Evaluation Summary Online Discussion Panel - …...Social media – paid and unpaid social media...

Northwestern Health UnitTalk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel

Active Communities Policies Panel Report

2016

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Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Background – Active Communities ........................................................................................................ 3

Budget/Funding ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 4

1. Planning ......................................................................................................................................... 4

i) Table 1. Online Discussion Panel Timeline .............................................................................. 5

2. Panel Recruitment, Registration and Preparation ........................................................................... 6

3. Panel implementation (September 15 – October 15) ...................................................................... 7

4. Post-panel ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Evaluation and Results .......................................................................................................................... 8

Limitations of the evaluation................................................................................................................. 12

Discussion ........................................................................................................................................... 12

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Appendices .......................................................................................................................................... 15

Appendix A – Background: Stakeholder Engagement ...................................................................... 15

Appendix B – Background: The Citizens’ Panel ................................................................................ 16

Appendix C – Background: Theory ................................................................................................... 17

Appendix D – Active Communities Panel Content ............................................................................ 18

i) Talk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel (landing page) .................................................. 18

ii) Module 1: About Public Health ............................................................................................... 18

iii) Module 3: Active Communities Policies ................................................................................. 18

Appendix E – Active Communities Discussion Questions ................................................................. 20

Appendix F – Panel Recommendation Poll Questions & Results ..................................................... 22

Appendix G – Panel Experience & Demographics Survey Questions ............................................... 23

Appendix H – Panel Promotion ........................................................................................................ 25

i) Media Promotion ................................................................................................................... 25

ii) Social Media – NWHU page .................................................................................................. 25

iii) Paid Social Media - Ran for two weeks (August 17 – 28) ....................................................... 26

iv) Recruitment email .................................................................................................................. 26

Appendix I – Panel questionnaire ..................................................................................................... 27

Appendix J – Welcome Email to New Participants ........................................................................... 28

Appendix K – Email Invitations ......................................................................................................... 29

i) Re-energize: Email to Panel 1 Participants – August 25, 2015 .............................................. 29

ii) Re-Engage: Email to Past Registrants – August 25, 2015 ..................................................... 30

Appendix L – Email to Register for Extranet ..................................................................................... 31

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i) New Participants: ................................................................................................................... 31

ii) Returning Participants – Clarifying email ............................................................................... 31

Appendix M – Reminder Emails ....................................................................................................... 32

i) Half-way point – Sent: September 28, 2015 ........................................................................... 32

ii) One-week remaining – Sent: October 8, 2015 ....................................................................... 32

Appendix N – Honoraria and Thank You .......................................................................................... 34

Endnotes ............................................................................................................................................. 35

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EVALUATION SUMMARY

TALK PUBLIC HEALTH: ONLINE DISCUSSION PANEL – ACTIVE COMMUNITIES POLICIES

Author: Megan Shewfelt & Shannon Robinson Date: April 2016

Introduction

This report summarizes the results of Talk Public Health: the Northwestern Health Unit Online Discussion Panel on Active Communities Policies. The panel launched September 15, 2015 and ran until October 15, 2015. The objective of the panel was to gather ideas and input regarding active communities from panel participants in order to inform the work of the health unit to support active communities policy development with municipal leaders. The online panel is a group of Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) catchment area residents who agreed to participate by providing feedback and giving opinions about public health policies that impact the health of individuals, families and communities across the region. The goal of Talk Public Health: the Northwestern Health Unit Online Discussion Panel is to provide an ongoing vehicle to determine participant’s recommendations for moving key public health policy issues and health unit work forward. The Citizens’ Panel project has a series of objectives, which very specifically relate back to the health unit Stakeholder Engagement strategy.

Create a sustainable citizens’ panel that engages stakeholders at the ‘empower’ level of engagement.

Collect information from the panel that can be used to increase the quantity and impact of sustainable local and regional policies that effectively support physical activity and healthy eating.

Background information on stakeholder engagement, the citizens’ panel project and panel theory can be found in Appendix A-C.

Background – Active Communities

Active communities support physically active lifestyles (e.g. walking, biking, sports, and recreation) and

include community spaces for people to be active such as parks, recreation centres, sidewalks,

pathways, bike lanes, open spaces, trails and waterfronts. One way of increasing physical activity rates

is through active, healthy community design - our bodies are designed to move and our towns should

be too.

When working to develop active communities the 4P’s should be considered:

People – the creation of social support networks and buddy systems to help connect community

members and increase physical activity.

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Places – providing community spaces that are safe, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing.

Programs – the availability of affordable and accessible programs and physical activity

opportunities that meet the needs of residents and the community as a whole.

Policies – promoting the health of individuals and communities by making it easier for people to

adopt healthy practices, making it harder for people to adopt unhealthy practices, and creating

healthy physical and social environments.

Elected municipal officials and staff (municipal decision makers) have an influential role in creating active communities. Active communities are part of a broader concept of healthy, sustainable communities that support physically active lifestyles by considering the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, car share and taxis before the needs of private motor vehicle use.

Budget/Funding

The cost of the panel included a $30 honorarium for each of the 18 participating panelist ($540). The panel also required significant human resource commitment for content development, promotion, and panel management and moderation.

Methodology

Planning and implementation of the Active Communities Policies online discussion panel involved four distinct phases: planning, panel recruitment and registration; panel implementation; and, post-panel communication. The timing of these phases is summarized in the Table 1.

1. Planning

Following standard policy for ‘campaign’ promotion, the NWHU Foundations lead, Chronic Disease Prevention (CDP) lead and manager, and Communications department met July 8, 2015 to fill out a campaign planner for the Active Communities Policies panel. Following the meeting Foundations (in collaboration with CDP) completed the required ADMs and content for promotion of the panel via traditional media, social media and the website. These documents were submitted to Communications July 24, 2015. In 2015, the health unit CDP team commissioned a series of active communities reports from Kim Bergeron, PhD, of Bergeron Consulting. Based on stakeholder surveys and municipal document reviews, the active communities reports make recommendations to municipal leaders for supporting active communities. Separate reports officially titled ‘Assessing Community Stakeholder Readiness for Policies that Support Active Community Design’ were prepared for 11 communities in our region: Atikokan, Dryden, Ear Falls, Emo, Fort Frances, Ignace, Kenora, Rainy River, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls. There reports are available on the health unit website. Findings of the active communities reports helped to shape the online panel content, discussion and final recommendations poll. Kim Bergeron was consulted as a content expert in the early panel planning stage and reviewed all panel materials before they were finalized and shared with participants. Content was also reviewed by the NWHU Medial Officer of Health. The main topics for the panel discussion and recommendations poll included: road design and infrastructure; traffic calming; getting to school; winter; public transportation; and, trails and public places to be active. To make the content as engaging as possible, a number of videos and documents were used that accurately relayed topical messages.

https://www.nwhu.on.ca/MediaPressCentre/Pages/Planning-and-Evaluation-Reports.aspx

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Additionally, a separate Fluid Survey called Panel Experience and Demographics Survey was developed to measure the overall panel experience for participants as well as some demographic information. For the first panel the demographics and experience surveys were separate surveys distributed to participants following and during the panel, respectively. In an attempt to increase the response rate for these surveys they were combined into one Fluid Survey, added to the panel instructions as a step, and mentioned in pre- and mid-panel email communication so participants were well aware of the survey. The Active Communities Policies panel content including discussion, final poll questions, and panel experience and demographics survey questions is provided in Appendices D to G.

i) Table 1. Online Discussion Panel Timeline

Planning

July 8, 2015 Initial planning meeting – Foundations, CDP, Communications

July 24, 2105 ADMs and content submitted by Foundations for panel promotion

July/August 2015 Content and survey development – CDP and Foundations with support from Kim Bergeron, external consultant

