CREATING THE AGENDA

The agenda for your meeting should include six sections (see below).
Each of these sections must be carefully planned for your dialogue to flow smoothly and be successful. Your aim is to insure that participants are comfortable, can speak freely, and emerge from the dialogue feeling that their time has been well spent.

You may want to use the Dialogue Planning Outline form as you think through your plan.

1. Introducing the Dialogue – Getting Started

• Welcome participants to dialogues and the Civic Engagement Initiative
• Explain the difference between dialogues and debates
• Lay out ground rules

2. Framing the Topic – Establishing Issues and Objectives

• Articulate the question/issue
• Establish clear objectives

3. Launching the Dialogue – Introductory Activities

• Participants introduce themselves and/or
• Introductory Activities

4. Guiding the Dialogues – Keeping Discussion Rolling

• Guiding the conversation
• Common problems

5. Wrapping up the Dialogue – Reviewing What’s Been Said

6. Evaluating the Dialogue – How Did it Go?

7. Action Steps – Creating a Follow-up Plan

8. After the Dialogue – Press and Public Relations