Gabriola LTC Regular Meeting Agenda, Part 3

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ST A F F  RE P O R T 
 
Islands Trust Staff Report Page 1 of 7 
 
Date: March 1, 2012 File No.: GB/04-1-I            
(OCP / LUB review) 
To: Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee 
For the meeting of March 22, 2012 
  
From: Chloe Fox 
Island Planner 
  
CC: Chris Jackson 
Regional Planning Manager 
  
Re: Options for Online Public Engagement 
 
OVERVIEW: 
At  the  January  19,  2012  regular  business  meeting,  the  Gabriola  Island  Local  Trust  Committee 
amended the Top Priority List of the work program to  undertake, as the first priority project, an 
exploration of the capacity to use online engagement tools in the Official Community Plan (OCP) 
review  process.  The  purpose  of  this  report  is  to  present  a  preliminary  outline  of  the  options 
available with respect to online engagement tactics and tools as well as a preliminary discussion 
of capacity considerations.  
 
DISCUSSION: 
Many local governments are looking for new ways of engaging the public in an increasingly 
wired world. Online tools can be an effective way of involving younger audiences and people 
who generally do not attend face-to-face engagement events. While many of the makings of 
successful public engagement apply to both online and traditional face-to-face engagement 
techniques, developing effective online engagement opportunities involves a number of 
additional considerations. This section of the report discusses the components of successful 
engagement, provides an overview of online engagement tactics and tools that could be 
explored further for use during the next phase of the OCP review, and, finally, considers 
questions of internal capacity, including staffing, budget and communications policy. 
 
Successful Engagement Strategies 
An effective engagement strategy begins with an understanding of the purpose and scope of the 
project, how public input will impact the decision and the type of information and input from the 
public that is required to assist in decision-making. One way of ensuring that the level of 
participation proposed matches the goals of the project is through the IAP2s ‘Continuum of Civic 
Engagment’, which has been adapted and presented as Figure 1 below.  
 
 
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Islands Trust Staff Report Page 2 of 7 
 
THE CONTINUUM OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 
 
Figure 1: The Continuum of Civic Engagement 
Source: IAP2, Auditor General of BC 
 
 
 
Both online and traditional face-to-face consultation techniques can be used at all stages on the 
civic engagement continuum. It is important to recognize, however, that the two forms of 
communication each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Online tools offer 
convenience and choice, while emotional connections are generally stronger in face-to-face 
consultation. While online engagement methods generally have a greater potential to reach a 
wider audience, it should be recognized that many people do not have internet access and, 
generally, this segment of the population includes an 

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