Programs

Engagement Essentials

Expectations for involving people in decision-making processes are accelerating. We work with leaders and teams to make the most of their engagement efforts so they can deliver the right engagement at the right time for the right reasons. Our approach is completely tailored to the organization’s desired outcomes and needs and includes workshops, training programs, group coaching and mentoring and, 1:1 support.

Focus areas include:

  • Engagement readiness

  • Planning purposeful engagement

  • Sustainable engagement performance

  • Influence and decision-making

  • Engagement and policy development

  • Evaluating engagement for continuous improvement

  • Designing engagement experiences

Benefits realized:

  • Accelerated readiness to engage

  • Shared understanding of when to engage

  • Enhanced in-house engagement capacity

  • Embedded engagement processes and practices

  • Role clarity

  • Greater effectiveness of engagement activities

  • Improved usefulness of engagement input

  • Enhanced clarity and confidence in engagement planning

  • Engagement that fosters relationship building

Engagement Readiness Program

While most municipalities understand that people want to be involved in decisions that impact them, many still struggle with when this should actually happen and how to do it so it makes a difference. This isn’t because there is a lack of willingness. Municipalities want to do a good job of engagement. They know that poor engagement can create more work and, in some cases, have disastrous effects on community relationships and public trust.

The Public Engagement Readiness Program is about helping municipalities integrate a readiness practice into their public engagement work. You might need this if:

  • you’ve got a project, policy, program or service you are looking to create, evaluate, end or adjust

  • you’re not sure if or how involving the public would be of benefit to your decision-making process

  • your public engagement efforts have been criticized in the past

  • you’re not getting useful or informed input from your public engagement activities

  • you’re looking to inspire a more strategic approach to public engagement in your organization