Overview of civic engagement and civic problem solving model developed in Eau Claire through Clear Vision

2. Eau Claire WI Civic Action Teams Building the Civic Problem-Solving Capacity of Community Residents Mike Huggins, ICMA-CM City Manager, City of Eau Claire, WI 67,000 residents Located 90 miles east of Minneapolis Council Manager form of government since 1949 11 member City Council Regional business center Below average per capita income Lower unemployment Growing university and hospital sectors

3. Local Governance Crisis Wicked problems Lack of political will Declining civic problem-solving “The biggest problem facing Americans is not those issues that bombard us daily….The crisis is that weas a people don’t know how to come together to solve these problems.” -Frances Moore Lappe and Paul Martin DuBois

4. Declining Civic Problem-Solving Fragmented institutional decision-making Citizens’ loss of effective problem-solving skills Limited public space opportunities Mystique of professional expertise Formal citizenship paradigm

6. $40,000 jointly funded

7. Facilitated by National Civic League

8. Partner w/Ctr. for Democracy/Citizenship

9. 6 performance goals/125 priority actions

10. Civic engagement as core strategy

12. Civic Organizing A framework for integrating active citizenship into everyday environments to solve public problems and build the broad civic base necessary to govern effectively in a democracy “. . . democracy as a way of life is controlled by personal faith in personal day-by-day working together with others.” -John Dewey

13. Key Characteristics Emphasizes conceptual/reflective thinking Redefines core civic concepts Teaches civic problem-solving skills Creates public spaces Builds group process skills Develops public leadership Restructures mediating institutions

14. Civic Concepts Power Politics Public work Public life Self interest Diversity Mediating institutions

15. Civic Problem-Solving Skills One-on-one interviews Mapping power and interests House values meeting Creating public spaces Cutting issues Taking action Public evaluation

16. Civic Action Teams 10-20 member work groups Diverse membership Shared self-interest in issue Recruited to participate Chair trained as coach Action oriented – fixed duration High-energy participation

17. 2009-2010 Eau Claire Teams Jobs for underemployed Treatment instead of incarceration Public parks funding Collaborative education Community events facilities Veterans re-entry Regional transit authority

19. Convened by City Manager

20. Clear Vision umbrella

21. Drafting issue white paper

22. City staff as trainers

24. Ongoing RTA Team Meetings One-to-one interviews Power mapping Public evaluation

25. One-to-One Interviews Purpose is to build public relationships Schedule interviews Keep it informal 20-30 minutes No note-taking during interview Ask direct, open-ended questions 80/20 active listening Look for interests, passions, connections

26. Power mapping Visual map of political environment Stakeholders Connections Power relationships List who has power to influence Map organizations and individuals Do 1:1 interviews to identify interests Map power connections and relationships Do 1:1 interviews to build public relationships

27. Public evaluation Debrief each meeting - 10 minutes Assess progress of work Prevent misunderstanding Clarify roles and future tasks One or two word responses What worked? What didn’t? What could we do better? Check areas of group tension

28. Findings Action oriented Inexpensive Adaptable Reinforces facilitative role Builds effective work groups Creates public space for joint work Strengthens community “American citizenship in its most expansive sense is understood as public work: visible effort on common tasks of importance to the community or nation, involving many different people.” -Harry Boyte

29. Additional Information www.publicachievement.org Harry Boyte, The Citizen Solution Harry Boyte, Everyday Politics FrancesMoore Lappe and Paul Martin DuBois, The Quickening of America Carmen Sirianni, Investing in Democracy: Engaging Citizens in Collaborative Governance Matt Leighninger, The Next Form of Democracy Contact: Mike Huggins, City Manager, City of Eau Claire, 715-839-4902, mike.huggins@eauclairewi.gov