“When you get the public involved … you get way better results.  When you leave it up to a politician … it takes too much money; it takes too long; and they’ll probably get it wrong!” (Lou Rinaldi, Ontario MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West)

When Ontario MPP Lou Rinaldi opened a media event with this tongue-in-cheek observation last week, he certainly got a good reception from the audience, ranging from nodding heads to roars of laughter.

He was in Belleville, along with staff from Ascentum, for the official launch of the Community Engagement for the South East Local Health Integration’s “Clinical Services Roadmap” initiative – a project to involve communities across the region in helping design measures for improving the way health care services are organized and delivered locally.

Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) were created by the Ontario Government six years ago, as vehicles to bring a local perspective to health system planning.  Part of their role, which they have taken on enthusiastically, is to “engage” or involve members of the public in setting directions and making important decisions about health care.

Ascentum’s excited to be partnering with the team at the South East LHIN on the project.  We’ve worked with them to develop an engagement website and a series of deliberative workbooks to gather informed feedback from local residents, health care workers and community groups.  Through these engagement tools, participants can learn about issues ranging from mental health and addictions to restorative care, and engage in the same tough choices that the LHIN and hospital staff need to make to design a system that meets people’s different needs in different communities.

At the end of the project, the goal is to have plans that truly reflect the values, priorities and views of the local community, as well as clinical evidence and good practice.

And, you can get involved as well!  If you live in southeastern Ontario, or have friends or family there, you can help us spread the word about the project.  It’s a great chance to influence local decision making on heath care – services they are almost certain to need, whether it’s today or tomorrow…  Just go to:

http://www.southeastlhin.on.ca/HealthCareRoadmap

Ellis Westwood and Stephan Telka

We’ve all seen generic or stock images on websites.  The teamwork image of joined hands; the cheerful executive pumping his or her fist while using a laptop; business people embracing each other like they’ve just won the lottery.  These types or stock or generic photos are often added to websites to “jazz them up” or make them more user friendly.  But do they actually work?

According to research by web usability guru, Jakob Nielson, users don’t even notice them.  Based on eyetracking studies, he has examined how people view and interact visually with web pages.  Here are some of his recent findings:

• Posed stock images of “generic” people or models are almost completely ignored by users

• Instead, users are focused on finding the text content they are looking for

• Photos can add to websites when they are of “real people” like employees or participants

This is important to know when designing your next online public engagement website.  It should be designed with the user participant at the centre, allowing them to access the content information they are looking for, and to take part, as simply as possible.

Any photos on the site should be of real people – like the head of the host organization, staff involved, or even of some actual participants who have taken part in the engagement.  These images will be more genuine and effective if finished without glossy effects that can easily make it seem generic.

However, engagement sites should still be content focused.  Participants want to quickly learn about the project, read how their contribution will be used, and to take part.  And that’s the true objective for the site and process.

P.S. I know you’ve probably paid more attention to the generic team image on this page, but according to Nielson’s research, only because I’ve pointed it out!

- Ellis Westwood -

The recently-released Open Government Directive requires all federal agencies to create an open government web site within 60 days that provides the public with opportunities to provide input on the agency’s open government plan, publishes key data sets, and provides information about opportunities to participate in agency activities, among other things.

Here are additional elements that may be included on the sites to address the participation and collaboration goals of the Open Government Directive…

Read more here about participation and open government websites.