• The Art of Engagement (wa.gov)
• Tips and Tricks for Inclusive Virtual Meeting Planning (DIN BRG) 
• How to Facilitate Inclusive Community Outreach and Engagement | icma.org

State Resources Referenced

• PEAR Plan and Playbook (Office of Equity)
• Relational Partnership in Practice Workbook (Office of Equity)
• Open Public Meetings Act Guide (WA State Auditor’s Office)
• 7 Pit Stops Toward a Belonging State (Office of Eq

You have been tasked with developing an agency rule (Washington Administrative Code (WAC) to adjust how your agency provides its services. You have nine months to complete this assignment. Work through this example on your own using the steps in example 1.

You are tasked with updating guidelines for staff in your agency to follow in their service delivery to low-income Washingtonians. You have six months to complete this assignment.

Step 1: Ground your Community Engagement Process in the SPICE Model

Using the SPICE model, plan for the following types of community interaction:

Now that you have the concepts, let’s go through some examples so you can better understand how to apply them. Three things I understand, we never have enough time, we never have enough money, we never have enough people. And we still have to get the job done and get it done well. The practice opportunities below will give you the opportunity to think through and plan your approach so that when you are faced with a task and don’t have enough time, money, and people, you can still be effective and the work you can produce can better serve all in Washington.

Workgroup managers should actively encourage feedback from workgroup members to understand where they are succeeding and where their approach needs improvement. It is not enough to passively accept feedback or claim to have an “open door policy.” Rather, workgroup managers should proactively seek out feedback from workgroup members.

Reflecting back on all the work and planning that was done to establish a workgroup that is inclusive of people with marginalized lived experience, assess your efforts by asking if you completed all of the steps recommended in this toolkit. Ask yourself, did you...

Develop and implement a process for receiving and analyzing community member experience and the agency’s broader community engagement strategy. This is critical to understand where improvements must be made for a more relational government; a government that can successfully collaborate with community members to advance a government of, by, and for the people. Do not rely on agency staff experience alone. Remember, government is in the position of institutional power, so the community members must inform how well government collaborates.

Relational Partnership

The 7 Pit Stops Toward a Belonging State document is a comprehensive framework that illustrates various components that individuals, agencies, or workgroups can utilize and embed in their approach to working together in a mutually beneficial way. To effectively co-create and advance equity, justice and belonging for all Washingtonians, we must be aware of how we are showing up whether for ourselves or others.