Panel recruitment, registration and preparation

Week of August 3 Website content and web banner posted

Fluid Survey panel questionnaire live

August 6 Media release shared with regional media outlets

August 6 to September 15

Respond to new participants within 2 business days following completion of participant questionnaire

August 10 - September 15

Foundations planning meetings – webinar prep, pilot testing, content uploading

August 10 – 31 Regular social media posts to NWHU page

August 12 – 28 Paid social media ads

August 25

Recruitment email distributed to staff and partners

Email to re-energize past panel participants; re-engage previously registered

September 1 Formatting of participant task lists (Foundations staff)

September 2 Pilot testing initiated with Front Desk PAs and CPD team

September 10 Resources development, printed and sent to mail participants

September 14 Invitation to log-in to online discussion panel

September 15 Webinar hosted by Foundations staff & uploaded to NWHU YouTube channel

September 15 Updated log-in email sent to returning participants

Panel implementation (September 15 – October 15)

September 15 – October 15

Moderation by CDP program lead and manager, Foundations lead Posting of mail participant feedback into online discussion

September 28 Reminder email – mid-way

October 8 Reminder email – one week remaining

Post-panel

October 22 Export final poll results and discussion content from extranet, survey report from Fluid Survey

October 22 Panel discussion and final poll theming and summarizing of results by Foundations and CDP staff

October 23 Coordinate honoraria with Finance department

November 6 Thank you and notice of honoraria

November 23 Board of Health presentation (coordinated by CDP)

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February 1, 2016 Active communities panel results summary finalized and shared in the third panel

January – March 2016

Local work supporting interpretation of the report and supporting active community developments within communities in the catchment area.

March/April 2016 Full report and summary webpage finalized and available on website

2. Panel Recruitment, Registration and Preparation

The goal of recruitment was to build on our established panel membership of 65 eligible participants and gather a diverse cross-section of the public willing to participate in the on-going panel. Eligible individuals must be over the age of 18, live in our catchment area and must not be an employee of the NWHU. Foundations staff met regularly to coordinate panel preparation – webinar planning and hosting, uploading content to panel site, pilot testing, etc. Also, Foundations worked closely with Operations and IT to ensure the extranet was set up and accessible for participants, and in transitioning administrative capabilities from IT to Foundations for future discussion panels. The panel was promoted via the NWHU website and social media accounts, through regional media outlets and email circulation by NWHU staff – content provided in Appendix H. To register for the panel, participants completed a short participant questionnaire in Fluid Survey (Appendix I).

Website content and promotion – related website content and home page banner image published the week of August 3, 2016 on www.nwhu.on.ca prior to social media and media promotion.

Press Release – released to regional media outlets on August 6, 2015. Medical Officer of Health was identified as the media contact and readers were directed to www.nwhu.on.ca for more information.

Social media – paid and unpaid social media messaging were used and readers were directed to www.nwhu.on.ca for more information. Paid ads ran for 2 weeks and targeted Facebook users ages 19 to 65. Unpaid social media posts were placed on NWHU platforms weekly from August 10 until August 31st

Recruitment email – health unit staff were asked to circulate to their community partners an email with panel registration details on August 25, 2015. The recruitment email included a link to the panel questionnaire and readers were directed to www.nwhu.on.ca for additional information.

When new registrants completed the Fluid Survey panel questionnaire Foundations staff were alerted via email. Registrants were contacted by a Foundations team member via their preferred communications method (email or phone) within 48 hours. This standardized email is provided in Appendix I. As individuals registered, the Foundations lead added their name and contact information to a mast list of participants housed on the health unit intranet. Registrations were still accepted during the first week of the panel. Email invitations – To re-energize participants from the first panel and re-engage panel registrants (i.e., those who registered but did not participate in the first panel) two separate invitation emails were distributed. The email invitation provided a brief description of active communities, information about accessing the panel, notice that participants would be asked to complete two surveys, steps for registering for the webinar and a request that individuals share the invitation with peers, workers, etc. The full email content is available in Appendix K. Note, all emails sent during the panel came from one

http://www.nwhu.on.ca/




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central Foundations team member email address and included an anti-spam disclaimer as required by law. Mail participants – Several registered individuals indicated mail as their preferred method for participating in the discussion panel. The Foundations lead developed participant packages that were mailed to participants August 30. The packages included a hard-copy version of the panel content, a copy of the active communities report for their respective community, the discussion questions with room for written responses, the final recommendations poll, and a letter outlining the steps for participation. Webinars – To assist participants in navigation of the panel extranet an online webinar was prepared and hosted on September 14, 2015 by the Foundations team. The webinar was recorded and uploaded to the NWHU YouTube channel. It will be used as a teaching tool for future panels. Focus testing – In an attempt to troubleshoot potential registration or extranet access issues, pilot testing of the Talk Public Health was initiated on September 2, 2015 with CDP team members and NWHU front desk program assistants. However, due to an IT security issue that could not be resolved in a timely manner, the focus testing process could not be completed (i.e., no staff were able to access the extranet). As an alternate solution, two Foundations staff persons successfully tested the extranet registration process from home computers. Task list – Through a manual process, Foundations staff developed a ‘Task List’ for each panel member. The list allowed them to check-off each step of the panel process as it was completed. Components of the task list included: setting up a personal profile, completing the orientation module, completing the active communities module, participating in the discussion, completing a poll that prioritized issues, and completing an anonymous demographics and panel experience survey. Invitation to log-in – On September 14th, all registered individuals received an email inviting them to log-in to the online discussion extranet to begin participating in the panel. The following day a clarification emails was shared with the same group highlighting the different log-in process for new versus returning participants – an oversight of the Foundations planning team. Both of these emails were sent from the Foundations lead. The exact email content is provided in Appendix L.

3. Panel implementation (September 15 – October 15)

During the panel, two members of the CDP team – topic lead and manager – and two members of the Foundations team – lead and administrative assistant – were heavily involved in moderating panel discussion and monitoring the extranet (i.e., responding to panelist questions or issues). Moderation of the panel discussion involved responding directly to panelist discussion posts, and offering prompts to deepen discussion. Additionally, as participant responses were received in the mail the posts were added to the online discussion feed by the Foundations lead. At the panel mid-point (September 25) and with one week remaining (October 8) reminder emails were sent to all registered participants prompting them to log-in, if they have not already, or check back in to the panel to keep up-to-date on the panel discussion. Email content is provided in Appendix M.

4. Post-panel

Following completion of the panel the extranet landing page was updated to notify participants and thank them for their contributions. Participants were formally thanked for their participation via email (Appendix N) November 6 after their honoraria cheques of $30 were mailed out by the Finance

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNWHU/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=0&view=0

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department. Only panelists who were actively involved (i.e., posted in the panel discussion online or retuned their mail package) received an honorarium. Panel discussion and final poll responses were reviewed separately by the Foundations lead, and CDP manager and topic lead to pull out the major themes or trends in the discussion and results. The CDP manager summarized the results of the theming exercise into a list of panel recommendations to inform the future work of the health unit related to active communities. The results of the panel were used by the CDP team to develop a presentation to the NWHU Board of Health on the topic of active communities. A summary of the panel findings was made available on the health unit website and shared with participants of the third online discussion panel. The full evaluation report was developed by the Foundations team with input from the CDP team.

Evaluation and Results

Data for the evaluation was collected from several sources:

Online discussion tracking on health unit intranet and the panel extranet,

Panel experience and demographics survey (Appendix G) referred to in the chart below as the ‘Evaluation Report’, and

Communications analytics.

The Panel Experience and Demographics Survey is one tool to help us assess if we met our objectives:

Create a sustainable citizens’ panel that engages stakeholders at the ‘empower’ level of engagement.

Collect information from the panel that can be used to increase the quantity and impact of sustainable local and regional policies that effectively support physical activity and healthy eating.

