Video 3:9 Transcript

Interview with Carol Bergum and Diane Enger

Kelly Jerrott: A little bit about how we got things done, and how some of those projects that we talked about, whether it’s the planning for integration or building, including a park and including arts in the particular development or special projects  – looking at how you use the cultural value and the impact of the project, and how that would contribute to a community. And how you did that? What are some of the things that you used to explain that? And when you were maybe pitching the project or trying to get it approved, or just talking a little bit about what that looked like in real life. And how you might have used that, whether it was getting your team on board, or the approval through, in this case, that local government level with our city council or supervisors first, and then at city council, or even as we’re trying to build partnerships with other communities. So what were some of the, just some examples of some of the things that you used, and how you might have put that together to use that cultural value, to move things forward and get things done?

Carol Bergum: Think one of the things that was, really, just as simple as making people aware that we were working together. There’s always that, in any organization, they always talk about siloing, and everybody gets focused in their own area. And even if you’re moving something forward for your area, if you can share, like in our case, with supervisors or with counsel, the fact that we’ve been working very closely with these other departments, and we have taken into account these things that are very important for this community. For instance, in St. Albert, arts and culture and recreation in particular are very, very important components of the whole community. And so if we could demonstrate that these are the sorts of things we are taking into account that are important to you, and this is why we’re putting this recommendation forward, then people see that there’s greater depth that has gone into what you’re proposing. And there’s greater implications across the community, and with other departments. So even that can help when you’re trying to explain and move something forward.

Caitie McKinnon: So what does that look like, when you’re trying to take something that might have been an informal coffee meeting and put it into a more formal kind of show of backing? What does that kind of look like in that?

Diane Enger: Good question, Caitie. So maybe just to jump on that, and what Carol was saying is, for me, what’s really important, is when you’re trying to move an idea along, and influence and bring everyone on board is, you really have to understand is – What is the driver or the motivator for everyone? Everyone has something a little bit different, whether it’s a different department, or whether it’s the community organizations.

So like, if we’re moving a project forward, engineering probably wants to know about all the technical details. And planning wants to know, “Are you following the land use file on all those pieces?” And culture wants to know, “How does my art fit in?” and “How do we get some cultural connectedness here?” and what about all of the other cultural partners, or community organizations want to know what’s in it for them?

So one of the ways we formalize that is by being clear on our purpose and objectives, and then doing some really good engaging and listening to – What is important to you in this project? Whether it’s an internal department or a community organization. Formally doing a bit of a circulation, and having them, well, you can either do a written or verbal or, however. But, really, gathering from them, what’s important to them, what are their drivers? And then as you move the project forward, being aware of, what’s important to each of these players and how do we address that? And how do we ensure that everyone’s needs and drives are met moving forward, and communicating that back to them. Making sure that when we’re talking back to the engineers, that you’re highlighting – what are those things that were important to them, and how is that happening? When you’re talking to a community organization – what is it that they told you was important in this project? How are you then communicating that back to them that, that is happening?

Bergum: Mmhmm. It’s kind of those feedback loops, that are so important that you need to incorporate. And we talk about that somewhat when we do community engagement, but maybe not so much when we do that with other groups internally to an organization. And thinking of almost different ways of engaging with our our colleagues as well.

Enger: A real practical example is, we have major events in the city. Over 100 community events are hosted in St. Albert every year. And the city doesn’t, we deliver very few directly, but support many organizations in that. So when our events teams come together, they actually have a circulation form that they send to every department to say – “Here’s the event. Here’s what’s happening. Please provides your comments, and input your opportunities, your challenges. What you need.” It’s all documented and shared so everyone can see each other’s. And then all of those items are addressed internally as a team. And then that is used to help organize and deliver an event. And then again, the communication loops going back, so when it’s documented, there’s follow up based on what everyone’s input was, originally. And then, hopefully, that helps for a smooth event at the end of the day, and less, I guess, misunderstandings or conflicts along the way. So an actual formal process where there is a review in circulation and then the communication and feedback loops.

Jerrott: Now, what about in a formal situation? I know with, if we have a project, if it’s a capital project or a special project that maybe we put in a business case, how would you put that together in a written form if it was part of a formal proposal? Can you give us just a couple of examples of each of those, and kind of what that would look like? So for somebody new starting in the field, what would that look like in terms of how it would be presented to a supervisor, or at the council level, or somebody who has to make a decision on whether or not this goes forward?

Bergum: That’s a good one. I think – I’ll try. (laughs) I think it’s, really, making sure that it’s captured in your documents. Not only just, a lot of times I’ve seen some where you actually just have a checklist – “Who are your stakeholders?” And so, this department, this department, this department. But, perhaps, it’s actually providing a bit more information about the key partners. So for instance, right now, we’re working on a big project to update our permit processing software, and the Information Services department has a huge role to play in that. So when you’re putting forward a business case for that, you’re not just going to say I.S. is a partner. You’re going to say their involvement would include this, this, and this. And explain a bit more about, kind of, their perspective, have them actually draft it. Put that together so that you can combine it from different departments. And so it’s not just this is my project, it’s these are all the players. And they each have a piece. And if you describe it,and explain it, put it forward. That way, it starts to almost come in their voice as well. And so it can show that, look, we are working together. This is a collaborative effort, and this is what we all need for this to move forward.

Jerrott: That’s a key word there. Hey, Carol? It’s a collaborative effort, and becoming a – “We are applying,” instead of, or it’s not just that one department you’ve gotten the ownership from a number of different departments who contributed to exactly up a vested interest in it going forward. Diane, anything?

Enger: So maybe just to add on to that. And you know, when you’re talking about capital project, Kelly. If someone has never done that before, how do you get it rolling? Well, in St. Albert and recreation, often the projects are come from grass roots. So they come from the community, and the community brings ideas forward. And so it’s really important that you have a needs assessment, a feasibility and understanding. Does it align the services? What’s the goal? What’s the purpose? What’s, how is it going to benefit the community? So asking all of those questions up right front, to verify is really important. And then to get into a business case, something for council, it really does need to align to policies, legislation, guidelines, council priorities.

So finding whatever. I’m a big believer in data and analytics, and that your data helps you to support your ideas, and your data also helps you to explain. And so when you’re working with many different partners, the data helps people to understand where things are going, and why you’re doing what you’re doing. And just making sure you find those connections to whatever it is. So for community organizations, it’s about their utilization and their need for more facilities, or whatever. From a council perspective, it could be, How does it all link to their council priorities of growth and development, or whatever. And from our internal perspective, financing, how are we going to finance it, and how does that align? So again, it’s going back to all the different players, and what are the drivers for them, and how then to align your communication and your messaging, and your conversations with the various groups based on the drivers.