NIFI Launches Naming and Framing Collaborative

The National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) is excited to launch a new Naming & Framing Collaborative—a space designed to connect practitioners, share deliberative writing expertise, and highlight existing projects across the NIFI network. This collaborative will offer participants valuable resources and discussions on framing issues for deliberation, providing an opportunity to engage with others who share an interest in structured public discourse. Learn more about how you can get involved below.

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Strengthening Deliberative Practices

At the core of public deliberation is the process of naming and framing issues in public terms—a method that helps communities engage meaningfully with complex topics. The Naming & Framing Collaborative seeks to enhance this practice by bringing together individuals and organizations working on deliberative writing and issue framing. By sharing resources, experiences, and best practices, the collaborative will help participants develop stronger issue guides, ensuring that public discussions are grounded in shared values and thoughtful analysis.

What the Collaborative Offers
Participants in the Naming & Framing Collaborative will have access to:

• A network of practitioners engaged in issue framing and deliberative writing.
• Highlighted projects from across the NIFI network that demonstrate effective naming and framing strategies.
• Workshops and discussions focused on best practices for structuring issues for public deliberation.
• Resources such as the NIFI guide, Developing Materials for Deliberative Forums, which outlines essential elements of issue framing, including defining key concerns, structuring options, and presenting trade-offs in a balanced way.

Download the publication Developing Materials for Deliberative Forums
This new 36-page publication from the Kettering Foundation is available as a free download. Access the publication here.

Why Join?
Engaging in the Naming & Framing Collaborative is a valuable opportunity for individuals looking to refine their skills in deliberative writing and issue framing. Whether you're developing an issue guide, leading community discussions, or looking to strengthen civic engagement efforts, this collaborative offers support, insights, and a platform for shared learning.

Naming & Framing Collaborative

Why naming & framing? For years, NIFI has developed a reputation for creating high quality issue guides to equip community members to host deliberative forums in their community. We also have trained facilitators to guide these conversations. Yet, we know that there are pressing local issues of importance for which a national guide may be ill-suited or unavailable. There are also situations where a group needs to create their own resource to meet the unique needs of their specific context. 

Through the Naming & Framing Collaborative, we seek to create opportunities for practitioners to build their expertise in deliberative writing, the process of creating issue guides for deliberation, so that more communities and leaders are equipped to frame issues appropriately so community members can talk productively.

Join us as we work together to shape meaningful public conversations. Stay connected for updates on upcoming sessions and opportunities to participate via NIFI's site!