With the evaluation of our panel, we also want to answer the following evaluation questions:

1. Did we offer a panel as we set out to do? 2. Did panelists participate and feel heard? 3. Did we create a model that is sustainable? 4. Did we use the results?

Indicators Measure Results

Question: Did we create a panel as we set out to do?

Panel launches as planned, September 15, 2015

Tracking

Participants were given access to the log in site on September 15.

Participants successfully log-in for the panel

Tracking 52 participants have logged-in to the extranet (29 from panel one; 23 new for panel two)

Participants attend orientation webinar

Tracking Evaluation survey

3 participants attended the orientation webinar. Webinar was made available on NWHU YouTube channel; the video has 8 views Since 3 persons attended the webinar and only 1 evaluation survey respondents attended the training webinar it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions about the webinar process/quality.

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Question: Did panelists participate and did they feel heard?

Recruitment: Recruit 60-100 eligible participants for the panel on active communities policies

Excel file, tracking Tracking

86 eligible participants in total have been recruited; 24 new participants were recruited for the second panel; 2 participants asked to be removed mid-panel, 4 participants were ineligible – 3 address outside catchment area, 1 considered health unit staff 9 panelists were mailed panel materials as no access to internet or requested alternate method of participating; 53 previously registered panelist were sent email to re-energize for panel 2; 24 were sent new participant registration email

Participation: 40 participants complete the public health orientation module and panel on active communities policies

Tracking

19 participants actively participated in the panel on Active Communities Policies - 16 online and 3 through the mail. 8 of these participants were newly recruited to active communities panel. 19 out of a possible 86 participants completed the panel – 20.9%.52 participants have logged in to the online discussion panel extranet. In the discussion on active communities policies, 16 members participated in discussion threads with 57 replies. One new discussion was posted by a panel participant. One discussion was posted in the ‘questions’ thread.

Panel make-up: Panel is a representatively diverse make-up of the people who live in our catchment area

Evaluation survey Tracking

12 individuals completed the demographics section of the panel experience and demographic survey while 10 completed the section gathering information on the panel experience. To protect anonymity, the 9 mail-in respondents were not required to complete this survey. Since only 12 of the 16 online participants completed the demographic section of the online survey for the panel on active communities, meaningful conclusions about panel demographic cannot be drawn due to low number of respondents What we do know: all demographics survey respondents were 30 years of age or older; more were female than male; majority of respondents did not identify as Aboriginal, First Nations or Metis; respondents recruited through variety of venues. Many communities from the catchment area were represented – Atikokan, Dryden, Fort Frances, Keewatin/Kenora, Nestor Falls, Sioux Lookout.

Panel satisfaction: the majority of participants indicate they were overall satisfied with the panel

Evaluation survey

Since only 10 of the 16 online participants completed the panel experience section of the online survey it is somewhat difficult to draw conclusions regarding panel experience. What we do know:

The majority of respondents (90%) agreed that they are satisfied with their participation in the online discussion panel.

8 indicated satisfaction with the e-communication they received prior to the panel beginning; 1 neutral; 1 disagreed.

7 reported that the instructions to get started were clear; 3 disagreed.

10 found the online registration process easy to complete.

6 were able to work in the discussion panel site with little difficulty; 2 neutral; 2 disagreed.

6 always knew what to do next; 3 neutral; 1 disagree.

Satisfaction with the About Public Health Module

Evaluation survey

It is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions regarding satisfaction with the About Public Health Module due to low number of respondents (5).

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What we do know: overall respondents were satisfied with the length and quality of information provided in the module.

Satisfaction with Active Communities Policies Module

Evaluation survey

Since only 10 of the 16 online participants completed the panel experience section of the online survey it is somewhat difficult to draw conclusions regarding satisfaction with the active communities policies module. What we do know:

8 agreed that they understood what they were being asked to do; 2 neutral

8 agreed that they understood how they could participate; 2 neutral

9 agreed that there was enough opportunity to share their ideas; 1 neutral

7 agreed that their views were heard; 3 neutral

6 agreed they were treated with respect; 4 neutral

9 agreed there was enough background information on active communities; 1 disagree

9 agreed that the time it took to complete the module was appropriate; 1 disagree

Question: Did we create a model that is sustainable?

Keep awareness high: Increase awareness of health unit and importance of healthy public policy

Media tracking Social media tracking Website tracking

1 media release August 6, 2015; picked up by 2 media outlets (Kenora Online, CKDR Dryden) 5 paid Facebook ads ran from August 10 to September 8th; 280 clicks total; reach of 21,623. Mobile newsfeeds received the most clicks; 36% of clicks came from women 36 to 54. Facebook posts: 3 posts; 341 reached, 1 like, 5 shares, 11 post clicks Tweets: 4 posts; total of 448 impressions, 2 retweets, 1 favourite 75 unique hits to the website page for the panel 15 click throughs from Facebook; 59 clicks on home page banner. 51 unique hits on Talk Public Health media release; 16 ‘share this’; 13 email. (32 unique hits on panel one results page; 1 click through from Facebook).

Intention to continue: the majority of participants intend to participate in the next discussion panel

Evaluation survey

Since only 10 of the 16 online participants completed the panel experience section of the online survey it is somewhat difficult to draw conclusions regarding participant intention to continue panel involvement. What we do know: 7/10 respondents agreed that they will participate in the next panel; 3 were not sure. We will request all 86 eligible registrants participate in the next panel.

Report back to the participants

Tracking

Panel report posted on NWHU website and permanent panel website content also developed.

Question: Did we use the results?

Recommendations are: Listed

Poll results

15 participants completed the final poll. Those panel participants feel the health unit should focus on supporting municipalities on:

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Actionable Used Influenced Picked up by media Move any of the policies move forward on the policy roadmap

Qualitative data analysis

Road Design

14/15 – Policies that allow pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists to interact and move safely

13/15 – Rural roads and off road trails so people can cycle and walk safely between urban neighbourhoods and towns

13/15 – Roads that are safe and attractive for pedestrians, cyclists and people who use public transportation

Infrastructure

14/15 – Invest in infrastructure improvements that provide more opportunities for walking and cycling

Winter

13/15 – Design the community to encourage physical activity and walking in winter environments in urban areas and rural towns.

Recommendations listed are deemed to be actionable Since completion of the panel, the recommendations have been used to/for:

Presentation on policy recommendations for BOH and municipalities

A one-page deliverable for the general public available on website

Advocate for and/or support local partners and projects that encourage active communities across the Kenora-Rainy River Districts. The Northwestern Health Unit is or has been involved in the following local projects:

o Continue to strengthen partnerships between

municipalities and public health on-going in all communities;

o Advocacy for safe and active walking trails and/or biking routes in Sioux Lookout, Fort Frances, Emo and Kenora;

o Support for trails promotion and/or trails development in Emo, Red Lake, Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls and Dryden;

o Official plan reviews and municipal strategic planning in Emo, Kenora, Sioux Lookout and Fort Frances to ensure plans include policy statements that promote active and healthy environments;

o Working with municipal partners to request support and/or funding to support active healthy communities in Kenora, Ignace, Ear Falls, Emo, Dryden and Fort Frances (examples include active and safe routes for walking/biking, community garden space, local trails, access to facilities);

o Implementation support for Age-Friendly Designation in Kenora and Fort Frances;

o Development of parks, play spaces and/or playground improvement plans in Ignace, Atikokan, Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River;

o Support for municipally-driven multi-use recreational spaces in Red Lake and Kenora;

Next Steps for the Northwestern Health Unit

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Continue to promote the benefits of walking and cycling.

Offer effective community-based programs to support and encourage walking and biking.

Prioritize and implement local policy actions outlined in the Assessing Community Stakeholder Readiness for Policies that Support Active Community Design reports.

Develop community-specific strategies based on local needs and priorities.

Continue to strengthen partnerships between municipalities and public health.

