AWWA ACE65248

An important part of the community outreach effort for a new water utility project is conducting speaking engagements in the community. These presentations provide information about the project to the public and offer opportunities for the public to ask questions of staff closest to the project. If the normal human reaction holds true, project team members may be terrified when told about their potential role in a Speaker's Bureau. In addition, if the staff at a water utility have never created a Speaker's Bureau program focused on a specific project, getting started may be a daunting task. Yet, the negative effects of not going out into the community to speak about a new project or program are well documented. Public opinion will develop on its own, rumors will appear to be true, and unfounded opposition quickly grows. At times, the Speaker's Bureau for a new project or program may need to be created and operational in a very short period of time. There may be a small budget. Identified speakers from the project team may have varying levels of public speaking experience. With an organized action plan, a project specific Speaker's Bureau can get out into the community quickly and give effective presentations to the public. This paper presents the specific steps needed to design and implement a Speaker's Bureau focused on a single subject. The steps provided can be used by anyone who needs to inform the public about a proposed project, study, master plan, or capital construction project. The term "project" will be used to describe a hypothetical program or project needing public outreach activities that include a Speaker's Bureau. As an example of a start-up Speaker's Bureau, this paper references and provides samples from the City of San Diego Water Department's Water Reuse Study, which concluded in 2006.