Community-centered design at the heart of municipal innovation
Updated: Dec 17, 2021
Thank you to the Rotary Club of Walkerton – District 6330 for inviting the Municipal Innovation Council (MIC) to last Thursday night’s meeting.
Jessica Linthorne (Chair of the MIC) and I had the opportunity to share the MIC’s strategic framework, discuss projects that are underway, and hear about the things that are of interest to members in our community. The comradery that this group shares is special, as is their care and concern for their community.
Engaging community groups like the Rotary Club in Walkerton provides important inputs into the work that municipalities are doing.
The thoughts that participants share through conversations and questions provide insights into how people experience municipal services—and they inspire me to explore ways that we can stretch our thinking about what we do.
This spring and summer, I will supervise a co-op student who will focus on mapping out all services provided by each MIC-member municipality. The data will be informative for all members to recognize potential gaps in service, different modes of service delivery, and expertise right in Bruce County that we can all learn from.
The Municipal Service Analyst co-op student will work with me to identify potential barriers to accessing municipal services, will do a broader scan of services offered in other Ontario municipalities, and will provide recommendations for service enhancements will be forwarded.
The MIC is committed to being community-centered in our engagement and our work. Thank you to all the community groups that have invited us into your space—and we look forward to engaging with many across the County online and in person once it is safe to do so.
Written by Dave Shorey, former Innovation Officer at the Municipal Innovation Council.