Before we could garner input from stakeholders, we needed to level the playing field. We had to educate people about what a long-range facilities plan is – and isn’t – and the factors that influence decision-making.
See our approach to the Vancouver School Board's long-range facilities plan.
In 2019, the Vancouver School Board retained Spur Communication to engage Vancouverites as part of their long-range facilities planning. We executed a robust communication and engagement program to develop a long-term vision for modern learning within Vancouver Schools, focusing on seismically safe, modern learning environments.
This project presented several key hurdles to overcome. We were up to the challenge.
Before we could garner input from stakeholders, we needed to level the playing field. We had to educate people about what a long-range facilities plan is – and isn’t – and the factors that influence decision-making.
We had to discuss emotionally charged issues among deeply invested stakeholders. We worked hard to pull in students, family members, teachers, staff and administrators, and ensure we heard from LGBTQAI2S+ and BIPOC folks, as well as Indigenous peoples.
The second phase of our engagement was set to unroll when COVID-19 hit. Our team pivoted nimbly away from in-person meetings, developing 10 equally generative virtual workshops for participants.
School boards must continually consult with their stakeholders. This can lead to engagement fatigue. Add in a pandemic and our audiences were worn out. We needed to pull people in and make it count.
For Phase I, Spur designed and executed a multi-pronged communication and engagement program. We developed a sub-brand look and feel, social media content, email marketing and web content. We also designed and executed an online consultation with families, students, community members and staff.
When Phase II was set to unroll in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team pivoted nimbly away from in-person meetings, developing equally generative virtual workshops for participants. We hosted 10 digital dialogues across three weeks at a range of strategic times. We intentionally created spaces specifically for students, for families, for community members and for self-identified Indigenous stakeholders.
We developed a sub-brand to make this particular program stand out – while ensuring it related back to the Vancouver School Board in a clear way.
A strong response starts with a powerful marketing push. We got the word out through social media content, email marketing and web content – all coordinated and strategically timed.
We designed and executed an online consultation that attracted families, students, community members and staff. It was easy to understand and “sticky”, with most visitors sticking around to answer our questions.
In the midst of COVID-19, we hosted 10 digital dialogues over three weeks at a range of strategic times. We intentionally created spaces specifically for students, for families, for community members and for self-identified Indigenous stakeholders.
This project had an ambitious scope of engagement and rolled out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, we achieved great successes. Here are just a few spotlight statistics.
Our team analyzed the wealth of quantitative and qualitative feedback we received. We produced key recommendations for VSB and its trustees in a 66-page report which was professionally designed and summarized into easy-to-read and share infographics. Our key takeaways were published across VSB platforms in a coordinated push to close the loop for all stakeholders. The report was unanimously approved by the board.
We have worked with the Spur team on a number of communication and engagement projects now. At each step, they’ve come prepared, understood what we needed, and engaged students, their family members, staff and stakeholders meaningfully. I welcome the chance to work with them again in the future.
