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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-08-006 - Community Engagement Strategy Development ~:~~~~~f ~~c~rr~i~~~.~~rr.~~~r'. f~frce Report To: Finance and Corporate Services Committee Date of Meeting: February 11, 2008 Submitted By: Shelley Adams, Director, Community and Corporate Planning, Ext. 2476 Prepared By: Abbie Grafstein, Community and Corporate Planning Associate Wards}Involved: All Date of Report: January 31, 2008 Report No.: CAO-08-006 Subject: Community Engagement Strategy Development RECOMMENDATION: That Council endorse the Community Engagement Strategy Terms of Reference. BACKGROUND: In October 2006, Council received and adopted "A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener, 2007-2027" ~P4HK} as the community's vision for twenty years into the future. P4HK provided a unified strategic approach to key areas essential to the health and vitality of the City of Kitchener. It articulated priorities identified in consultation with the community -quality of life, leadership and community engagement, diversity, downtown, development, and the environment. And, it also provided high level recommendations for action in each of these areas to be completed over the next 4 years, 2007-2010, the term of the current Mayor and Council. In the spring of 2007, a seconded position with a one year term was created to, in part, support the development of a community engagement strategy. This report provides information on the work underway through this seconded position to develop this strategy. REPORT: Compass Kitchener has moved forward on the strategic objective of developing a community engagement strategy in its 07-08 workplan, Specifically, this strategy will provide the City with a corporate framework for community engagement, providing a strong foundation to staff in planning, allocation of resources and continuous improvement, along a continuum of approaches. Key deliverables are both task and process focused. The process of developing the strategy provides opportunities for building understanding about community engagement, including barriers to engagement and more inclusive engagement and communications approaches. The task outcomes will include the development of tools. A working group has been established, chaired by a member of Compass Kitchener, and includes the Chair of the Advisory Review Committee, a citizen at large with affiliations to related community initiatives, an academic expert in community engagement, a graduate level student studying community engagement, and staff from Communications, Community Services, Community and Corporate Planning, Financial Services and Planning. The group has been meeting since October 2007 and is now embarking upon their task, targeting November 2008 for a draft report and recommendations. Recognizing Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee's interest in inclusive communications, links will be made at appropriate times through the process. The terms of reference and the project workplan are attached for Council's endorsement (please see Appendix 1). The CESWG has begun to collect an internal inventory of current community engagement practices and to also look to other municipalities for their frameworks, policies and best practices. Initial research has shown that some municipalities utilize a community engagement framework that identifies the level of community involvement in a process along a continuum from passive to more active involvement. The CESWG has found this framework to be useful in building our understanding about community engagement at the City of Kitchener and a future report to Council will provide more information about the framework. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None at this time. Staff resources to support this initiative have been made available through the CAO Secondment Program. Other financial resources are available as part of the ongoing operating budget associated with the activities of Compass Kitchener. COMMUNICATIONS: The Community Engagement Strategy Working Group includes representation from Corporate Communications and Marketing; internal and external communications plans will be developed at various points throughout the project. Central to the initiative is consideration of outreach and communication with diverse members of the community. Abbie Grafstein Shelley Adams, Director Community and Corporate Planning Associate Community and Corporate Planning 2 APPENDIX Community Engagement Strategy Working Group Terms of Reference Project Development of a Community Engagement Strategy for the City of Name/Description Kitchener Sponsor (person}/ Shelley Adams, Community and Corporate Planning Division (include ext#) Compass Kitchener acts as the Steering Committee Timelines/Major October 2007: Working Group fleshes out Tt~R, Themes/Principles and Milestones Work Plan December 2007: Compass Kitchener TOR approval Dec 2007: Work Plan and Communications Plan Complete Early 2008: Data collection for internal inventory of practices and initiatives Spring 2008: Community Engagement Spring/Fa112008: Report/Recommendations Project Citizen's Leadership and Community Engagement Vision, 2027 Purpose/Justification (Why are we doing this? "Our shared vision is for Kitchener to be a community in which the What benefits will the residents are engaged and active in decision making about local issues." pro ject prod uce ? Wh y is itimportant?) Community engagement emerged as a strategic direction forthe City of Kitchener through broad community consultation and is so identified in the Plan for Healthy Kitchener (P4NK}. P4~K articulates that community engagement and involvement is about keeping local government, the City of Kitchener, connected to the community by fostering "an open and understandable decision-making process and a commitment to two-way communication with the community...(by) regularly engaging citizens through the sharing of information; through citizen consultation on specific projects; and through the active and ongoing participation of citizens, businesses and community organizations in the development of city policies, strategies and plans for strategic investments". The benefits of citizen engagement are widely recognized and include: enhanced quality of decisions, greater understanding and consensus built among stakeholders, increased ease of implementation, intentional anticipation of public concerns and an increase in civic capacity. The practices usually employed appeal to a certain group of citizens who are comfortable in traditional forums--the public has indicated that they want a variety of approaches offered. