374 Copyright © 2011, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 35 HISTORY AND CONTEXT The Citizen Panel was a new approach to citizen involvement in Canada. The budgets for social housing in the city of Toronto and for family services in the city of nearby Guelph are decided, in part, through public deliberation. Neither city has taken the broad approach to budget priorities represented by the Citizen Panel project, in which large-scale budget priorities were considered. Outside of Canada, the city of Porto Alegre in Brazil provides an example of public participa- Marco Adria University of Alberta, Canada Yuping Mao University of Alberta, Canada Encouraging Public Involvement in Public Policymaking Through University- Government Collaboration ABSTRACT New methods of involving large numbers of citizens in public decision-making using information and communications technologies have spurred academic and professional interest. This chapter will describe the case of the Citizen Panel, a public-involvement project in which a municipal government and univer- sity combined their capacities to create a signiicant new opportunity for public involvement in public policymaking. Technology was used to broaden access to participation in, and awareness of, the Citizen Panel. Technology application included development of a video version of the information resources used by the Citizen Panel, posting key information on the website, hosting a Facebook group discussion, and live broadcast of panel sessions by Web streaming. The Citizen Panel provided a “proof of concept” for the subsequent establishment of the Centre for Public Involvement, which is a partnership between the municipal government and the university. The Centre for Public Involvement’s purpose will be to engage in research and development in support of improved public-involvement practices and processes. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60960-623-7.ch035