Mapping a way forward: Interest group selection and roles performed in engagement processes

Interest groups have much to offer citizen engagement activities, yet their contributions have been marginalized in recent years with the focus on more deliberative approaches for “ordinary citizens.” It seems that an either/or situation exists between citizen and interest group engagement. This article transcends this debate by delineating a methodology to inform the design of engagement processes that would include both citizens and groups in productive dialogue. Based on past interest group collaboration patterns, a collaborative method is outlined, which offers a way to identify and select interest groups for inclusion in engagement processes with citizens. The method is then applied to a case study of two water issues confronting the City of Hamilton in Ontario.