districts adjusted their approach and embraced virtual participation and digital engagement. As a result, many local governments saw an increase in participation in public meetings and online engagement activities.

Virtual options allowed more residents and stakeholders to attend meetings and workshops. Once community members were comfortable with the emerging technology, they noticed and appreciated the logistical benefits of signing on to virtual events. In many cases, the demographics of public meeting participation shifted because of the ability for working parents, students and others to participate from the location of their choice, signaling an ongoing public commitment to staying involved when the environment is flexible.

Many local governments also experienced cost savings because of decreases in the travel and out of pocket costs typically associated with in-person events. 

Increased participation, decreased cost, reduced travel time and convenient access are just some of the benefits of virtual engagement. As California begins to reopen, cities, counties and special districts have an opportunity to build on this virtual engagement momentum by offering a mix of online and in-person engagement activities that are aligned with public participation project needs and needs of the demographics of their community. 

One way to harness this opportunity is by honing your staff’s public engagement skills through the Institute for Local Government’s final public engagement training of the year.

ILG’s TIERS Workshop: Think – Initiate – Engage – Review – Shift is a virtual training that will be given via Zoom on Thursday, November 18 & Friday, November 19, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

The two-day TIERS training gives participants a step-by-step framework that will help them master the public engagement process and build trust in their communities. Through TIERS, ILG helps your staff operationalize local government outreach and engagement in a more sustainable and collaborative way and provides agencies with the resources and digital tools they need to authentically engage their communities. The TIERS program also includes a large cohort of local government leaders tackling similar public engagement challenges. TIERS alumni have access to office hours and networking opportunities to share best practices.  

ILG’s comprehensive TIERS training is specially designed for local government agencies in California and staff at all levels. Participants can apply the TIERS model to a variety of ongoing public engagement initiatives ranging from housing and climate change to budgeting and public safety. Both individual contributors and teams are able to participate.

Registration for this comprehensive training is just $600, a savings of more than 15% from 2019 costs.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER BEFORE NOVEMBER 11

The Institute for Local Government (ILG) is a nonprofit organization that has served and supported California’s local government leaders for over 65 years. As the nonprofit training and education affiliate of the League of California Cities, CSAC and CSDA, ILG works with local agency staff and elected officials to help them build a strong foundation of good government – trust, accountability, responsiveness and transparency – and respond to emerging and emergent events. ILG provides education and training to local government leaders in the form of webinars, workshops, consulting services and written resources. Visit www.ca-ilg.org/petraining to learn more.