Project Overview
In 2022, the city's Planning & Development Department worked with consulting firm PRR to develop an Equitable Engagement Framework [pdf] for the purpose of creating a more equitable, consistent approach to community engagement. The goal of the framework is to encourage new voices, enable more accurate representation, and uncover city practices that create a barrier for some to participate in public processes.
The framework is intentional in its approach to build trust and engage communities who have been historically under-represented in city decision-making processes and to facilitate public participation opportunities that are accessible to all members of the Edmonds community. It ensures the community has full access to information and opportunities to propose ideas and come up with collective solutions related to City initiatives.
Equitable engagement rests on the understanding that lived experience is valuable expertise and prioritizes the needs of groups who have been historically overlooked, underserved, disproportionately impacted, and/or seldom heard in conversations and decision-making processes that affect their communities.
Key Elements of the Framework
- Guiding principles for equitable community engagement.
- Establishes clear roles and responsibilities for staff handling community engagement.
- Defining levels of engagement based on project type.
- Recommendations for appropriate engagement strategies or tactics.
- Identifies priority audiences based on 2020 Census tract-level data.