Public Participation Framework

We need your feedback to improve our public participation efforts. Our goal is to enhance the City's ability to engage with the public in an inclusive, collaborative, and effective way, to ensure that decision-making processes are informed by a diverse range of perspectives and voices.

What is public participation?

Often referred to as public engagement, the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) defines public participation as any process that involves the public in problem solving or decision making and uses public input to make sustainable decisions. It may include identifying problems and opportunities, developing alternatives, and making decisions.

Why is the City looking for feedback on public engagement activities?

Community expectations on public participation opportunities are growing and City Council is keen to see more effective and meaningful opportunities for the community to engage in problem solving and decision making. Currently, the City’s public engagement efforts are developed by multiple departments without a standard approach. Staff are working to develop a framework will help to better define, develop and coordinate public engagement efforts.

What will the framework do?

The framework will:

• Identify guidelines for when a public engagement effort should be undertaken.
• Define processes and standards for employees to follow when developing their public participation plans.
• Provide a toolkit of planning and training resources.
• Create a centralized coordination process to optimize scheduling and identify opportunities to combine efforts.
• Develop key indicators to measure effectiveness of engagement activities.

The framework will be developed in accordance with IAP2 standards and guidelines.