Engaging Stakeholders

1
Engaging Stakeholders
Sooke Sustainability Forum, Gillian Moran,
Jacques Whitford AXYS March 6, 2008
2
Where we are going?

• Definition of Engagement
• Role of Engagement
• Community Assessments
• Sustainability Planning
• Leading examples from Canada

3
Activity
4
Engagement Define
Involving people in decisions that will affect
them
5
Engagement Why Ask?

• Citizens know their community
• Empowers leadership
• Builds buy-in
• Link in to existing social networks
• Avoids duplication of efforts
• Links people and plan to governance structure

6
Community Assessment

• Assess readiness to participate in Smart
  Planning process
• Take stock
• Determine priority areas
• Assess plans in place
• Determine capacity

7
Community Assessment

• Themes
• Community context
• Vision and sustainability
• Planning in your community
• Capacity and resources

8
(No Transcript)
9
Ucluelet Key Partnerships

• Issue Lack of Resources
• Solution Create Partnerships
• Key Partner
• Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo.
• A variety of public consultation, including

• Steering committee
• Community focus groups
• Community survey

• Coffee shop meetings
• Open houses
• Picnics

10
Lanark Highlands Theme Teams

• Issue Small Community, no template, limited
  budget
• Solution Use community members
• Process
• General community meetings
• Theme Teams
• Sustainable-sustainable
• Report

11
Calgary A Broad Approach

• Issue Broad scope, large population
• Solution Broad consultation Program
• Approach
• Over 18,000 participated in a100-year vision
  planning session
• Tools Website, booths at various events,
  interviews, focus group and targeted sessions,
  seminars, workshops, international speaker
  series, media.
• A core groups of stakeholders
• Mayors Panel on Urban Sustainability
• imagineCALGARY Round Table
• Working Groups
• Advisors

12
Engagement Opportunities

• Influence positive change elsewhere in community
• Implement environmental stewardship into town
  culture
• Create incentives for staff, residents, community
  groups and businesses
• Empower individuals to become more sensitive
  to their role in creating change

13
Engagement Conclusions

• Promote an early role for the public
• Engage the public when making your plan
• Use a combination of techniques

• Build important formal and
• informal relationships between
• the municipal government and the
• community
• Encourage information sharing
• Offer response to public input