Community Engagement Playbook

The Village of Oak Park's Neighborhood Partnerships Division is developing a Community Engagement Playbook to help create a more consistent, accessible and meaningful approach to public engagement across Village departments.

The Playbook is intended to:

• Create more consistent and transparent engagement practices across Village government
• Improve how the Village communicates and shares information with the community
• Support accessible, inclusive, and meaningful participation opportunities
• Help the public better understand how community input informs decision-making
• Align engagement efforts with Oak Park’s strategic priorities and nationally recognized best practices

Project Update

Here is a quick look at the project’s progress and what is coming next:

May–September 2026 | Community Survey

The community engagement survey launched in May and will remain open through the end of September. Community members are encouraged to share their experiences and ideas for improving how the Village engages the public.

June 2026 | Internal Department Discussions

Village departments participated in discussions to help the Neighborhood Partnerships Division better understand current engagement practices. Staff shared how and when they engage the community, what approaches are working well and where additional guidance, tools or support may be needed.

This feedback will help ensure the playbook is practical and responsive to the needs of departments across the Village.

July 2026 | Community Stakeholder Discussions

The Neighborhood Partnerships Division invited community stakeholders to participate in focus group discussions about their experiences engaging with the Village. These conversations were intended to identify what helps people participate, what barriers or gaps currently exist and how engagement could be more accessible, inclusive and meaningful.

Participants included:

• Business community representatives
• Nonprofit organizations
• Issue-based and advocacy groups
• Neighborhood groups
• Residents who completed the survey and expressed interest in remaining involved
• Village commissions and advisory boards

Feedback from these conversations, along with survey responses, will directly inform the playbook’s recommendations, tools and engagement standards.

August 2026 | Findings and Preliminary Recommendations

The next phase will focus on summarizing what was learned during the discovery process and developing preliminary recommendations based on the feedback received. The Neighborhood Partnerships Division expects to share an initial update in mid-to-late August.

Fall 2026 | Survey Results and Playbook Development

The survey will close at the end of September. Results will be published after responses have been compiled and analyzed. Feedback collected through the survey, departmental discussions and community stakeholder conversations will help shape the Community Engagement Playbook.

Late 2026 | Draft Playbook

The Neighborhood Partnerships Division is working toward having a draft Community Engagement Playbook ready for review by the end of 2026. Additional information about the draft, review process and anticipated timeline will be shared as the project progresses.

Stay Involved

If you have not already done so, please take the community engagement survey and share it with others in your networks. Follow this page to stay informed about survey results, project findings and future opportunities to participate.