A small company with a big history.

The Perspectives Group, Inc. is a woman-owned small business headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The company came about as a merger of communications savvy and a conviction that public participation methodology could be transformative in the midst of turmoil. Formed in 1991 to facilitate public participation associated with environmental decisions, The Perspectives Group advocates for sound participatory decision-making processes because they achieve more effective, lasting outcomes than other approaches.

The Perspectives Group has contributed to many diverse projects, which have garnered national attention, recognition, and awards. Our core services include decision process planning, facilitation and the full management and support of executive staff teams and governance groups. Since 1991, we have provided management, logistical, and facilitation support to dozens of advisory boards and working groups, including the continuous support of one major board for more than 10 years.

Long-lasting interventions pay dividends.
Boards that we have supported for more than one year include the following:

• The Fernald Citizens Advisory Board (which received the 1999
  Outstanding Organization of the Year Award from the International Association of Public Participation)
• The Fermilab Community Task Force on Public Participation
• The Herculaneum Revitalization Working Group
• The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board
• The Monticello Citizens Advisory Board
• The Oak Ridge End Use Working Group (which received a commendation from the Governor of Tennessee for its outstanding contributions to the state)
• The Oak Ridge Stewardship Working Group.
  

Stakeholder training and materials build confidence.
We have a strong reputation for getting the job done and have been widely recognized as experts in the field of stakeholder participation. As a result of our work, we have been sought out by a wide variety of Agencies to develop guidance and training in stakeholder participation. Recent efforts have included the following:

• A guide on managing and facilitating site specific advisory boards for the Department of Energy;
• A guide on public participation for the Border Environment Cooperation
  Commission;
• A guide on public participation for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
• A guide on public participation for the US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution;
• Certificate Training in Public Participation for the International Association for Public Participation;
• Training on resolving complex issues with stakeholders for the Fish and Wildlife Service;
• A training video on public participation for the Department of Interior (in process):
• Training on collaboration for the Duke Environmental Leadership program (in process); and,
• Training on public participation for the Agency for International Development.

Tools and techniques build capacity.
As part of our work, The Perspectives Group has a long history of innovation and the creation of tools to assist understanding and decision making.

For a project at a Department of Energy site in Fernald, Ohio, citizens were struggling with how to understand cleanup options. The Perspectives Group designed and implemented and exercise called FutureSite™ which allowed citizens to directly explore what options were possible to excavate waste and dispose on- or off-site. The three-dimensional model allowed for a breakthrough in thinking at the site and became a touchstone throughout the Department as a decision-making aid.

While Executive Director of the International Association for Public Participation, Douglas Sarno of The Perspectives Group worked with two other experts to create a tool describing the levels of public participation. The result was the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum (link) which is now used worldwide to help people understand that all public participation is not the same.

Over the years, The Perspectives Group has evolved into a multi-disciplinary firm grounded in the principles of strategic participatory processes. We invite you to work with our team and experience our refreshing approach to progress.