As part of its ongoing research program with the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) commissioned a report to study and recommend ways to improve and enhance IDOT's public engagement practices, especially those involving underserved or disadvantaged populations.

The report contains eight "Recommendations to Enhance Quality Public Engagement." Each recommendation includes a description, a list of pitfalls or things to consider when acting on the recommendation, contexts where the proposal is especially appropriate, and an examination of a real-world example illustrating its impact.

The eight recommendations are: (1) Know your audience, (2) Use existing community resources, (3) Perform informal outreach and use nontraditional locations, (4) Match engagement technique with goal and context, (5) Enhance staff capabilities through training, (6) Build institutional memory through knowledge management, (7) Measure and assess, and (8) Use technology to enhance and complement outreach.