Encourage municipal budget allocation specifically to develop and improve active transportation and recreation programming and/or infrastructure.

Engage municipalities to review best practices and redesign to support active communities when opportunities arise

Limitations of the evaluation

The panel experience and demographic survey was completed 10 of the 16 panelists, which is a relatively good response rate, however is still a very small number of panel respondents. Results should be interpreted with caution. Also, with self-complete surveys, there is a risk of social desirability bias. This may be compounded by the panel being developed, moderated and evaluated almost completely by NWHU staff rather than an external third party. To mitigate this threat, honesty demands were included and there was notification that participation in no way affects services you receive from the NWHU. Policy work takes time and often a window of opportunity is needed to act. It is therefore somewhat difficult to evaluate whether the panel was successful at influencing policy since change could happen following completion of the panel report.

Discussion

The results above suggest some success in engaging residents in the NWHU catchment area in the online citizens’ panel. We have achieved the objective of recruiting 60 to 100 participants to the online discussion panel group, however, only a small proportion (21%) of the 86 registered individuals actively participated in the active communities panel. Enrolment was down from 28 in the first panel to 18 in the active communities panel. Future panels will again include at least a month of panel promotion and recruitment in order to continue to grow the list of registered participants. A variety of promotional channels should be used to recruit a diverse set of panellists; the panel demographics survey indicated that the respondents were recruited through a range of channels (i.e., email, radio, website). Challenges that are common with online consultations, could also challenge this online panel, so are important to keep in mind as modifications are made in preparation for the next panel:

Selection and representation of participants

The digital divide

Information overload

Asynchronous dialogue leading to less focused conversations

Institutional skepticismi



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An obstacle to citizen engagement comes from staff and decision-makers’ inability to listen to citizens, partly due to the professionalization and specialization of ‘experts’, leading to thoughts that non-experts have little to contribute. Though these experts might have greater technical knowledge of topics, policy is underpinned by values and assumptions that lay persons have experiential knowledge of. Training

on citizens’ engagement for staff may assist in the uptake of their recommendations.ii Of the 16 online panelists, 12 (75%) and 10 (63%) competed the demographics section and experience section of the online survey, respectively. This is an improvement from the first online discussion panel where 10 of the 24 (43%) online participants completed the surveys. In order to continue to improve the response rate for the Panel Demographic and Experience Survey it should again be included as a step in the panel process and highlighted in email communication with participants leading up to and during the panel. As mentioned previously, the results of the survey should still be interpreted with caution since the sample size is quite small. In order to limit bias, an external content expert was used in the development of content for the discussion panel. This similar tactic will be employed, as appropriate, for future panels. Ideally, the content expert would also contribute to the online discussion forum allowing for direct interaction with the panellists. Many Ontario health units consult with stakeholders about public health issues, but there was no literature on similar policy development interventions conducted by Ontario health units. It is important to continue to document the process and results of the NWHU Citizens’ Panel model as a potential model of engagements for other health units. Looking specifically at the panel discussion, the themes identified by the panel moderators included:

Great examples of active spaces, places and programs across the region.

That people want more promotion of these assets – with maps and signage to increase

awareness of local trails and public spaces.

There is a need for sidewalk maintenance and attention to accessibility issues.

A call for marked bike lanes or separate bike paths (or hard-topped trails that bikes can

use).

That trails exist – but need maintenance, lighting and promotion; and that trails should be

connected to other places in the community.

Public transportation options, particularly during the winter months, are very limited,

especially for people living on lower incomes.

A need for stronger enforcement and education regarding shared use of road (between

vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists).

Issues of fear, high traffic zones, and perceived safety may impact the mode of travel to get

kids to school.

The final recommendation poll indicated that panel participants feel the health unit should be working on policy related to infrastructure and road design with a particular focus on helping communities get active safety during the winter months.

Conclusion

Moving forward we will continue to use the panel as a way of engaging stakeholders in our work. Panelists will be asked to participate in two panels per year. They may also (at some point) be invited to

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attend group face-to-face discussions. Future panels may or may not offer an honorarium, depending on the funding available. The following panel modifications will be made, based on the evaluation results and the experience of the Foundations team:

The registration and login process have been refined enough that pilot testing is no longer needed.

Re-record webinar to support user experience (i.e., navigation, registration and log-in process).

Replace the individualized task list with one central list. This will decrease the workload and time commitment for Foundations staff.

Clear up instructions on how to get started and logged in for the first time (i.e., separate set of instructions for new versus returning panellists). A re-corded webinar will hopefully help to address issues participants have been experiencing with navigation and log-in.

No changes to the orientation module ‘About Public Health’ will be made at this time. The report and summary of the Active Communities Policies panel will be posted to the website and also made available on the extranet for the next online discussion panel along with the archived content and discussion threads from past panels. For development of content for future panels, continue to use videos to relay important content, and include examples that bring out discussion about deeper system level issues. Continuing to build up panel registration will help with sustainability of the panel. We will again plan for panel promotion leading up to our next panel and new panelists are able to sign up for the panel at any time throughout the year by emailing [email protected]. Policy recommendations about active communities policies will be brought forward to the BOH, Municipalities, and the general public through a series of deliverables (resolution, presentation, and website content). In the summer of 2015, an NWHU procedure was develop to, along with this evaluation report, support future interactions with the NWHU online citizen panel. It will offer a consistent process and set of inclusion criteria for identifying which key health unit topics and priorities require input from the online citizens’ panel participants. The panel will undergo on-going evaluation, with participant surveys after each new panel topic, as well as an annual update to assess if we are meeting our objectives. We will expand topic areas beyond Chronic Disease Prevention programs, and beyond public health policy to include gathering input into our strategic plan as well as reviewing and providing feedback on education and awareness materials.

mailto:[email protected]

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Appendices

Appendix A – Background: Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement is identified as part of the public health mandate in both the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS)iii, and the Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards (OPHOS)iv. Public health documents throughout the past 35 years have stressed the importance of community engagement, including the Declaration of Alma Atav (1978) and the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotionvi (1986). More information on the background for stakeholder engagement in public health can be found in the Northwestern Health Unit Stakeholder Engagement Strategyvii. The Stakeholder Engagement Strategy aims to:

Ensure that the systems and structures are in place to meaningfully engage all categories of NWHU stakeholders in all phases of program development, implementation and evaluation; including setting strategic priorities.

Encourage an organizational culture that is supportive of stakeholder involvement.

Develop a continuum of methods of public involvement that can be tailored to different audiences; different objectives; and different levels of community, organizational, and staff capacity.

To accomplish these goals, the health unit will increase the number and depth of stakeholder engagement opportunities over time. The strategies identified to achieve these goals align with the overall agency Strategic Plan 2013-2016viii objectives and include: Inform: Increase the percentage of community members (and health and human service agencies) who report that they know about, and how to contact the health unit by 10% relative to the baseline by December 2016. Consult: Increase client satisfaction with health unit services by 5% relative to baseline by December 2016. Collaborate: Increase effectiveness of external partnerships through evaluation. The health unit will evaluate one significant external partnership in each of three categories (i.e. public health sector, health care sector, municipal sector) by December 2016.

Empower: Use a citizens’ panel model to empower residents to have input into the healthy public policy direction of the Northwestern Health Unit.

