Case Studies

Dialogue Partners was retained to plan, design and implement a comprehensive public involvement project for the City of Edmonton. The project included development and implementation of an inclusive plan for the public involvement and communications for the Edmonton City Centre Airport lands to explore the possibilities and challenges of land use. We engaged a wide cross section of the community in a values-based conversation on a highly emotional, controversial issue, in order to identify options for the future.

Dialogue Partners was retained by Edmonton Public Schools to engage the community and stakeholders in a comprehensive process that would explore how to make the best possible use of available resources so that all students have access to vibrant schools and a range of quality programs. Declining enrollment, surplus school space and insufficient student based funding were contributing factors. The goal was to engage the community in a values-based dialogue that weighed community priorities with the financial and infrastructure realties and identify a path for the future.

A central purpose of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is to strengthen the practice of environmental assessment in Canada through training and guidance.

WHAT HAPPENED:

Dialogue Partners provided a best practices review, re-write and development of a series of Guidance and Toolkits for Public Involvement in Environmental Assessment. The Toolkit was published in the spring of 2008 and can be found on the CEAA website. Working to get agreement with environmental and industry groups on guidance content required extensive negotiation and mediation. Reflecting the spirit and intention of the legislation versus the letter of the law was important to present best practices, flexibility and opportunities for meaningful engagement. Creating the toolkit, and then testing it with stakeholders, helped refine and improve the materials.

Dialogue Partners was retained by the Qikiqtani Truth Commission (QTC) to support their work in developing recommendations from months of hearings with Inuit people in Nunavut. The QTC was created to investigate facts, interview witnesses, hold public hearings and to report the truth surrounding the alleged dog slaughter, relocations, and other decision-making of the governments up until 1980, and to consider the effects of these decisions on Inuit culture, economy and way of life.

The main objective of the Commission is to ensure an accurate history of the events referred to above. The broader truth and reconciliation process seeks to promote healing for those who suffered wrongdoings, as well as to heal relations between Inuit and the Government by providing an opportunity for uncovering all pertinent facts and allowing for ackthe nowledgement and forgiveness.

Working with our partner, AMEC Earth and Environmental, Dialogue Partners worked to develop and build community relationships to support the creation of a long-term strategy for the clean up and management of radioactive waste at Atomic Energy of Canada sites throughout the country. Initial focus was on the upper Ottawa Valley area near the Chalk River Laboratories where 70% of the nuclear waste is located.

Dialogue Partners was engaged to provide expert advice and coaching to build staff capacity for leadership development and to plan, design and facilitate a leadership conference with the organizational senior management team.