Inclusion accounts for different barriers to participation to promote representation from all demographics in San Diego. Inclusion actively invites and welcomes participation of all people and groups, proactively removing barriers to participation and emphasizing the importance of recognizing, being responsive to and valuing all voices.

The City aspires to foster inclusive engagement, empowering every voice to be heard and valued in shaping the City's future. Inclusion proactively engages all individuals and groups, regardless of circumstances or identities, welcoming their input to ensure that the City makes decisions that are informed by local needs, values and aspirations. Inclusive engagement fosters participation and collaboration among diverse perspectives, knowledge levels and backgrounds.

• Reach out to stakeholders who may be impacted by the project.
• Employ a variety of engagement techniques to provide different ways to participate.
• Design public participation opportunities so they are accessible to diverse audiences.
• Communicate in clear and accessible ways.

Building relationships involves fostering authentic, sustained connections between City staff and the communities they serve. This principle emphasizes moving beyond transactional interactions to cultivate trust, mutual understanding and accountability over time. It values people’s lived experiences, insights and expertise regarding the issues impacting their communities, recognizing that community members uniquely understand their own needs and challenges.

Consistent, long-term and ongoing engagement can foster a sense of mutual understanding and respect. By building and maintaining relationships, public engagement becomes a collaborative effort that builds the public’s confidence in inclusive engagement. Community knowledge can uncover important information or identify deficiencies in data, providing insights that expand on technical information so that decision-makers can make the most well-informed decisions for the people they serve.

• Publicly recognize the efforts, contributions and achievements of community members and organizations.
• Partner with people and groups that have a history and trust in working with the community.
• Promote open lines of communication with community members and share relevant information and news about the status of projects.
• Provide participation support where appropriate.

Transparency allows San Diegans to easily access information, understand processes and follow the outcome of decisions that are made. It includes clearly articulating engagement goals and summarizing objectives, constraints and reasoning in a clear and accessible manner. It also entails following up with participants in a reasonable and timely manner, reporting back how input was used and providing regular updates on project status.

Openly sharing information and project goals upfront and providing regular updates throughout establishes a predictable process that provides the public with an understanding of how input will be used so they can engage most meaningfully. When people can see how their input is considered and understand the reasoning behind a decision, it increases the credibility and acceptance of decisions. Even if people disagree, transparency about the project and decision-making process can help clarify how decisions were reached.

• Describe how engagement will influence decision-making.
• Use clear, simple and inclusive language to describe projects and public input opportunities.
• Provide advance notice of engagement opportunities, follow up in a timely manner, and be responsive to reasonable inquiries.
• Report back about community input themes, how they were considered in the proposed solutions, and why the ultimate decision was made.

Clear communication delivers information to the public in accessible, understandable and relatable ways. It involves using plain language, avoiding technical terms and jargon, and tailoring messaging and communication channels to reach audiences with varying backgrounds and communication preferences.

Clear communication allows the public to participate effectively. Communicating in a straightforward manner allows people of all backgrounds to participate, including people who may not – and should not be expected to – have specialized knowledge of governmental operations or technical expertise. Clear communication aims to help the public understand decisions being made, what's at stake, how to participate and empowers people to engage constructively in discussions that may affect their lives. Effective project communication incorporates a diversified communication strategy to reach a broad audience.

• Use real-life examples, relatable visuals, analogies and stories that resonate with communities.
• Design materials so they are easy to understand, use plain language and avoid jargon.
• Consider various means of communication for visual, auditory and tactile learners to engage diverse audiences with different learning styles.

The City should engage members of the public that are directly affected by local decisions. Committing to the engagement process further recognizes that inclusive public engagement involves strategic planning, effective use of engagement techniques and continuous evaluation and improvement of the City’s engagement efforts.

A commitment to the engagement process ensures that community members are able to participate meaningfully. This commitment can cultivate an atmosphere in which community members who may be impacted by a project or decision sense that their voices are acknowledged and taken into account, even if the ultimate outcome varies from the input they provided. Though universal satisfaction may not be – and often is not –  possible, prioritizing a commitment to the engagement process demonstrates respect for community participation.

• Use real-life examples, relatable visuals, analogies and stories that resonate with communities.
• Complete the Steps for Conducting Effective Public Participation.
• Make continuous improvement through post-engagement evaluation.