Back in March of this year, a Request for Information (RFI) was circulated on the topic of Methods and Leading Practices for Advancing Public Participation and Community Engagement With the Federal Government. This notice from the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Executive Office of the President, sought input to inform the development of:
“… a government-wide framework, common guidelines, and leading practices for public participation and community engagement (PPCE or “participation and engagement”). This framework will enable agencies to more frequently, effectively, broadly, and meaningfully involve the public, including underserved communities, in government decision-making.”
— OMB Notice, 3/20/2024, Federal Register (89 FR 19885)
This call refers to public participation and community engagement (PPCE) of all forms. Recognizing the opportunity to address science participation and engagement, AAPS circulated news of this RFI through various channels to encourage direct input from this field (deadline was 17 May 2024). Of the 74 submissions received and posted by OMB in May, more than 20 address the importance of science engagement and half of those specifically focus on citizen science, community science, or other forms of participatory sciences.
AAPS leadership submitted a response, which is cataloged here (including the option to download the full letter). An excerpt from the overview of the letter is included below. Thank you to all who continue to advance practices for effective and equitable participatory sciences, and to those who took the opportunity to respond to this RFI.
Excerpt from AAPS comments introducing the full letter submitted to 89 FR 19885:
On behalf of the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences (AAPS), thank you for the opportunity to provide recommendations for how to improve Federal agency practices in public participation and community engagement (PPCE). …
In the attached letter, we offer an overview of the growing field of participatory sciences and of current Federal efforts to employ these practices in many different agency programs. … We share five recommendations for how Federal agencies can strengthen the use of public engagement in science to support Agency programs and decision making:
- Include participatory sciences in the Federal framework for PPCE
- Increase support for participatory sciences for underserved and marginalized communities
- Increase Federal support for bridging organizations that help implement participatory science activities
- Target participatory science activities to specific mission areas of different agencies
- Provide additional support to Federal staff for participatory science
In the letter, each recommendation is supported with brief examples and supportive materials offering guidance for implementation.
We strongly support the goals of this Federal initiative and look forward to helping create a “government-wide framework, common guidelines, and leading practices for public participation and community engagement.” We encourage that a core element be public participation and community engagement in science. This bold and ambitious agenda is timely and urgently needed, and our Association, as a leading voice in advancing participatory sciences, commits to support Federal agency efforts.
