This webinar looked into how public health actors can establish collaborations with municipalities—with a practical focus. It took place on November 3rd, 2021.
Description
Municipal decision making and interventions have an influence on health protection and promotion, which makes municipalities key partners for the public health sector. The past year has shown that such collaborations remain utterly relevant both throughout the COVID-19 crisis and to support recovery. But how can alliances with the municipal sector be made?
In this webinar, we first outlined the typical structure and operations of Canadian municipalities. We then presented an overview of a practical guide meant to support public health actors as they attempt to establish collaborations with municipalities: whom they should approach, how to initiate contact, tips for framing their messages, etc. This was followed by lessons learned from the experience of the Grey Bruce Health Unit (Ontario) in collaborating with surrounding municipalities. This included recommendations on establishing and strengthening municipal connections, integrating health policies into community planning and ensuring impact at multiple levels of municipal government. The webinar also highlighted how collaboration with municipal partners supported the public health response to emergency preparedness throughout the pandemic.
The webinar was interactive, and participants were invited to share their own lessons learned in collaborations with municipalities.
This webinar was particularly intended for public health practitioners, decision makers and researchers who are relatively new to establishing partnerships with municipalities. For those already engaged in meaningful collaborations, it provided insights into how public health colleagues have managed such collaborations over time.
By the end of this webinar, participants were able to:
- Describe how municipalities work in Canada in general terms;
- Identify key steps for establishing and maintaining collaborations with municipalities;
- Reflect on lessons learned from actual collaborations.
Webinar Recording
PPT Presentation
Collaborating with Municipalities: A Practical Point of View
32 slides
PPT Presentation
Municipal Engagement Strategy
23 slides
To consult all the useful resources on how to build healthy communities, mentioned by Jason Weppler during the webinar, please visit the Grey Bruce Public Health Unit website.
Speakers
Florence Morestin
Scientific Advisor, National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP)
Florence is trained in political science (IEP Aix-en-Provence) and community health (M.Sc. (Hon.), Université de Montréal). She joined the NCCHPP in 2009 following many years working in international public health during which she acquired experience in field intervention, in policy development, in research, and in knowledge sharing. At the NCCHPP, she is in charge of the Knowledge Sharing project that focuses on ways to have public health knowledge considered in the context of public policy development. She also contributes to the project Analyzing Public Policies.
Jason Weppler
Manager, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Grey Bruce Health Unit
Jason has been employed at the Grey Bruce Health Unit since 2008. For the majority of his public health career, Jason’s portfolio has consistently focused on the built environment, Health in All Policies as well as supporting the development of the Health Unit’s county and municipal alignment strategy.