An important part of the community outreach effort for a new water utility project is conducting
speaking engagements in the community. These presentations provide information about the
project to the public and offer opportunities for the public to ask questions of staff closest to the
project.
If the normal human reaction holds true, project team members may be terrified when told about
their potential role in a Speaker's Bureau. In addition, if the staff at a water utility have never
created a Speaker's Bureau program focused on a specific project, getting started may be a
daunting task. Yet, the negative effects of not going out into the community to speak about a
new project or program are well documented. Public opinion will develop on its own, rumors
will appear to be true, and unfounded opposition quickly grows.
At times, the Speaker's Bureau for a new project or program may need to be created and
operational in a very short period of time. There may be a small budget. Identified speakers
from the project team may have varying levels of public speaking experience. With an organized
action plan, a project specific Speaker's Bureau can get out into the community quickly and give
effective presentations to the public.
This paper presents the specific steps needed to design and implement a Speaker's Bureau
focused on a single subject. The steps provided can be used by anyone who needs to inform the
public about a proposed project, study, master plan, or capital construction project. The term
"project" will be used to describe a hypothetical program or project needing public outreach
activities that include a Speaker's Bureau. As an example of a start-up Speaker's Bureau, this
paper references and provides samples from the City of San Diego Water Department's Water
Reuse Study, which concluded in 2006.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 1.8 MB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 35 |
| Published : | 06/01/2007 |
