Community Engagement Framework and Policy update

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Consultation has concluded

Help us make Guelph the most engaged community in Canada

We want diverse voices to participate regularly in local government decisions. To do this we know we must get better at:

  • Creating safer spaces for more diverse voices
  • Reducing barriers to participation
  • Meeting people where they are

And we need to get better at using community wisdom to shape decisions for both short-term projects and the ones that affect future generations.

What is the Community Engagement Framework and Policy?

The Policy and Framework are documents that guide City staff on its approach to engaging the community on decisions that affect you. These documents influence how City staff think about, design, and deliver community engagement, and ultimately, how your voice is reflected in City decisions, policies, systems, programs, and services

First approved in 2013, the current Community Engagement Policy and Community Engagement Framework (last revised in 2015) are due for an update.

How you can get involved

If you need any information material or process in an alternate accessible format please contact the project manager.

On June 6, the findings from the review of the City’s Community Engagement Framework, Policy and practices will be shared with Council, along with draft components of a modernized Framework for Council’s approval.

The review found that the community’s vision for community engagement was very much in line with the aspiration of the original 2013 framework (revised in 2015), but that there was work to be done in closing the gap between where we are today, and that vision. Details from the review are outlined in the staff report for the June 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.

The staff report to Council is also available on guelph.ca/agenda. The staff report begins on page 104 of the council agenda. Appended to the staff report are several attachments that represent this body of work:

Help us make Guelph the most engaged community in Canada

We want diverse voices to participate regularly in local government decisions. To do this we know we must get better at:

  • Creating safer spaces for more diverse voices
  • Reducing barriers to participation
  • Meeting people where they are

And we need to get better at using community wisdom to shape decisions for both short-term projects and the ones that affect future generations.

What is the Community Engagement Framework and Policy?

The Policy and Framework are documents that guide City staff on its approach to engaging the community on decisions that affect you. These documents influence how City staff think about, design, and deliver community engagement, and ultimately, how your voice is reflected in City decisions, policies, systems, programs, and services

First approved in 2013, the current Community Engagement Policy and Community Engagement Framework (last revised in 2015) are due for an update.

How you can get involved

If you need any information material or process in an alternate accessible format please contact the project manager.

On June 6, the findings from the review of the City’s Community Engagement Framework, Policy and practices will be shared with Council, along with draft components of a modernized Framework for Council’s approval.

The review found that the community’s vision for community engagement was very much in line with the aspiration of the original 2013 framework (revised in 2015), but that there was work to be done in closing the gap between where we are today, and that vision. Details from the review are outlined in the staff report for the June 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.

The staff report to Council is also available on guelph.ca/agenda. The staff report begins on page 104 of the council agenda. Appended to the staff report are several attachments that represent this body of work:

Discussions: All (2) Open (0)

  • Draft Community Engagement Charter review forum

    about 1 year ago
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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    Since their inception, the Policy and Framework have shaped how community consultations for hundreds of projects have taken shape across the City. After almost a decade of use, it was time to look critically at these foundational documents and assess how they need to evolve to reflect our learnings, a maturing in the field of community engagement, and better address the needs of equity-denied community members.

    Our objectives are to:

    • Identify and correct outdated information in the existing Policy and Framework.
    • Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.
    • Re-align the Framework with ever-evolving best-practices in community engagement and public participation.
    • Examine our engagement principles and approaches to ensure matters of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are clear and embedded in our work.
    • Ensure the form for the modernized Framework (and all accompanying resources and tools) align with the desired functions and audience needs.
    • Build upon the innovative spirit of the initial framework and re-affirm the City of Guelph as a leader in engagement across the sector.

    Read the Draft Community Engagement Charter and the Summary of community engagement and start the discussion. Tell us what you think, how we could be clearer, and any ideas that will help us become the most engaged city in Canada. 

  • Thoughts and Ideas

    over 1 year ago
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    2 Responses
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    What could we do better? 

    Are there new innovations in community engagement that you think we should investigate? 

    What advice would you give us as we improve the framework, and therefore our work, to have better equity and inclusion, and anti-racism in our engagement practice?