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Appendix B – Background: The Citizens’ Panel

In 2013 the health unit began working with Public Health Ontario and 4 other Ontario health units to draft a proposal to establish and evaluate a number of citizens’ panels across the province. The purpose of the panels would be to deliberate public policy options and assess how the results were used to affect municipal policy. The application for funding was unsuccessful, however, because the project was so closely aligned with the health unit strategic direction, NWHU proceeded with a modified, single health unit plan. The Chronic Disease Prevention team, in partnerships with the Foundations team began planning for the implementation of the panel during the 2014-2015 application process for the Healthy Communities Fund – Partnership Stream. It was agreed that the Chronic Disease Prevention team would lead the development of the panel and recruitment of participants, and that the project would be supported by the Foundations team. Planning for sustainability As plans developed, the original model of creating a face-to-face panel of 15 participants brought together twice a year was modified to a more sustainable model of up to 100 participants participating through an online vehicle. As a commitment to sustainability of the panel, the Leadership Council of the health unit agreed that the Foundations team would assume the lead on coordination of the panel as of April 1, 2015. This would expand the range of potential policy options that could be explored by the panel to include other programs such as child health, immunization, and environmental health. A request for proposal was issued in September 2014 to assist the health unit with recruitment of participants for the panel; and a partnership was established with the health unit IT department to fast-track development of the NWHU Extranet for the launch of the online panel.

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Appendix C – Background: Theory

There are many models of stakeholder engagement. The model that aligns with the online discussion panel is based on the International Association for Public Participationix (IAP2) strategies. The final level – empowerment – places decision making in the hands of the public. Stakeholder engagements takes citizen’s values into account, so engagement contributes to decisions that are considered ‘legitimate’. Other benefits include developing policy that is more likely to be reflective of needs, skill-building, and engaging citizens in something meaningful.x For successful engagement, literature suggests that the following factors (at minimum) must be in place:

Representativeness

Independence

Early involvement

Influence on the policy decisions (outcomes not pre-determined)

Providing credible information

Access to resources

Structured decision-makingxi In determining the model of the NWHU panel, a number of advantages were identified in using an online engagement model. These include:

Available all the time, to participate as fits in schedule

Higher speed and lower cost

Engaging a greater number of people The online panel builds on the idea of deliberative dialogues – one form of public engagement. This method introduces participants to the topic by providing credible information and giving participants a chance to discuss and deliberate, hear other people’s views, and work toward potential solutions. Dialogues are held over a period of time (usually a couple of days) to give participants time to consider the evidence, consider the perspective of others, think about options, and seek solutions. This type of group usually lacks formal decision-making power; and are most often asked to provide recommendations to decision-makers with no formal guarantee that the recommendations will be taken any further.xii

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Appendix D – Active Communities Panel Content

i) Talk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel (landing page) Upon entering the panel, participants were met with a landing page that contained a welcome message, steps to get started, user instructions, a link to panel 1 results, and a personalized “To Do List” checklist to track participation. Left hand navigation linked to:

Module 1: About Public Health

Module 3: Active Communities Policies

Final recommendations survey

Archived: Module 2: Healthy Food Choices in Public Places

Archived Discussions. Top of page navigation showed links to Talk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel, Technical Support, About the Panel, Panel Discussion, Terms of Use, and the Extranet Home.

ii) Module 1: About Public Health You've joined the panel, your voice matters, and you want to share your ideas! Here is your first stop - learn a little about public health and the Northwestern Health Unit before you begin. This module will take about 10 minutes: The Northwestern Health Unit is one of 36 health units in Ontario. Our job is it help improve the health of the entire population. For us, it's about making the healthy choice, the easy choice. We try to 'level the playing field' and remove barriers that keep people from being healthy. Our mission to improve the quality and length of life in our communities: healthy lifestyles, longer lives lived well. We started this panel as a way of hearing back from people in our communities - what are priorities for health, and what should we be helping with. The panel provides a way for you to give us your thoughts, and discuss things with others. We want to use the information that comes from the panel to help stakeholders like schools, workplaces, and communities make changes that are better for health. You get the chance to share what you think. Thanks for joining!

1. Watch the 3 minute American School of Public Health Video: This is Public Health 2. Watch the 5 minute health unit video: Let's Start a Conversation about Health

Remember to check the box on the To Do List that you have completed About Public Health. Interested in learning more? Here is a link to check out:

Northwestern Health Unit programs and services

iii) Module 3: Active Communities Policies Your voice matters. We want to hear your opinion about what's best for your community! This module looks at policy options to support the design of active, healthy communities. To share anything about what you read or saw, use the panel discussion to create or reply to a post. Get started....it will take about 30-60 minutes:

http://youtu.be/Bpu42LmLo4U

http://youtu.be/QSJ8X4PAUpw

https://www.nwhu.on.ca/Pages/home.aspx

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One way of increasing physical activity rates is through active, healthy community design. Active communities support physically active lifestyles (e.g. walking, biking, sports, recreation) and include community spaces for people to be active such as parks, recreation centres, sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes, open spaces, trails and waterfronts. Municipal decision makers (e.g., elected officials and municipal staff), community leaders and public health officials have a role in creating active communities.

1. Take some time to learn more about active communities. Learn why they are important by reading the following:

Health Benefits

Barriers

Role of Municipal Decision Makers

Health and Community Design-What is the Canadian evidence saying? 2. Watch a quick 2 minute video about 'complete streets' and how people get around in their community. 3. Read the Position Statement of the Heart and Stroke Foundations of Canada to see what they

recommend Canadians, governments, and researchers do to support the design of active communities.

4. The health unit completed a survey with community stakeholders to learn about their support for active communities…. Read your community's report here.

5. Provide answers to the following panel discussion questions on:

Road Design and Infrastructure

Traffic Calming

Getting to School

Winter

Public Transportation

Trails and Public Spaces 6. Take a few minutes to answer some (anonymous) questions about yourself and your experience with

the panel. (linked to Fluid Survey)

7. Remember to check the boxes on the "To Do List" to show that you have completed each task. 8. Based on the discussions and background information, please answer this 'final recommendations

poll' by Friday, October 15th to tell us about your policy recommendations. Interested in learning more about active communities? Other information bulletins about Active Transportation at the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute website.

http://www.cflri.ca/sites/default/files/node/334/files/AT1_health.pdf

http://www.cflri.ca/sites/default/files/node/335/files/AT2_barriers.pdf

http://www.cflri.ca/sites/default/files/node/341/files/AT8_decision_makers.pdf

http://cip-icu.ca/Files/Resources/FACTSHEETS-ActiveTransportation-FINALenglish.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc-GKNecIbg

http://www.heartandstroke.com/atf/cf/%7b99452D8B-E7F1-4BD6-A57D-B136CE6C95BF%7d/4pgCommunityDesign.pdf


https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/community/Lists/Panel%202%20Active%20Communities%20Discussions

https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/Lists/Citizens%20Panel%20Tasks

https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/mod3/Lists/Final%20PollActive%20Communities/overview.aspx

https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/mod3/Lists/Final%20PollActive%20Communities/overview.aspx

http://www.cflri.ca/art_page/142

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Appendix E – Active Communities Discussion Questions

TRAILS AND PUBLIC SPACES

Providing places to be active like trails, playgrounds and parks can support active recreation. Playgrounds and parks are often a central hub in communities and serve as place of gathering for families, classrooms and recreation groups. Trails and streets link destinations and provide a safe way for people to move in their community. They also support both active recreation (walking for health) and active transportation (cycling to work)? Should the trails and paths in your community be enhanced to provide better linkages to parks, playgrounds and 'hubs' where people gather in your community? What characteristics would a trail, park or playground include for you to consider it attractive, interesting or welcoming to increase usage by community members?

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Reliable low cost public transportation options like walking, cycling, handi-van, dial-a-ride, community volunteer drivers, taxi, bus) is service required in a community so all people without vehicles can get to work, school, shopping, and appointments. What public transportation options are you aware of in your community? Do you think that the transportation needs of all residents are being met? If so, how? If not, why not? Whose needs are not being met? Do you think that people without their own vehicles can easily get to where they need to go for daily living (e.g., grocery store, appointments, work)? What other public transportation options should be considered in your community? Can you suggest ideas to develop and/or strengthen public transportation in your community?

