ABSTRACT
This introduction provides an overview of the concepts discussed in Part 2 of this book. The part considers various factors impacting how elected officials and the general public take in the professional advice we offer on an issue. It acknowledges the importance of public engagement to plan and policymaking. Moreover, achieving the balance requires paying attention to distinct obstacles to democracy—obstacles which are often context-specific. This balance further requires openness to healthy forms of conflict, getting comfortable with agonistic forms of planning and developing stretch collaboration skills. The part appreciates that advising and engagement work involves a range of communication forms, including things we say, write, and project during those processes. This communication inevitably involves, and is impacted by, several language tools including metaphor, framing, and narrative construction—tools which engage with both rational and non-rational thinking and response.
