There are a number of tools or techniques that you can use to implement your public participation process. These include in-person tools (those that involve face-to-face interaction – meetings or workshops, for example) and remote tools (those that do not involve face-to-face interaction – written surveys or websites, for example). This tools section is organized around the fundamental purpose of the tool:

• Tools to Inform the Public -- techniques that you can use to provide members of the public with the information they need to understand the project and decision process
• Tools to Generate and Obtain Input -- techniques that you can use to obtain public input to the decision process
• Tools for Consensus Building and Agreement-Seeking – techniques that you can use to bring diverse groups of stakeholders together to engage in shared learning and decision making.

Facility Tours, such as this one in Belize, help citizens to understand environmental issues and projects.

Each tools page includes questions to consider when selecting a tool and a table of some available tools with information on situations and purposes for which each tool is best suited. Each tool listed in the table contains a link to tipsheet or outside resource that provides a description of the tool, advantages and challenges associated with the tool, and principles for successful planning.

Contacts

For additional information on EPA's Public Participation Guide, contact:
Shereen Kandil
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2650R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: kandil.shereen@epa.gov