Public engagement

As part of our efforts to provide the best possible care and service to the people of the province, NL Health Services has a comprehensive Public Engagement Framework that outlines why, how and when we engage.

NL Health Services uses public engagement to gather public feedback. By seeking input on decisions, issues and opportunities, we invite individuals, interest holders and partners to share their knowledge, expertise and resources. This helps the organization ensure that decisions are made with the best possible information, sourced not only from best practices and available health data but also from public perception, opinion and experience.

To ensure that our engagement opportunities meet the organization’s standards, the Engagement Framework includes values that connect with  NL Health Services’ values:

• Innovation: We invite the public to engage with us using new and innovative approaches.
• Compassion: We believe those impacted by our decisions have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
• Accountability: We ensure the public have all the information needed to engage meaningfully and to understand why decisions are made.
• Respect: Engagement must respect the voices of those representing our populations and amplify the voices of the most vulnerable.
• Excellence: Engagement supports sustainable decisions and recognizes the needs of all interested parties and decision-makers.

Opportunities for engagement are varied. No single approach will work in every circumstance, and not every decision we make as an organization can benefit from public engagement.

Engagement happens along a continuum or spectrum, adapted from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). The IAP2 is dedicated to advancing public participation and engagement as foundational practices across all organizations and industries. The IAP2 spectrum, tools and techniques are adopted broadly by health-care organizations in North America.

Engagement levels

1. Inform: We will provide the public with balanced and objective information to help them understand the problem, options and opportunities. Our promise to the public: We will keep you informed. 
2. Consult: We will get feedback on analysis and decisions. Our promise to the public: We will listen to your concerns and hopes and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. 
3. Involve: We will work directly with you to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in alternatives developed. Our promise to the public: We will let you know how public feedback influenced the decision. 
4. Collaborate: We will partner with the public on each aspect of the decision. Our promise to the public: We will seek your advice in formulating solutions and incorporate your recommendations to the maximum extent possible. 
5. Empower: We will place the final decision-making authority in the hands of the public. Our promise to the public: We will implement what you decide.

Types of engagement:

NL Health Services engages in various ways, depending on the opportunity and the public involved. Engagement includes information displays, polls and discussion forums, surveys, public meetings, advisory committees, delegated decision-making and more. Engagement may happen online at Engage.NLHealthServices.ca, virtually, or in person.

Our engagement is inclusive:

• When we design public engagement, we will choose activities that provide the best opportunity for those interested and impacted to express their views, have their input considered and hear their voices. 
• We will actively seek ways to reduce potential barriers to participation.
• We will ensure that all participants have access to the information necessary to understand an issue in accessible formats. 
• We will use various tools and approaches to reflect diversity and promote equitable access. 
• We will include the affected public in designing public engagement approaches and encourage them to identify involvement techniques that are meaningful to them.
• We will assess and support the organization’s readiness to engage diverse voices.

Our engagement is people-centred:

• We will ensure there is every reasonable opportunity for those impacted by a decision to contribute meaningfully. 
• We will focus engagement activities on what works best for participants, engaging people where they are.
• Our engagement activities will create a safe environment where all participants feel welcome.
• We will encourage a learning environment in public engagement opportunities; everyone involved should expect to learn from each other’s perspectives. 

Our engagement is trust and relationship-focused:

• We will engage with the public early in the decision-making process and continue engaging from start to finish. 
• We will clearly explain the purpose, goals, objectives and level of engagement, identifying who is making the decision and how public input will be used. 
• We will communicate the potential impact of a decision during the engagement process.
• We will ensure that materials developed for public engagement are factual and transparent about the overall objectives and do not misrepresent project goals in any way.
• We will share the feedback received with those who provided it and invite participants to clarify their feedback, if necessary. 
• A ‘what we heard’ document will be available to everyone on the outcome of a public engagement process. 
• We will communicate with the public if a public engagement process experiences a delay or challenge or if a decision is delayed unexpectedly.

Our engagement is goal-driven and outcome-oriented:

• When we engage, we commit that the public’s contribution will influence the decision or outcome at the level indicated. 
• We will be clear about the public’s role in the process and the decision to be made. 
• We will consider the impacts that a decision may have on the public and will factor that into the decision-making process.
• While we cannot always make the decisions that some may want us to make, we will always explain the reason for decisions to the public. 
• We will evaluate public engagement efforts regularly and report internally and externally for continuous quality improvement.

NL Health Services offers many ways to get involved.

Visit our engagement platform to learn about ongoing engagement opportunities:

Consider becoming a Patient and Family Experience Advisor or joining a Community Advisory Committee. These individuals apply their lived experience to NL Health Services’ problems and opportunities daily and are valuable contributors to the organization’s success.

To learn more about the organization’s Public Engagement Framework, contact:

The Office of Public Engagement: engage@nlhealthservices.ca