Engaging Communities Through Issues Forums

THE FORUM AGENDA – THE FLOW AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

The flow of the Community Action Forum helps to create shared understanding across Community Capitals sectors and participants. The agenda outlined earlier in the ePublication ( Agenda of a Forum Using the Principles of a Successful Forum ) helps to show the connection between the activity and principles of a successful forum that are used to engage participants. This flow moves people from understanding to resource identification, to action using those resources. The following provides some guidance regarding key agenda items. Please see Tool 5: Forum Planning Checklist in the Tools section of this document.

1. Ground the Content of the Issue with Facts and Context

From: Inwood (2019), Ohio Farm Vitality Forum https://u.osu.edu/ccwl/projects/health-care-health-insurance/

This section of the forum agenda is about setting the stage. During this section you'll want to share why you framed the issue as you did and then share information using key data, research and even what actions have already been taken. This is the opportunity for your team and key dignitaries to offer information about the importance of the issue. It is also the opportunity for invited experts or researchers to share key information about the issue you are addressing. Information should be provided in a way that all participants can understand; simple, to the point and relevant. Because participants are from a variety of community sectors, they may not be aware of the complexity of the issue, vocabulary, or all the types of individuals that are impacted by the issue. Speakers can provide a brief overview of current situations.

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