Services

Facilitation and Community Engagement

The Community Building Institute provides facilitation and community engagement services in a wide array of settings. CBI President, William Potapchuk, brings an energetic and lively presence to meetings where he helps participants engage in constructive dialogue, often with the goal of finding practical, synergistic agreements.

Potapchuk has facilitated groups ranging in size from a half dozen to several hundred. His wide-ranging knowledge of urban, education, children and youth, environment, and other community issues helps groups dig below the surface in ways that build a shared understanding of the issues, the challenges, and the opportunities. Many of the groups with which Potapchuk has worked engage diverse participants who have not had a history of positive interaction. His style and approach helps break down barriers and build relationships.

Potapchuk also designs and leads community engagement efforts. Constructively engaging residents and stakeholders in the development of public policy, programs, and services is central to success in many environments. Diverse approaches – ranging from small discussions settings to large meetings – help the public hold conversations in effectively and constructively.

Why Choose CBI?

CBI brings an approach to facilitation and community engagement that combines the theoretical with the practical, the relationships and the task, and a directive approach with a soft touch. Combined with extensive experience across virtually any community issue, CBI can help groups achieve results. In addition, Potapchuk has an academic and applied background in conflict resolution that can be the focus of the work or subtly infused into situations where there are underlying conflicts.

Facilitation Projects

Facilitation of National Summit, Learning First Alliance: The Learning First Alliance, a permanent partnership of 17 leading education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools, convened a national summit to share lessons and build a national agenda. The Community Building Institute helped LFA design the consensus building, managed a team of facilitators and recorders, and facilitated 400 person plenary sessions to build the national agenda.

Developing Green Building Ordinance in the District of Columbia: Facilitated a Green Building Task Force co-convened by the Director of the Office of Planning and the Office of Councilmember Jim Graham. Consensus was reached and led to unanimous passage of Green Building ordinance, considered one of the most progressive in the country.

Affordable Housing Roundtable, Arlington, VA: Arlington County developed affordable housing regulations which were stricken down in court. A Roundtable among developers and affordable housing advocates was constituted to develop consensus on an alternative approach. Consensus was reached, the agreement was legislated by County Council and, ultimately, supported by the State Legislature.

The Wingspread Conference: Potapchuk facilitated a weekend long retreat in Racine, Wisconsin for elected leaders and senior staff from the American Association of School Administrators, National League of Cities, the International City/County Managers Association, the National Association of Counties, the National Association of Towns and Townships and the National School Board Association. The meeting led to a collaborative agreement to support a six organization collaborative, the Local Governance Council for Children and Youth.

City of Baltimore’s Local Management Board: In 1997, Potapchuk served as lead facilitator for a series of retreats for the Local Management Board (LMB) of Baltimore. The retreats led to a reshaping of board membership and strengthened linkages with other entities supporting systems reform in the human services arena for children, youth, and families.

Lucas County (OH) Multi-Disciplinary Team: Facilitated a daylong planning retreat for members of the Multi-Disciplinary team who seek to coordinate their efforts in the investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse. Members reshaped their case management procedures, strengthened working relationships, and began to address numerous “systems” issues.

Potapchuk also has facilitated numerous planning meetings, focus groups, and work sessions for clients such as the National League of Cities, International City/County Management Association, Coalition for Community Schools, National Association of Counties, and Maryland Office of Children, Youth, and Families, among others.

Community Engagement Projects

Master Education Plan, DCPS: The Community Building Institute designed effective and task focused public forums on the major elements of the Master Education Plan in all eight wards in DC. Small discussion forums – each facilitated – were developed around topics of interest to citizens. By the last meeting, citizens were driving crosstown to sessions because they heard the sessions were so meaningful and effective.

Strengthening Planning in the District of Columbia: Served as member of consulting teams leading a multi-year effort for the District of Columbia that included the creation of a two-year performance management cycle that includes biennial 3,000 person Citizen Summits, neighborhood plans in each of 39 neighborhood clusters, and significant team-building and reinvention work with participating departments. Potapchuk’s focus was on the design and conduct of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative, the linkage of neighborhood planning to citywide activities, and the Comprehensive Plan. Designed and facilitated numerous community engagement sessions focused on the neighborhood plans and the Comprehensive Plan.

Envision Greater Washington: Envision Greater Washington was co-convened by the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, and the Greater Washington Council of Governments to considers whether to launch a major regional initiative. Designed and facilitated a series of stakeholder meetings that brought together public, private, and community stakeholders from across the region.