Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
Appendix A: Stakeholder Commitment Levels
During the consultation phase, the Consulting Team was tasked with assessing the current level of
commitment each group had to assisting the municipality with implementing the strategic plan.
This section contains details of that assessment, based on discussions that occurred between
October 2013 and January 2014. It is important to note that it may be premature to judge the level
of commitment from these groups given that at the time, there were no concrete opportunities
before them. Community engagement is an ongoing process that is facilitated by frequent, open
communication and role modeling by community leaders.
The General Public
At the beginning of the strategic planning process, efforts to recruit community members to the
Steering Committee were unsuccessful. This suggests a level of disengagement or lack of
understanding of the strategic planning process in the public at large. The Public Consultation was
well-attended by 30 people. During the session, participants engaged in the discussion and
contributed ideas and feedback.
Seniors
Cochrane is fortunate to have a dedicated volunteer base, particularly among seniors. The Seniors
focus group was very well-attended, and it is clear that this sector is committed to strengthening
and building the community.
Youth
The Mayor and Council have successfully established connections with the youth leadership
program at the high school. This was reflected by the excellent turnout of young people who
attended the Youth Focus Group. We note however that many members of this cohort will soon be
leaving the community for college or university; it will be important to develop some type of
process for continual recruitment.
Health/Social Services/Recreation
While the number of attendees at the Health/Social Services/Recreation focus group was small,
those that attended were the “right” people and the session was creative and productive. For
example, there is a strong emphasis in the community on recreational programming, and many
volunteers are interested in helping; commitment is not an issue in this particular segment. In the
health and Social Services area, attendees expressed their interest in partnering on projects that
would improve social and health indicators. The Inninew Friendship Centre also renewed its
commitment to providing services, such as medical transportation, for the community at large.
Agriculture
Attendance at the Agriculture session was very good. Local growers are aware of the changing
agricultural landscape in Ontario, and appear open to change that will take advantage of emerging
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