Public Engagement: A New Way of Thinking

Public engagement (PE) is a new way of thinking about how government works together with stakeholders and ordinary citizens to achieve a wide range of goals that it cannot achieve alone, such as population health, adjustment to climate change, a highly skilled labour force, or national security.

Public engagement affects all aspects of government business, from policy development to service delivery, as well as all levels of activity, from the deputy minister's office to the frontline service counter.

Governments and stakeholders around the world are increasingly interested in this new and important field. Through the work of early leaders in the field, such as the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), a community-of-practice is evolving.

Our Mission

Through its efforts in public engagement, the PPF aims to achieve three major objectives:

• Raise awareness around the opportunities and issues public engagement poses for governments and the public
• Help governments develop the knowledge, leadership and other skills they will need to make public engagement processes work well
• Contribute to the building of the public engagement community