Seven required steps

All seven required steps, every time. Internal alignment comes before external engagement.

Updated August 28, 2026 at 1:59 PM PDT

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Step 1: Determine whether engagement is required

Start with the Engagement Assessment and Plan. It tells you whether the effort requires engagement or communication, whether internal alignment is in place, whether you have the time and capacity to engage meaningfully, and what equity considerations apply.

Required
  • Complete the Engagement Assessment and Plan before any outreach or engagement begins.
  • Communications must review the completed plan before outreach or engagement launches.
  • Retain the completed plan on file for the project.
  • For Board items: attach the completed Engagement Assessment and Plan as an exhibit.
Best practice
  • Brief your supervisor before starting. Early alignment prevents mismatched expectations.
  • If the assessment reveals insufficient time or capacity, pause and redesign.
  • Before you begin, check with the relevant Board district office on budget, timeline, staffing, translation, legal review, and any other constraints.

Step 2: Define the level of public influence

Use the Public Engagement Spectrum to determine the right level. Then draft and publish an Influence Statement before engagement begins.

Required
  • Determine the appropriate engagement level using the spectrum before outreach begins.
  • Draft an Influence Statement and include it in all public-facing materials.
  • Document the level and statement in the Engagement Plan.
  • Include them in Board staff reports when applicable.
  • If the level changes mid-process, update the Influence Statement immediately and communicate the change to participants.
Best practice
  • If the level is unclear, consult Communications, Equity, or County Counsel before proceeding.
  • Test your Influence Statement with a trusted community partner before publishing.
  • When presenting to the Board, include the Influence Statement in the staff report so supervisors can see the commitment made to the community.

Step 3: Map the community and identify stakeholders

Effective engagement starts with knowing who's affected. Before designing any outreach, map both the communities impacted by the decision and other relevant stakeholders who need to be aligned.

Required
  • Use the Stakeholder Mapping Worksheet in the companion documents before designing the engagement plan.
  • Identify specific groups, not broad categories. A road project doesn't affect "residents" — it affects renters in a specific neighborhood, seniors without transportation, workers who commute through that corridor.
  • Communications must review the completed stakeholder map before the plan is finalized.
Best practice
  • If the same 20 people keep showing up to every meeting, the map is incomplete. Change the outreach strategy and the engagement plan.
  • Consult the Municipal Services Managers for West Marin and Marin City before any project touching those communities.
  • Talk to staff in community-facing departments early.
  • Brief the relevant Board district office and check in throughout the process.

Step 4: Design the engagement plan

Every county project that touches the public needs a Strategic Communications Plan. When engagement is required, the engagement plan becomes part of that document.

Required
  • Complete Part 1 of the Engagement Assessment and Plan before developing the Strategic Communications Plan.
  • Communications must review and approve the completed plan before anything goes public.
  • If anything changes mid-process, update both plans and notify Communications promptly.
  • If the plan includes forming an advisory body, contact the Clerk of the Board before launch of public engagement.
Best practice
  • Design the plan with the least-accessible community in mind first. If it works for them, it'll work for everyone.
  • Build in more time than seems necessary. Genuine engagement with hard-to-reach communities takes longer than standard outreach.
  • Don't design alone. Use Communications and the Office of Equity as thought partners before the plan is finalized.

Step 5: Prepare for meetings and events

Well-designed engagement happens before you get in the room. Format, facilitation approach, and logistics determine who shows up, who feels welcome, and whether the input collected represents the communities most affected.

Required
  • Complete the Public Meetings Worksheet in the companion documents before any public meeting or community event.
  • Secure language access and interpretation services in advance — see lead times in Multilingual Engagement and Language Access.
  • Confirm the venue is ADA compliant and familiar to the community being engaged.
  • For virtual or hybrid meetings, contact the IST Broadcast team during the planning phase, not the week of the event.
  • Determine documentation roles and capture plan before the meeting begins.
  • At the close of every meeting, communicate what happens next, the decision timeline, and how participants will receive updates.
Best practice
  • Schedule meetings at times that account for work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and community rhythms. Tuesday at 7 p.m. or Mondays at 9 a.m. are not neutral choices.
  • Consider an outside neutral facilitator for high-conflict or sensitive topics.
  • Open high-conflict meetings with community agreements.
  • Brief the facilitation team before every meeting: clarify roles, align on key messages, anticipate concerns, and agree on disruption protocols.

Step 6: Close the loop and report back

Engagement isn't complete when the meeting ends. It's complete when the community understands what was heard, what changed as a result, and what didn't change and why.

Required
  • Every engagement effort at Consult level or higher requires a formal report-back.
  • Report-back materials must be distributed through the same channels used for outreach.
  • Preliminary summaries must be provided within 10 days of the close of active engagement.
  • Engagement summaries must be included in Board staff reports when applicable.
  • Final decisions must be communicated to participants with a clear explanation of how input was used and what constraints prevented further change.
  • If the timeline shifts or a decision is delayed, communicate proactively. Silence after engagement is one of the most damaging things you can do to trust.
Best practice
  • Maintain the Influence and Outcomes Tracker throughout the engagement process, not just at the end.
  • When a community member raises a specific concern that needs a direct response, follow up through appropriate channels even if it doesn't appear in the public-facing report.
  • Anonymize all input in the What We Heard Report. Individual names are never included in public-facing materials without explicit written consent.

Step 7: Measure and evaluate

Evaluation is how the county gets better at engagement over time. Every effort must be evaluated against the communities it was designed to reach, not just the number of people who showed up.

Required
  • Use the Evaluation Template in the companion documents to document findings for every engagement effort.
  • Share results internally with the engagement team, Communications, and the Office of Equity.
Best practice
  • A well-attended meeting that missed affected communities isn't a success. Evaluate who showed up relative to who was supposed to, not just headcount.
  • Use evaluation findings to inform the next engagement effort. Build it into the project debrief.
  • If evaluation reveals significant gaps, document and share with leadership.
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