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Inclusive Public Engagement Guide

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Inclusive Engagement Techniques and Approaches

Community Office Hours

What is it?

Community office hours provide an opportunity for community members to meet one-on-one with staff for a short, focused session (typically 15 minutes). This setting allows for a more personal exchange, where community members can share their input and ask any clarifying questions. These sessions can foster deeper understanding and connections between staff and the public and help community members refine and focus their feedback as they receive clarification.

When to use it

Community office hours are useful for projects that focus on a specific geographic area or impact a particular community, such as community plan updates or infrastructure projects. They are especially effective for addressing questions and building relationships with community members.

How to do it

Before

  • Consider providing office hour availability at different times of day/days of the week to accommodate different schedules.
  • Choose venues that are fully accessible, including parking, entrances and restrooms. Choose venues near transit and that have adequate parking.
  • Consider using Microsoft Bookings to create and manage meeting times and schedules. If multiple staff members are involved, simultaneous time slots can be set up and offered across different locations. This allows community members to easily view and schedule open times on staff’s Outlook calendars, reducing the administrative burden on staff. For setup and configuration of Microsoft Bookings or other approved software, consult with the department’s Information Systems Analyst and/or Department of Information Technology (accessible to City staff only). Learn more about Microsoft Bookings.
  • Conduct outreach to invite participation, such as using email notifications, flyers or social media. Include details about the location, date, time and how to sign up for a time slot.
  • Update the project webpage with the same information and scheduling link so that anyone interested can easily sign up for office hours.

During

  • Have relevant materials on hand such as draft documents, maps or other visual aids that can help facilitate the conversation.
  • Allow community members to ask questions and share ideas. Document their input. This could be done via a spreadsheet including the participant’s name and contact information in case staff need to follow up with the participant.
  • Note any next steps in the project and future opportunities for engagement.

After

  • Analyze the input to identify common themes and inform project decisions.
  • Follow up with people who had specific questions that staff was not able to answer in the moment.

Resource considerations

Cost: Minimal

There is no cost for this technique outside of any room reservations and printing materials, if needed.

Time: Moderate

Planning community office hours can take about a month to create outreach materials and advertise the opportunity. Office hours can be hosted over the course of a few weeks.

Capacity: Minimal to Moderate

At least two and up to four staff are recommended to help advertise, conduct and analyze input from office hours, depending on the number of office hour sessions being conducted.

How to make it more inclusive

  • Offer virtual office hours options via video conferencing platforms for those who cannot attend in person.
  • Identify any language access needs in advance.
  • Allow for some flexibility for walk-in sessions to accommodate participants who may not have scheduled ahead of time.
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