Successful stakeholder outreach and engagement is critical to the success of any project, including transportation and infrastructure projects with their broad-based impacts on communities. A critical first step in developing a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) is to set specific goals for outreach and engagement efforts. As the plan is implemented, these goals should be used a touchpoints to assess the effectiveness of various strategies. While specific outreach goals vary from project to project, there are some objectives that are universal to virtually any stakeholder involvement and engagement effort. These include:
- Effectively inform the public and other key stakeholder groups about the project, including its purpose and need, its scope, its anticipated benefits, its potential impacts on communities in the project area, and mitigation measures being taken to minimize any adverse impacts.
- Comply with any relevant federal, state, and local regulations for public involvement
- Obtain informed feedback from the public and other stakeholders that can be considered in the decision-making process
- Gain consensus for a project that best serves the public’s needs and preferences.
For an informative InGroup Whitepaper on Public Involvement in Transportation, click here.