WINTER

Winter weather makes getting outdoors and being active even tougher. There are things that can be done to encourage physical activity and walking in winter environments in urban areas and rural towns, such as providing shelter or wind blocks in areas that serve as outdoor gathering spaces (e.g., outdoor rinks) or creating public spaces for winter use in areas that are sunny. What works in your community to support being active in winter months? What else do you think could be done to encourage physical activity during the winter months?

GETTING TO SCHOOL

Another recommendation from our survey was the need for municipalities to make it easier for children and youth to walk and/or ride their bike to and from school. In Canada, a recent survey found that although 58% of parents walked to school when they were kids, only 28% of their children walk to school today. Parents may feel that they are keeping their children safe by driving them to school. A 'walking school bus' or a 'bike train' is where parents or adults walk or bike children to school and pick up children along the route to school. They are successful strategies to reduce safety concerns and increase physical activity. If there were a walking school bus or bike train in your community, would you and your children participate? Why or why not? What else can be done to help and/or encourage children walk or bike to school?

TRAFFIC CALMING

Safety concerns keep many adults and children from walking or biking. Many communities have implemented traffic calming to slow down or reduce traffic and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Traffic calming measures that are often used include: speed bumps, lower speed limits (e.g., 40km, 30km, 20km), trees next to streets, on-street parking, bollards (short vertical posts), pavement treatments (special pavement textures and

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markings), turn restrictions (to keep traffic on main traffic streets), on street parking and/or reduced speed limits. Is safety for pedestrians or cyclists a concern in your community? If yes, share some examples. Is there a need for traffic calming in your community? If yes, which of the examples listed above do you recommend be considered for your community?

ROAD DESIGN AND INFRASTRUCTURE

One of the recommendations from our survey on active communities was the need for municipalities to invest in infrastructure improvements (e.g., sidewalks, bike lanes, parks) that provide more opportunities for walking and biking. Infrastructure and road design in active communities allows pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists to interact and move safely in town and along the roads leading to school, work, home, shopping. Examples of road design and infrastructure improvements that support physical activity include paved shoulders, sidewalks, safe street crossings, pathways and trails along side roads, and/or bike lanes. Imagine a walkable/bikeable community. Describe what you would expect to see in this type of community to support walking and biking. Is your community walkable? What, if any, improvements could be made to make it more walkable? What steps could the municipality take to improve biking in your community? Most municipalities work within very tight budgets. Would you support a municipal decision to prioritize active communities and put funding towards improvements to parks and playgrounds, trail development, sidewalks, bike lanes, street lights and/or paved shoulders? Why or why not?

PARTICIPANT QUESTION: SHOW ME THE MONEY!

In our panel, we are seeing numerous suggestions on how to improve our active communities. A major hurdle, however, is cost. Many municipalities simply don’t have the funds available for new programs or infrastructure additions and improvements. Sometimes, the money isn’t even available for maintenance. How might this issue be overcome? Is volunteerism a viable answer?

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Appendix F – Panel Recommendation Poll Questions & Results

Respondents: 15; Issues identified as most important are shaded.

Think about each of the following statement and rate each statement as ‘important’, ‘not

important’ or ‘no opinion’. Please do not compare and rank the statements against each

other, look at each statement on its own.

Import

ant

Not

imp

ort

ant

No

opin

ion

It is important for municipalities to:

Road Design

Design roads, including rural roads and off road trails, so people can cycle and walk safely between urban neighbourhoods, and towns (e.g. paved shoulders on rural roads)

13 1 2

Design roads that are safe and attractive to pedestrians, cyclists and people who use public transportation (e.g., pedestrian islands, cross-walk signals).

13 1 1

Create road design policies that allow pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists to interact and move safely in urban and rural towns and along the roads leading to these areas.

14 1 1

Infrastructure

Invest in infrastructure improvements that provide more opportunities for walking and cycling (e.g., sidewalks; trails; safe walking and cycling routes) in urban areas and rural towns.

14 0 1

Ensure municipal parking lot management includes more walkable streetscape (e.g. pedestrian markings and signage) and bike parking facilities (e.g., bike racks).

7 5 3

Improve walking and cycling routes in the downtown. 9 2 3

Develop transportation policies that consider community-wide access for all modes of transportation (e.g., walking, cycling, public transit and private automobile).

12 1 2

Getting to School

Make it easier for children and youth to walk or ride their bike to and from school. 12 1 2

Build homes, grocery stores, and businesses close together to make it easier to not use a car for daily activities when in an urban area or rural town.

5 8 2

Create a plan to guide the development of walking and cycling routes (e.g., Active Transportation Plan).

11 2 2

Winter

Design the community to encourage physical activity and walking in winter environments in urban areas and rural towns.

13 1 1

Public Transportation

Provide low cost public transit options. 11 2 2

Trails

Enhance the trails network to support both active recreation (walking for health) and active transportation (cycling to work).

12 1 2

Connect trails for people to walk and cycle between urban neighbourhoods, downtowns and municipalities.

10 1 4

Traffic Calming

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Implement traffic calming measures in high traffic areas (e.g. school zones, high traffic zones used by pedestrians/cyclists/motorists)

9 5 1

Appendix G – Panel Experience & Demographics Survey Questions

Panel Demographic & Experience Survey Please take 10 minutes to complete the following questions. Your responses will help us gather further information about the panel and how to improve the panel in the future. Your responses are anonymous. Demographic Questions

How old are you? 18-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70 or older; prefer not to answer

What is your gender? Male; female; other; prefer not to answer

What is the highest level of education you have completed? High school; college; university; post-graduate; other; prefer not to answer

How much is your annual pre-tax combined household income from all sources? Less than $35,000; $35,001-$50,000; $50,001-75,000; $75,001-$100,000; over $100,000; prefer not to answer

Are you Metis, First Nation, or of Aboriginal heritage? Yes; no; not sure; prefer not to answer

How did you hear about the discussion panel? Select all that apply: health unit website; health unit social media; email; radio; health unit staff person; from non-health unit staff person; other, please specify…

Panel Experience Questions

Is this your first time participating in the health unit online discussion panel? Yes; No New participants:

Please mark your level of agreement with the following statements about the "About Public Health" module: (Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

The module gave me enough background information about public health to participate in the rest of the panel

The module gave me new information about public health

The time it took to complete the module was appropriate

Please share any additional comments about the "About Public Health" module: (open-ended) Experience:

Please mark your level of agreement with the following statements about (panel topic) module and discussion: (Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

o I understood what I was being asked to do o I understood how I could participate o There was enough opportunity to share my ideas o I feel that my views were heard o I was treated with respect o There was enough background information on strategic planning o The time it took to complete the module was appropriate

Please share any additional comments about the (panel topic) module:

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Please mark your level of agreement with the following statement about the online panel: o I feel that the input provided through this activity will be considered by the health unit o I understand how the input from this activity will be used o I think this activity will make a difference o From participating in this panel, I am better informed about the impact of healthy public

policy (or panel topic).

How do you think the results of the panel should be used? (open-ended)

Overall I am satisfied with my participation in the Online Discussion Panel. (Likert scale)

What did you like best about participating in the Online Discussion Panel? (open-ended)

What did you like least about participating in the Online Discussion Panel? (open-ended)

I intend to participate in further modules of the Online Discussion Panel. Yes; no; not sure

Please mark your level of agreement with the following statement about using the online panel site: (Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

o I was satisfied with the communication leading up to the start of the panel o The instructions on how to get started were clear o I found the online registration process easy to complete o I was able to work in the discussion panel site with little difficulty o I always knew what to do next

Please share any additional comments about getting started in the online panel and navigating while logged in to the panel:

Webinar

Did you attend one of the panel orientation webinars?

Please mark your level of agreement with the following statement about the panel orientation webinar: (Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

I found the process of logging in to the webinar easy

The demonstrations prepared me to participate in all aspects of the online panel

The webinar was offered at a convenient time

Please provide any additional comments on the orientation webinar.

