April 22 Webinar: Which Social Media Tool is the Best Fit for My Engmt Process and How Should I Use It?

A PublicForum Webinar
Thursday, 22 April 2010
18:00 Eastern/22:00 GMT (90 minutes)

Register by clicking here
Registration closes Wednesday, 21 April
Fee: $29 USD for Circle Club members, $39 USD for nonmembers
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Social media tools are increasingly used to consult stakeholders about policies, programs and services, and to deliberate about community issues. Facebook, Twitter and Linked In are a few of the better known social networking brands, but many organizations also use social media platforms specifically designed to support the engagement process.

This PublicForum webinar focuses on two types of inquiry and the social media tools available to help meet their principle objectives:
   •  Processes for seeking input or feedback for policy making, program management or service delivery.
   •  Processes for deliberating about pressing community issues as part of building the capacity for people to participate.

The program will also address what you need to know when selecting social media tools and designing processes for your engagement work.
In this practically oriented program, you'll learn:
   •  The similarities and differences between various social media platforms
   •  When to choose an off-the-shelf tool (such as Facebook) and when a platform designed for engagement work makes sense
   •  Tips for best integrating these tools into your overall stakeholder engagement strategy
   •  Strategies for designing an effective deliberative process for online dialogues
   •  Moderation and facilitation techniques that are particularly effective when using social media
   •  Suggested questions to ask when evaluating a potential social media tool

Following presentations by our guest panelists, there'll be time for Q&A/discussion. 
All registrants receive the slide deck from this program and post-event access to the webinar recording.

Guest panelists Crispin Butteriss, Ph.D., founding partner of BangTheTable, and Ellis Westwood, Senior Consultant with Ascentum, will provide important insights and practical pointers for evaluating and using social media tools in your work with stakeholders. Moderated by Beth Offenbacker of PublicDecisions.

Apr 6 Webinar / Excellence in Health Services Planning: Case Studies from Three Canadian Regional Health Agencies

 A PublicForum Webinar
Tuesday, 6 April at 13:00 Eastern/17:00 GMT (90 minutes)  
Presented by PublicDecisions and the Canadian Institute for Public Engagement

Effective health services planning is a growing challenge around the globe. According to a recent World Health Organization report, health systems today must provide services that respond to people's expectations and changing needs: "Few would disagree that health systems need to respond better—and faster—to the challenges of a changing world."

This PublicForum webinar highlights three award-winning Canadian regional health agencies that provide a model of excellence in responding to their respective communities' needs and interests: Vancouver Coastal Health (Vancouver, BC); Capital Health (Halifax, Nova Scotia); and the North West Local Health Integration Network (Northwestern Ontario).

Our panel of experts from these agencies will focus on best practices for health services engagement from a Canadian perspective. Among the themes to be covered are:

1. Key insights into engagement as a culture change mechanism within Canadian health services planning organizations.
2. The importance of context in health services planning, including legislative requirements for consultation, rural/urban issues and issues of literacy.
3. The values that drive approaches to healthcare engagement, particularly as they relate to trends of an aging population, financial pressures and advances in technology.
4. The value—and challenges—associated with building engagement skills and capacity among health services agency staff and providers.

Richard Delaney, president of Delaney & Associates Inc. and a founding member and former executive director of the Canadian Institute for Public Engagement will moderate. With 18 years experience in federal and provincial public service, Richard has led numerous organizations for Public Works Canada, National Defence, and Transport Canada. A management consultant since 1996, Richard holds a Masters of Public Administration from Carleton University (Ottawa), a certificate with the Global Facilitation Service Corps and the National Issue Forum Institute, and is a licensed trainer for the International Association for Public Participation. A certified professional facilitator (International Association of Facilitation), Richard has designed and facilitated more than 300 public and stakeholder engagements at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.

Read more about our expert panel and register for this session