By Pepper Parr
December 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Are we in the photo op business now?
Nope – that sphere of interest and public activity belongs to the political sector – the people we pay well above the minimum wage so they can have their pictures taken and convince you they are working on your behalf by doing so.
My first photo op.
The certificate I am holding testifies to my participating in an eight week course; one hour online each week learning how to fully engage a public.
The course is described as “an online course for public sector and non-profit professionals. We’ve packed eight one-hour sessions with some of our best tools for rethinking how you can work more effectively with the public and stakeholders. Drawing on a decade of experience leading hundreds of collaborative, participatory and deliberative projects, we share our approach to working effectively with the public while breaking down why public processes sometimes go awry.
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte signed up for the course – think the city paid for hers – because she wanted to learn more about how best to communicate with the public. Stolte knows that it is much more than getting your picture taken.
One of her concerns is the manner in which the city communications people engage with the public. In the fullness of time, perhaps in the forthcoming election Stolte will speak about where the public engagement can be improved.