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Appendix H – Panel Promotion

i) Media Promotion

For immediate release August 6, 2015 Influence the health of your community - ‘Talk Public Health’ with the Northwestern Health Unit Do you have opinions about public health or health policy issues affecting your community? We need you to join our online discussion panel and tell us what you would like to see in northwestern Ontario. By sharing your local ideas and experience you can help influence meaningful change and make health a priority for your community. “The health unit will be holding its second online discussion panel in early September” says, Dr. Kit Young-Hoon, Medial Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit, "Talk Public Health: the Northwestern Health Unit Online Discussion Panel is a great way for us to gather valuable feedback and incorporate local opinions and ideas into public health policies that impact the health of individuals, families and communities across the region. We are looking forward to our next panel, which will focus on (panel topic) walkable, bikeable communities, and active communities policy." “Individuals who agree to participate in the online discussion panel could be asked to participate 2 to 3 times per year. This participation will include learning about the topic, contributing to online discussions and filling out surveys” says Dr. Young-Hoon. She continues, “Participation in the panel is completely voluntary, and if you join you can stop at any time”. Panelists will receive a small honorarium for completing the second panel on active communities policy. If you are interested in joining Talk Public Health: the Northwestern Health Unit Online Discussion Panel, please complete the panel questionnaire online at www.nwhu.on. In early 2015, the health unit ran its first online discussion panel on health food choices in public places. Participants involved in the discussion indicated that, based on their learning and interaction with other panel members, the health unit should prioritize community event healthy food policy. For more information, please contact your local Northwestern Health Unit office or visit our website at www.nwhu.on.ca. -30- Media Contact Dr. Kit Young-Hoon, Medical Officer of Health Northwestern Health Unit (807) 468-3147 X 3266 [email protected]

ii) Social Media – NWHU page 1. Week of August 10: Have opinions about public health policy issues affecting your community? Join our

online discussion panel. Learn more... (link to new panel webpage) 2. Week of August 17: Influence the health of your community. Join our online discussion panel, tell us what

you would like to see in Northwestern Ontario. Learn more... 3. Week of August 24: Tell us what you would like to see in Northwestern Ontario. Share your local

experience and help influence change. Learn more... 4. Week of August 31: There is still time! Join our online discussion panel. Share your ideas and influence

meaningful change in your community. Learn more…


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iii) Paid Social Media - Ran for two weeks (August 17 – 28) 1. Have opinions about public health policy issues affecting your community? Join our online discussion

panel. Learn more... (link to new panel webpage) 2. Tell us what you would like to see in Northwestern Ontario. Join our online discussion panel. Learn

more... 3. Have opinions about issues affecting your community? Join our online discussion panel and influence

public health policy. Learn more... 4. Influence the health of your community. Join our online discussion panel, tell us what you would like to

see in Northwestern Ontario. Learn more... 5. Tell us what you would like to see in Northwestern Ontario. Share your local experience and help

influence change. Learn more...

iv) Recruitment email Sent: August 25, 2015

Hello northwestern Ontario resident,

Do you have opinions about public policy issues affecting your community? We need you to join our online discussion panel and tell us what you would like to see in Northwestern Ontario. The health unit is recruiting community members for an online panel to discuss public health policy. An online discussion panel is a group of residents who give their opinion about issues that affect where they live. We are looking for a diverse group of people from throughout the region to make up our panel. About the panel The first panel discussion, held in March 2015, focused on improving healthy food options in public places. The next discussion panel, which will run from (panel date) September 15 to October 15, 2015, will gather thoughts and ideas about (panel topic) active communities policies. Active communities help people lead a physically active lifestyle (e.g. walking, cycling) and provide community spaces for people to be active, such as parks, recreation centres, sidewalks, pathways, open spaces, trails and waterfronts. Future topics will include other key public health issues. You will be asked to participate 2-3 times per year. Participation will include learning about the topic, online discussion groups, and filling out surveys either online or on paper. You may also be invited to attend group discussions. Panelists will be given a $30 cash honorarium for completing the second panel. Participation in the panel is voluntary, and if you join you can stop at any time. Participation will in no way affect any services you receive from the health unit. How to join

If you want to volunteer for the online discussion panel please complete the panel questionnaire.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the project please contact me at any time - toll-free at 1-800-830-5978 ext. 3229 or email [email protected].

http://fluidsurveys.com/s/OnlineDiscussionPanel2015/


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Appendix I – Panel questionnaire

Talk Public Health: NWHU Online Discussion Panel Questionnaire Do you have opinions about public health policy issues affecting your community? We need you to join our online discussion panel and tell us what you would like to see in northwestern Ontario. By sharing your local ideas and experience you can help influence meaningful change and make health a priority for your community. Please complete the following questionnaire. When we receive your response, you will be sent a participant email with more information and consent to participate. Full name: Email address: Telephone number: Address: I consent to being contacted by the Northwestern Health Unit with more information on the online discussion panel.

Yes

I prefer to be contacted by:

Email

Telephone

Personal information is collected under the authority of the Health Protection and Promotion Act and related legislation and in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act and/or the (Municipal) Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. We collect only the personal information needed to provide public health programs and to plan and evaluate our services. Your information may be shared with others as required or permitted by law. For more information contact the health unit at 1-800-830-5978 or see the privacy statement on our website at www.nwhu.on.ca.

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Appendix J – Welcome Email to New Participants

(Foundations sent to new registrants within 48 hours of questionnaire completion)

Hello! Welcome to Talk Public Health: The Online Discussion Panel for public health! You have joined the panel because you want to share your thoughts about the issues affecting your community. Thank you for agreeing to participate! For joining us in the discussion about (panel topic) active communities, you will receive a $30 cash honourarium. Accessing the panel – A link to the online discussion panel and steps for logging in will be emailed to you in early September. The panel will begin (panel date) September 15th and you can contribute to the discussion until October 15th. Webinar and support – Online information sessions will be held on Monday, September 14th from 12pm to 1pm and Tuesday, September 15th from 10am to 11 am, to introduce you to our panel site. If interested, please contact Pamella Baxter, Administrative Assistant, at [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Surveys – Twice during the panel you will be asked to complete a survey. The first will ask you about the overall panel experience and some general questions about yourself (i.e., age, gender, etc.). The second will gather ideas and recommendations for (panel topic) active communities work. All responses will be anonymous.

Help us recruit! - Know someone with opinions about public policy issues affecting their community? Please share this information with them. We need them to join our online discussion panel. New participants should complete the panel questionnaire. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.



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Appendix K – Email Invitations

i) Re-energize: Email to Panel 1 Participants – August 25, 2015 Hello Panel Member! Thank you for being a part of the health unit’s first online discussion panel in March 2015 and sharing your thoughts about healthy food choices in public places. Because of the panel discussion and recommendations, the health unit will be working with municipal leaders to support policy related to healthy food choices at community events.

The next Talk Public Health: The Online Discussion Panel for public health will run from (panel dates) September 15 to October 15, 2015 and will focus on (panel topic) Active Communities Policy. Active communities help people lead a physically active lifestyle (e.g. walking, cycling) and provide community spaces for people to be active, such as parks, recreation centres, sidewalks, pathways, open spaces, trails and waterfronts.

We hope that you will participate in the second online discussion panel. For joining us in the discussion about active communities, you will receive a $30 cash honourarium.

Accessing the panel – A link to the online discussion panel will be emailed to you (panel date) in early September. As an existing panel member, you will be able to use your same username and password to again log-in to the health unit extranet and participate in the panel. Forgot your password? That’s okay. You can request a new password during the log in process. Surveys – Twice during the panel you will be asked to complete a survey. The first will ask you about the overall panel experience and some general questions about yourself (i.e., age, gender, etc.). The second will gather ideas and recommendations for (panel topic) active communities work. All responses will be anonymous.

