We created this toolkit to help guide your engagement work. We hope it's a helpful resource to support your upcoming engagement activities.

This information should be reviewed by RMOW project leads, project support staff and any consultants you are working with to ensure that planned engagement is consistent with the RMOW engagement brand.

How do we define engagement at the RMOW?

Engagement is not just the person-to-person interactions, it includes the technical foundations like the RMOW web site, a strategic, measurable communications strategy and organizational culture. Engagement can be both project-based and relationship-building (such as Council engagement events).

The Communications Department is here to assist your engagement planning by:

• Helping to determine appropriate engagement timing to maximize awareness and participation
• Helping to determine if this project is a communications project or an engagement project, and what level of engagement is required
• Review engagement plans for consistency and alignment with RMOW brand and engagement design principles
• Supporting in-person activities if additional staff are required (if resources are available)
• Supporting the analysis and reporting out on engagement activities

Project-based engagement

When planning and executing your project-based engagement activities, it’s critical that the community:

• Understands the scope of the project including:
  • The need of the project and why we are undertaking it
  • How the project may affect them
  • How it supports or advances Council or Corporate priorities
  • Project timelines and decision-points where community input is needed
• Is Aware of what is on/off the table for discussion and decision-making, and how community input will be used
• Is Informed how and when to participate

Internal Surveys

The Communications Department can support internal engagement activities such as developing internal surveys and with building an internal communications plan. However, if your survey is collecting personal, private information or the data is sensitive and should not be viewed by the Communications Department, contact communications@whistler.ca and we can help determine the best mechanism to collect the information.

Before you draft the RFP for your project consultant or begin engagement planning, please review the RMOW Engagement Design Principles and the IAP2 Spectrum of Engagement.

These tools will highly influence the engagement planning and design and ensures your engagement program aligns with the RMOW engagement brand.

We seek to strengthen community connection and resilience by hosting conversations that matter and draw on Whistler’s collective know-how to help inform decisions that consider the past, present and future.

This set of principles guides the development of RMOW engagement plans. Consider using the principles as a checklist when reviewing your plan on how each principle has been addressed.

The design guidelines enable innovation and creativity across the organization while remaining consistent across the organization.

Host and connect

• We extend invitations and see ourselves as hosts, and connectors of people and ideas.
• We set aside strict formality and unchanging methods of engagement.

Listen with curiosity

• We prioritize “pulling in information”, respecting collective experience and know how, dialogue and asking good questions.
• We set aside judgement and being right.

Bravery and belief

• We have the courage to try new things and believe that most people are well intentioned.
• We set aside avoidance.

Create choice and agency

• We give citizens choice on when and how they want to participate and ensure they know how their feedback informs the decision-making process.
• We set aside a “one size fits all” approach.

Actively seek a diversity of input

• We work with community partners to bring diverse voices into our process early and host them safely.
• We set aside relying on just the people who show up.

Use the right size of process, with the right people at the right time

• We follow the IAP2 core values and use time and resources wisely to collaborate and plan.
• We set aside feeding into a cycle of hope and then cynicism by mismatching the process to the decision at hand.

Determining the level of engagement

Not all topics require engagement or the same level of public engagement. Different tools and techniques are considered, based on the impact of the decision or change and the input needed to inform the decision.

While we turn to our engagement purpose statement and design principles first for inspiration and guidance, the RMOW also uses the IAP2 Spectrum (seen below) to help determine the appropriate level of participation for any given project. This is an internationally recognized tool and you can see it reflected in our design principles when we say “design the right process for the right people at the right time”.

Project Lead: The project lead is the staff person who is responsible for the actual project that is the subject of the engagement. Oftentimes are also referred to as the ‘Subject matter expert’.

Engagement Liaison: The Engagement Liaison should be appointed once the project has been added to a department’s workplan for the year. Depending on the size and impact of a project, the Engagement Liaison can be one or a combination of the following:

• Project lead
• Consultant

Communications Department: The Communications Department is always the lead on the development and execution of the communications and marketing plan. Engagement Liaison provides some engagement support and guidance throughout the project. All marketing and communications are subject to approvals spreadsheet.

Step One

Engagement Liaison completes the online Engagement Assessment Intake form (LINK). Be sure your manager is aware you are considering engagement before completing this form.

If you are working with an external engagement consultant, please review the new process document (found in the document library in the top right of this page). This document will assist you with drafting your Request for Proposals and to understand how the Communications Department can support you and the consultant.

Step Two

Engagement Liaison/consultant completes Engagement Plan and submits to Communications Department via communications@whistler.ca.

Step Three

Communications Department reviews Engagement Plan to ensure it aligns with engagement purpose and principles, provides feedback, enters or confirms dates on Engagement Calendar.

Step Four

Communications Department drafts and executes Communications and Marketing Plan

Please ensure you have allocated sufficient marketing budget for your engagement activity. Marketing costs range from $250-$2500. If your project has a large impact on the community, we recommend budgeting a minimum of $1500 for ad buys, design and printing.

Step Five

Engagement Liaison/consultant finalizes Engagement Plan by getting sign off from their Manager and GM, then sends back to communications@whistler.ca.

Step Six

Engagement Liaison/consultant executes the Engagement Plan.

Step Seven

Engagement Liaison/consultant collates and analyzes data

Step Eight

Engagement Liaison/Consultant develops a ‘What we heard’ summary

Step Nine

Engagement Liaison/Consultant reports out on findings by posting the summary on the engagement website and if applicable, presenting findings to Council, Committee of the Whole or a Working Group/Committee. This will be dependent on project impact and scope. Please consult with your Manager and/or GM on whether your project requires a public presentation.