Assignment #4

Public managers should engage the public, even when the public’s knowledge is limited about the science of an environmental issue. Many public managers are hesitant to involve the public for fear that a project will be delayed or suspended altogether. In a case where the public needs to be educated on an environmental issue, the task falls to the public manager. Depending on the scope of the issue and the size of the community there are many ways this can be accomplished which include:

- The media
- E-mail
- Phone calls
- Listservs
- Mailers
- Websites
- Community meetings

The consequences of not involving the public can be severe. Many public managers do not involve the public because they fear the public will not buy into the project and the project will be hindered. As exemplified in the readings, this is actually more likely to happen if the public is not engaged in the decision making. If the public is involved early and thoroughly they will begin to take ownership of the project and are more likely to work collaboratively. When the public feels they have been left out they will often take measures such as litigation to hold the project up. It was shown that projects can be much more successful and satisfying to all stakeholders when the public is engaged.