An action guide to more effective citizen participation, this manual is written for citizen group members and leaders but will also be of interest to government and agency personnel concerned with setting up successful citizen involvement mechanisms. Part 1 examines involvement forms of the past and explores the future potential of citizen participation. It includes excerpts from several classic essays about involvement, a comparative listing of 68 mechanisms, and a diagnostic questionnaire for examining a group's present level of influence. Part 2 consists of a planning guide, a checklist of suggested strategies for enhancing a group's power, and a proposal for a watchdog council on citizen involvement. A series of exercises provides steps for involving a group in the diagnostic and strategy-building process, and an extensive annotated bibliography follows at the end. (Author)