Webinar and support – Online information sessions will be held on Monday, September 14th from 12pm to 1pm and Tuesday, September 15th from 10am to 11 am, to reintroduce you to our panel site. If interested, please contact Pam Baxter, Administrative Assistant, at [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Help us recruit! - Know someone with opinions about public policy issues affecting their community? Please share this information with them. We need them to join our online discussion panel. New participants should complete the panel questionnaire.





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ii) Re-Engage: Email to Past Registrants – August 25, 2015 Hello! The next Talk Public Health: The Online Discussion Panel for public health will run from (panel dates) September 15 to October 15, 2015 and will focus on (panel topic) Active Communities Policy. I am contacting you because you registered for the online panel discussion in January 2015 before our first panel on healthy food choices in public places. We hope that you will join us for the next online discussion panel and share your opinions about (panel topic) active community policies. Active communities help people lead a physically active lifestyle (e.g. walking, cycling) and provide community spaces for people to be active, such as parks, recreation centres, sidewalks, pathways, open spaces, trails and waterfronts. For joining us in the discussion about (panel topic) active communities, you will receive a $30 cash honourarium. Accessing the panel - A link to the online discussion panel and steps for logging in will be emailed to you in (panel dates) early September. Help us recruit! - Know someone with opinions about public policy issues affecting their community? Please share this information with them. We need them to join our online discussion panel. New participants should complete the panel questionnaire. Surveys – Twice during the panel you will be asked to complete a survey. The first will ask you about the overall panel experience and some general questions about yourself (i.e., age, gender, etc.). The second will gather ideas and recommendations for (panel topic) active communities work. All responses will be anonymous.

Webinar and support – Online information sessions will be held on Monday, September 14th from 12pm to 1pm and Tuesday, September 15th from 10am to 11 am, to reintroduce you to our panel site. If interested, please contact Pamella Baxter, Administrative Assistant, at [email protected] to reserve a spot.





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Appendix L – Email to Register for Extranet

i) New Participants: Sent: September 14, 2015 Dear current resident of northwestern Ontario, Welcome to Talk Public Health: The Online Discussion Panel for public health. You have joined the panel because you want to share your thoughts about the issues affecting your community. Thank you for agreeing to participate! The panel will begin tomorrow and run until (panel date) Oct 15th. To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps to set up your account:

1. Visit https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/ . Click on Register here. You only need to fill in the top portion of information (name/address/email).

2. You will get an email back that confirms that you have requested an account, called: Account request for NWHU Extranet.

3. Once we approve your account you will receive a second email notification to set a password (this may take up to 48 hours since approvals are done during health unit office hours). Your username will be the email address you provided during registration.

4. Once you re-set your password, you can immediately get started in the discussion! 5. When you log in for the first time, you will be asked to agree to our Terms of Use. 6. If you want, you can send a picture to [email protected] for us to add to your personal profile.

Webinar and support – An online information session will be held on Tuesday, September 15th from 10am to 11 am, to introduce you to our panel site. If interested, please contact Pamella Baxter, Administrative Assistant, at [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Surveys – Twice during the panel you will be asked to complete a survey. The first will ask you about the overall panel experience and some general questions about yourself (i.e., age, gender, etc.). The second will gather ideas and recommendations for (panel topic) active communities work. All responses will be anonymous. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

ii) Returning Participants – Clarifying email Sent: September 15, 2015 Hello! Below are updated steps for RETURN panel users to log in to the Online Discussion Panel. It was brought to our attention that registering for the panel more than once will cause issues with your log in. If you have previously registered you do not need to do so again. To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps to set up your account:

1. Visit https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/. 2. Enter your username (email) and password (if you remember from the previous panel). 3. If you do not remember your password click on ‘Forgot Password?’ on the log-in page. You will be asked

to enter your email address and submit. 4. You will get an email back with a link to ‘Set or Change your password’. Follow this link to enter a new

password for your account. Write this password down in a safe place. 5. Once you set or re-set your password, you can immediately get started in the discussion! 6. If you want, you can send a picture to [email protected] for us to add to your personal profile.

I apologize for any confusion. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

https://extranet.nwhu.on.ca/sites/citizens-panel/





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Appendix M – Reminder Emails

i) Half-way point – Sent: September 28, 2015

Hello! The NWHU Talk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel is underway. If you have not already, please sign in to the panel and share your thoughts and ideas on (panel topic) active communities. The panel runs until (panel date) October 15th. Thank you to those panelist who have participate already – don’t forget to check back in to the ongoing panel discussions. NEW panel participants To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps to set up your account:





RETURNING panel participants To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps:




You will receive a cash honorarium for your contributions to the (panel topic) active communities panel. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

ii) One-week remaining – Sent: October 8, 2015

Hello! The NWHU Talk Public Health: Online Discussion Panel will wrap up on (panel date) October 15th, but there is still time to log-in, if you haven’t already, and contribute to the discussion. Your thoughts matter to us! Please make sure you set aside time to complete the TWO panel surveys – Demographics & Panel Experience and Final Poll-Active communities.

NEW panel participants To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps to set up your account:









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RETURNING panel participants To participate in the online discussion panel, here are the steps:




You will receive a cash honorarium for your meaningful contributions to the (panel topic) active communities panel. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.




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Appendix N – Honoraria and Thank You

Sent: November 6, 2015 Hello Panel Participant, Thank you so much for participating in the NWHU Online Discussion Panel and sharing your ideas and feedback on (panel topic) active communities. It is inspiring to see such engagement and commitment to the health of Northwestern Ontario communities! The panel results are currently being used to develop a set of active communities recommendations for our Board of Health. We will work with municipalities on a case-by-case basis to raise awareness of (panel topic) active communities and support the development of active communities policies and projects. By the end of November, we will post a results summary from the (panel topic) active communities panel. Stay tuned to the NWHU website – www.nwhu.on.ca. Honorarium cheques for $30 have been sent out from our Finance department. If you have not received yours in the mail by (adjusted date) November 20th please let me know. We look forward to future discussion!


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End Notes

i Sheedy, A. ((2008). Canadian Policy Research Networks, Handbook on Citizen Engagement: Beyond Consultation: http://www.cprn.org/documents/49583_EN.pdf ii ibid iii Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (2008). Ontario Public Health Standards: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/oph_standards/docs/ophs_2008.pdf iv Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (n.d.). Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/orgstandards/docs/org_stds.pdf v World Health Organization (1978). Declaration of Alma Ata: http://www.who.int/publications/almaata_declaration_en.pdf vi World Health Organization (1986). Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index1.html vii Northwestern Health Unit Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (internal document). viii Northwestern Health Unit (2012). Strategic Plan 2013-2016: https://www.nwhu.on.ca/MediaPressCentre/Pages/strategicplan.aspx ix International Association of Public Participation: http://www.iap2.org/ x Sheedy, A. ((2008). Canadian Policy Research Networks, Handbook on Citizen Engagement: Beyond Consultation: http://www.cprn.org/documents/49583_EN.pdf xi Abelson and Gauvin, Primer on Public Involvement, 2006. Health Council of Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.cprn.org/documents/45131_en.pdf xii Dr. Donald Willison (2013). “How do Ongoing Public Dialogues Affect Local Public Health Decision- Making?”, Research Proposal

http://www.cprn.org/documents/49583_EN.pdf

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/oph_standards/docs/ophs_2008.pdf

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/orgstandards/docs/org_stds.pdf

http://www.who.int/publications/almaata_declaration_en.pdf

http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index1.html

https://www.nwhu.on.ca/MediaPressCentre/Pages/strategicplan.aspx

http://www.iap2.org/

http://www.cprn.org/documents/49583_EN.pdf

http://www.cprn.org/documents/45131_en.pdf

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