Public Engagement

Hamilton’s First Public Engagement Policy

The City of Hamilton’s first Public Engagement Policy was approved by Council on January 24, 2024.

Our Public Engagement policy:

• Supports better, more consistent outcomes.
• Ensures consistency, transparency, accountability, equity, and inclusivity for all City-led public engagement processes.
• Recognizes, affirms, and contributes to the City of Hamilton’s commitment to public engagement.
• Supports high-level Council priorities including (1) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and (2) Trust and Confidence in City Government
• Advances City decision-making efforts by ensuring participants have the information they need to provide informed input.
• Ensures that City-led public engagement efforts meet the expectations of both Council and the community.
• Outlines the roles and responsibilities of Council, City staff, and the public in the City’s public engagement processes.
• Cultivates an internal culture and infrastructure of excellence and innovation in public engagement and participation in civic affairs.

Download Public Engagement Policy(PDF, 192.79 KB)

Our policy was informed by:

• Canadian-wide values established by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).
• The City of Hamilton’s Reimagining Public Participation campaign.
• Review of Municipal Scan of Public Engagement Best Practices(PDF, 4.14 MB)
• Hamilton’s 2015 Public Engagement Charter(PDF, 3.05 MB)

Our Commitment to Community

We will listen and ensure your voice is part of the decision-making process.

Hamilton’s Public Engagement Levels

City-led engagement projects will be identified as one of three levels of engagement: consult, involve, and collaborate. Each level outlines the City’s responsibility within the public engagement process and identifies the extent of the public’s influence in shaping the decision.

Consult

Staff will get your feedback on a project/initiative.

We promise to:

• Keep you informed.
• Listen to and acknowledge your concerns or hopes for the project.
• Provide feedback to you on how the input received was used to inform the project.

Involve

Staff will work with you throughout the project to ensure your concerns or ideas are understood and considered.

We promise to:

• Work with you to understand your hopes or concerns.
• Develop alternatives that reflect your involvement.
• Provide feedback to you on how your involvement contributed to the decision or recommendation.

Collaborate

Staff will partner with you to shape a decision for the project.

We promise to:

• Ask for your advise.
• Incorporate your advice into the project as much as possible.
• Provide feedback to you on how your advice contributed to the decision or recommendation.

Informing Along the Way (occurs within any level of engagement)

We promise to:

• Ensure you are aware of and knowledgeable about the project.
• Ensure you are able to provide informed input.
• Ensure you are aware that a decision or recommendation has been made.

Hamilton’s Principles for Public Engagement

Our public engagement activities are grounded in five principles that support open, transparent, accountable, equitable and inclusive public engagement activities:

Building Trust and Relationships

Meaningful and effective public engagement fosters mutual trust and is rooted in respectful relationships with community. Valuing and seeking community-based knowledge and experience through meaningful public engagement will contribute to a stronger, healthier, more vibrant Hamilton.

Every Voice is Valued

Public engagement will be inclusive and accessible to best serve our City by encouraging two-way conversations and strategies that reach diverse communities and ensure that people feel heard and know their input is valued.

Clear, Timely and Transparent Information

The City will provide enough time and notice to support and encourage active public participation. The City will clearly explain why we are engaging, what information will be collected, and how public input will be used. Information will be easy to find, access, and understand. We will ensure that outcomes and next steps are communicated in a timely manner.

Adapting Along the Way

The City will be flexible and open to shifting our engagement approaches based on the size and scope of our work, the needs of our community and the availability of resources.

Continuously Improving

The City will cultivate a culture of excellence in public engagement by regularly evaluating, co-creating, and embracing new and improved engagement practices.

IAP2 Core Values

The City of Hamilton has adopted the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Core Values for City-led public engagement practices. These values define the expectations and aspirations within the public engagement process. In centering these values, our public engagement processes will better inform decision-making that reflects the interests and concerns of potentially affected people and entities. IAP2’s Core Values were developed with broad international input to identify those aspects of public participation that cross national, cultural and religious boundaries.

Hamilton’s Core Values for the Practice of Public Engagement*

1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
2. Public participation includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.
4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.
5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.
6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.
7. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

* Used with permission of IAP2 Canada.

Where We've Been, Where We're Going

• 2014 - The volunteer-based Hamilton Engagement Committee (HEC) is established to advise staff on how to actively involve residents in City decision-making processes.
• 2015 - Hamilton's first Public Engagement Charter(PDF, 3.05 MB) endorsed by Council. The Charter identifies eight core principles and collective responsibilities for public engagement.
• 2015-2016 - The broadest and most inclusive engagement initiative is launched, asking "What is your vision for the future of Hamilton?"
• 2017-2019 - The City hosts the Our Future Hamilton Summit, an annual public engagement event that explores issues prioritized by residents and brings together 500+ partners and stakeholders to identify solutions.
• 2019 - Internal Public Engagement Community of Practice is established. Includes 85+ cross-departmental staff that meet quarterly to share knowledge and explore best practices to improved public engagement outcomes.
• 2020 - Engage Hamilton launches. Engage Hamilton is an interactive platform for Hamiltonians to learn and contribute to City initiatives.
• 2022 - Staff complete a municipal scan of public engagement best practices. Reimagining Public Participation Together campaign launches, asking residents 'how do you want to engage?" Feedback from this is campaign was integral in the development of the City’s new Public Engagement Policy. It will also inform Hamilton’s comprehensive public engagement strategy.
• 2023 - Public Engagement Policy is developed, including updates to Hamilton’s Principles for Public Engagement. Two staff are hired to lead the work.
• 2024 - Council approves Hamilton’s first Public Engagement Policy. The policy guides consistent and meaningful public engagement processes between the City of Hamilton, the public, and interested community partners to support decision-making.
• What’s Next? Implementation of the public engagement policy begins. Key aspects include: launch of an internal public engagement lending library, staff-led training sessions, ongoing community of practice meetings and public engagement advice that supports consistent and meaningful public engagement activities across City-led projects. Annual Public Engagement Summit relaunches, with a focus on navigating difficult conversations in polarized environments. Stay tuned, November 2024. Development of an evaluation strategy for the public engagement policy, supporting Hamilton’s commitment to continuous improvement and adapting to community needs along the way.
• 2024-2025 - WE ARE HERE - Implementation of public engagement policy and best practices throughout Corporation by development of key resources and evaluation strategies to support consistent meaningful public engagement activities across City-led projects.