Author: Bianca Wylie
Review: Geoff Zakaib
Updates: Jimmy Cormier-Paquet

Public engagement allows communities to build trust between residents and their governments. Consultations rooted in a desire for transparency and true collaboration increase a city's ability to obtain social license for technology strategies geared toward public good.

Comprised of four modules, Introduction to resident engagement (PE100) is the introductory course on People & Engagement in the Community Solutions Network One-to-One Advisory Service. It provides a basic introduction to designing effective consultations that engage residents in the development and implementation of smart city technologies and approaches.

Once you have finished this course, you should have increased your awareness and understanding of the following aspects necessary for consideration when designing effective public consultation:

1. How to prepare for your consultation
Invitation: What preparatory steps pave the way for an effective public consultation?
Running your consultation

2. Activation: How do you run a consultation that encourages the public to show up: a) prepared, b) with a clear sense of the topic(s) and c) ready to meaningfully contribute to the conversation?

3. Continuing the dialogue
Transformation: What tools can we use to continue engaging residents in meaningful ways?