T R A I N I N G

  The Public Participation Unit of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe is currently finalizing its Public Participation Training Module (PPTM) for Hungary. The module aims to provide short, practical training for various local stake-holders (municipalities, NGOs, state administration, labor unions, chambers, etc.) in public involvement in municipal decisionmaking processes.

  The training package focuses primarily on general development planning in the community (initiated by preparation of Local Environmental Action Plans), decision-making about planned controversial projects (initiated by Environmental Impact Assessment or other type of decisionmaking), and decisionmaking about existing controversial facilities (initiated by complaints of local citizens).

  The Module describes the most common formal and nonformal public participation instruments for dealing with the above situations. It at the same time looks at the usual outcomes of application of each instrument. By placing the information in a grid format, the materials force workshop participants to think first of the consequences of using each particular public participation tool. This then enables them to strategically plan public participation instead of simply "jumping into it."

  The training is designed for communities which have a concrete environmental problem about which the public is concerned. The training is delivered through a one-day workshop that brings together all major local stakeholders interested in the given issue - municipal and state administration, local business, and NGOs dealing with community issues (such as environmental, social care and youth NGOs). The workshop provides these groups with:

• An overview of available instruments for public participation which are applicable in the case they face;
• Detailed training in public participation instruments that the workshop audience jointly selects;
• Facilitated discussion on the practical local use of the selected instrument(s) for dealing with the given situation.

  The most important feature of the training is the fact that it includes a variety of local stakeholders who are actively involved in the given case. The designers of PPTM hope the above set-up will stimulate workshop participants to discuss collaborative rather than adversarial instruments. If this happens, the PPTM will serve not just as a training but also as a conflict resolution tool. This expectation still needs to be proven by the pilot testing of the PPTM which will take place in late August.

Jiri Dusik has substantial practical experience organizing public participation programs for municipal decision processes in the Czech Republic. He is currently a project officer at the Public Participation Unit of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe.