A pilot curriculum developed by the Analysis and Response Toolkit for Trust (ARTT) project offers practical support to public communicators about engaging openly and empathetically when providing reliable information around contentious, complicated topics, such as elections.
Voters are entitled to accurate and comprehensive election information, which can be difficult to communicate in what may feel at times in recent years as an increasingly polarized, mistrustful elections environment.
Local election officials (LEOs) must also engage with the public in these contentious conditions, even as they face the complex task of transparently conveying ever-shifting election procedures.
As front-line public communicators, local election officials require not only technical knowledge and skills, but also the ability to perform their role in the fast-paced, intense environment of an election. In the charged atmosphere of elections, LEOs can also face antagonistic situations that outpace existing professional development opportunities.
The pilot’s training curriculum provides LEOs with strategies for engaging in constructive interactions with the public in order to foster trust and reduce polarization.
Most importantly, the ARTT-LEO pilot is ultimately intended to help voters become better informed about electoral information and procedures.
The ARTT-LEO Curriculum includes examples and exercises that can be readily adapted to meet the needs of local communities. Structured in six short 10–20 minute modules, the Curriculum is intended to make it easy for LEOs to fit professional development into their busy schedules.
The Curriculum includes practical training for trust-building when communicating, and includes tips on:
The ARTT-LEO pilot is being developed by the Analysis and Response Toolkit for Trust (ARTT) and in partnership with the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCBSE). The curriculum is also receiving feedback from members and affiliates of the Coalition of Bay Area Election Officials.
A version of the Curriculum is being developed for use by public health communicators.
For more information about the Curriculum, contact us by email at artt [at] hackshackers [dot] com.
