Public Involvement
WebDialogues help to to engage the public in public policy. Groups such as the U.S. Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The International Joint Commission U.S. and Canada, and others have used WebDialogues. They share information with and hear new perspectives and ideas from researchers, administrators, practitioners, students, and others. Policy makers and other groups can frame agenda, integrate the expertise of subject experts, solicit the perspectives of members of the public, and engage a wider audience in developing reports and planing conferences.
As one panelist in a WebDialogue on U.S. Charter Schools noted, dialogues can “help to bring clarity to the movement, consistency in the use of proven practices, and continued improvement in the educational opportunities offered to children." Read quotes from past dialogue participants about how dialogues help them become informed and engaged in the policy making process. Past public dialogues may be found in the Dialogue Archives.
Legislative
WebDialogues and similar network-based communication resources bring new opportunities to policymaking for lawmakers and members of the public.
Three Washington State Legislative Committees have hosted dialogues to expand public input and engagement. The Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee convened a dialogue on Health Care Reform. The House Committee on Higher Education discussed Access to Higher Education. The House Health Care & Wellness Committee discussed Obesity. The California Master Plan Alliance hosted two dialogues as part of the state's implementation of the Education Master Plan. WebDialogues help lawmakers:
- Increase and improve direct communication at the grassroots level including practitioners, subject experts and interested members of the public including students;
- Hear new ideas, opinions, personal perspectives, and experiences that may differ from the views advocated by representative organizations;
- Increase the public’s understanding of the issues being discussed in the legislature;
- Take the "temperature" of constituents on issues affecting them; and
- Gain critical feedback from practitioners, and others, on the best way to achieve a policy goal, or on the efficacy of a proposal to achieve a policy goal.
Youth Civic Engagement
WebDialogues enable students to discuss issues or subjects important to them with subject experts and peers. Topics may address aspects of government, citizenship, and public policy. They often include lawmakers which give students an opportunity for direct and authentic involvement in the lawmaking process. Read more...
