Alexandria’s Principles of Civic Engagement

what's_next_alexandria_logo

At the January 29th What's Next Alexandria Community Dialogue, community members worked together to develop civic engagement principle statements to guide public participation in Alexandria. Subsequent to the meeting, facilitators from each table collaborated with staff to synthesize the 17 table statements into 8 single statements. Click here for information about the process of synthesizing the statements, and click here to get more information about the What's Next Alexandria initiative.

Please review the synthesized principle statements below and answer a few follow-up questions.

EASY PARTICIPATION (Changed from Informed and Accessible Participation)

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria promotes open and readily accessible government. Communications and information are timely, easy to understand, and offered in a variety of formats, appropriate to a given process. The City will provide clarity about the public decision making process, including milestones and a defined endpoint. Participants will have the flexibility to participate in a variety of ways, including online and in person. Link to statements created on January 29.

RESPECT (Changed from Civility)

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria values a process of engagement where participants demonstrate respect in words and actions and approach decisions with open-mindedness so that everyone feels comfortable expressing their opinion regardless of differences. Link to statements created on January 29.

EARLY INVOLVEMENT

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria identifies and involves stakeholders early in decision-making processes. Community members are involved in framing issues before any conclusions have been drawn, requiring early and ongoing communication with participants through each phase in the process. Link to statements created on January 29.

INCLUSIVENESS AND EQUITY

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria reaches out to and encourages the participation of all members of the community in dialogue and decision-making processes, including those who will be affected by the issue as well as those who have not historically been engaged. All members of the community are informed and empowered to participate; all views are equally heard and inform the outcome; and all impacts and benefits are fairly distributed. Link to statements created on January 29.

MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria provides opportunities for all community members to participate in an open and unbiased process, free of predetermined outcomes, to consider and deliberate feasible options. The City authentically solicits, acknowledges, incorporates, and responds to community input. Link to statements created on January 29.

MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Synthesized Statement: The City and community are mutually accountable for honest and respectful participation, informed and fact-based discussion, and acceptance of the outcome of a fair process that reflects the input of participants. The conclusion of a process will result in meaningful follow-up, ongoing assessment to measure progress, and implementation of improvements as needed. Link to statements created on January 29.

SUSTAINED COLLABORATION (Changed from Sustained Cooperation)

Synthesized Statement: Alexandria promotes a culture of community engagement that enhances public decision making processes and invests in long-term working relationships, learning opportunities and ongoing, open collaboration between community members, community groups, City leaders and staff. Link to statements created on January 29.

TRANSPARENCY

Synthesized Statement: City government will act with integrity in an open process, and will provide timely access to clear, trustworthy information, presented and employed by all parties from the beginning to the end of the process, including the reasoning that leads to and supports the policy conclusion. Link to statements created on January 29.

Addition of a 9th principle:

EVALUATION

The City will work in partnership with the community to periodically assess the application of civic engagement principles. The evaluation will quantify participant feedback, document lessons learned, and identify strategies for refinement.

At the next Community Dialogue on April 30, participants will have the opportunity to affirm Alexandria’s Principles of Civic Engagement based on feedback received from this poll.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Do you support the Civic Engagement Principles developed by the community as synthesized above? (Each Principle Statement will be accompanied by recommended actions and expected outcomes based on community input.): *

Yes

What improvements would you suggest? If you would like to send additional comments that do not fit in the space below, please email [email protected]. (250 characters.):

Please provide information about your past participation and your expectations about future participation: (Select all that apply)

2. Tell us about your participation in What’s Next Alexandria:

I attended the first Community Dialogue (November 15, 2025)

I attended the second Community Dialogue (January 29, 2026)

I did not attend the Dialogues, but I have been following the process

This is the first time I’ve ever participated in this process

I participated in the Virtual Table during the 2nd Community Dialogue

I plan to attend the next Community Dialogue meeting, scheduled for April 30

3. The City has piloted online participation in meetings in real time. Is this a tool you would utilize? :

Yes

4. Effective civic engagement relies on a partnership between government and the community. Would you be willing to assist by :

Serving as a civic engagement ambassador by helping the City reach neighborhoods and groups with whom you are already connected?

Serving as a community facilitator at a future What’s Next Alexandria or other community meeting?

Other

If you answered other, please explain:

Please provide your name and email address:

First Name:

Last Name:

Email Address: