Central Okanagan Regional Growth Strategy Preliminary Consultation Process
EcoPlan was engaged by the Regional District of Central Okanagan to support the preliminary consultation process for its Regional Growth Strategy review process. This work included the development and implementation of an education and awareness campaign around the Regional Growth Strategy project and the broader regional sustainability issues it will explore.
This project involved outreach and engagement approaches that built public awareness and substantively facilitated public participation in the planning process. The process began with the development of a stand-alone project workbook that communicated the regional vision, key issues/priorities, and ideas for action. This workbook was disseminated by community groups and stakeholders to the public, who responded to key issues by weighting priority strategy options. The workbook was also the focus of a series of special learning events targeting the wider community. The workbook was available online as well as in print, accessible via a website that EcoPlan developed.
Input from the workbook was used to support an Elected Officials Forum where a final regional vision was adopted. The Elected Officials Forum featured the use of Audience Response Systems (ARS) to quickly gather and communicate the views of forum participants. Instant surveys were conducted on key issues, and results were displayed in real time. This helped facilitate decision-making by sharing ideas and linking actions to issues.