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the public is not inundated with requests for similar input. This strategy will provide the City with a corporate framework for community engagement, providing direction to staff in planning, allocation of resources and continuous improvement, along a continuum of a roaches. Relevant Corporate Strategic Area of Focus and/or Shared Agenda initiative Community engagement is identified as a strategic direction in A Plan for a healthy Kitchener (2007 to 2027} Project Deliverables Task Deliverables Process Deliverables (What are the end Development of a continuum of Increased community results? Indicate high- Community Engagement for the City of and corporate level deliverables Kitchener. understanding of the (outcomes or results) of Where applicable and/or relevant, the continuum of the project. following deliverables will be provided with community reference to levels of engagement along the engagement continuum. Increased knowledge • Comprehensive inventory of relevant about the community's community engagement initiatives, policies interests} in and practices community • literature review of strategies and best engagement practices for community engagement and Increased inclusive communications in other understanding of municipalities barriers to community • literature review of broad current engagement perspectives and best practices in Increased knowledge community engagement and inclusive on how to engage the communications community • Recommended guiding principles for community engagement • Barriers to engagement documented • Analysis of application of best practices and themes/principles against current City practices • Recommendations, implementation plan, timelines and costing related to: o Policy development and policy changes that support inclusive and transparent community engagement o Inclusive two-way communications practices including alternate formats for people with disabilities and for people who experience English as a second language o Use of the Internet and other media as tools for communication and engagement o Inclusive community engagement practices o Alignment of similar engagement opportunities o Staff training and tools; o Process for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of en a ement efforts • Opportunities for partnerships/collaborations identified Measurable success Best practices in inclusive community engagement (identified internally indicators (Documents and through lit. review) and gaps documented how the success of your Best practices in inclusive communication (identified internally and project will be through lit. review} and gaps documented measured) Inclusive engagement processes} organized and complete • Draft guiding principles are developed • Recommendations are identified for approval • Implementation plan, timelines and costing are identified for approval Project Team (Who A working group will be established to actively participate in the should be represented development of the strategy. The group will be representative of the on the team?~ following areas: Internal o Planning-Jeff Willmer, Director of Planning o Community Services-Deb Campbell, District Facilitator o Communications-Michael May, Director of Communications; Jana Miller, Manager of Corporate Communications o Community and Corporate Planning (Lead}-Abbie Grafstein, Community and Corporate Planning Associate o Financial Services, Dan Chapman-Director of Financial Planning and Reporting External o Jasminka Klacar (Compass Kitchener) o Theron Kramer (Compass Kitchener; Advisory Committee Review} o Gebre Berihun (Downtown Community Health Centre, African- Canadian Association) o Dr. Colleen Loomis (WL~) o Sherry McGee MA student (WLl1} Several members of the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee have expressed interest in participating in the development of inclusive communications and outreach strategies. Stakeholders (Who Citizens at large; citizens who are engaged; citizens who face barriers to is/maybe impacted by engagement; staff with responsibility for community the project?~ engagement/consultation, Compass Kitchener, Mayor and Council Project Team Authority Includes Does Not Include (Clarifies the gray areas gather and review all relevant Approval of around what is included materials recommendations through and not included as part organize, implement and oversee Compass Kitchener to of the project scope.) consultation processes (e.g. Council designing surveys, focus groups, etc) Budget approval (Council} • collect and analyze information and input received from literature reviews and consultations • communicate and liaise with stakeholders • prepare recommendations for Compass Kitchener and Council consideration External Influencers There will likely be intersections with several strategies currently being (Something that limits developed, including but not limited to the Youth and Seniors the project eg., time, Strategies, the Advisory Committee Review, and the Community cost, resources, Investment Strategy. technology, geography} Assumptions/Risks (Any Assumptions Risks assumptions being 1. The City of Kitchener is committed to 1. Inability to involve made concerning the community engagement. citizens who face project as well as any 2. It will be possible and is desirable to barriers or are not potential event that maintain, improve or replace existing interested in the might delay the project, approaches currently utilized to process. increase its cost or engage the community. 2. Lack of understanding of otherwise harm the 3. There will be varied understanding barriers to engagement project. Are other and experience in approaches to and involvement. projects impacted?~ include and engage diverse/marginalized citizens Budget/Spending Limit Interpreters/translators; contract p/t outreach assistance; promotions and meeting expenses. upset budget of $15,000 Community Engagement Strategy Workplan O N D J F M A M J J A S O N Information Gathering Project Orientation and Terms of Reference • Develop Themes Gather Best Practice Information on Community Engagement and Inclusive Communications • Identify parameters for best practice review in other municipalities • Identify parameters for best practice review in literature Finalize Workplan and Communication Plan Create comprehensive inventory internal CE and Inclusive Communications initiatives, policies and practices • Design process and parameters of inventor • Inventory collection begins Presentation of Barriers to En a ement • With Safe and Healthy Advisory Committee Re resentatives Presentation of Best Practice Information • With Safe and Healthy Advisory Committee Representatives Analysis of Internal Inventory Against Best Practices Consultation • Design inclusive community engagement (consultation) process • Implement community engagement process Anal sis • Review Findings • Consider a ainst best ractices • Develop Options • Develo Draft Princi les Recommendations • Draft Recommendations • Community Engagement (consultation) • Integrate final comments • Final Report and Recommendations to Council Throe h Com ass Kitchener Implementation Plan, Timelines and Costin • Develo for A royal