Empowering Surrey-White Rock: Community Priorities Through Collaborative Engagement
Sponsored by MLA Gordon Hogg and facilitated by Ethelo, this initiative brought together over 40 community leaders and residents to identify high-impact priorities that would make their community more caring, resilient, and connected. Using a combination of in-person focus groups and Ethelo’s innovative online platform, participants collaboratively identified 21 initiatives across eight key focus areas. The process was designed to be transparent and inclusive, allowing citizens to weigh in, share over 100 comments, and even propose six new ideas. The result? A clear, community-backed shortlist of the top five initiatives, reflecting the collective voice of Surrey-White Rock residents.
This project not only demonstrated the power of technology in fostering civic engagement but also highlighted the importance of collaboration between community members, leaders, and government representatives. The overwhelmingly positive response—89% support for the top initiatives—underscored the success of the process, which was celebrated in local media like the Peace Arch News and Local Web News.
89% for
for final shortlist
50 community
leaders
MLA, Surrey White Rock
CASE STUDY: SURREY/WHITE ROCK, BRITISH COLUMBIA – EMPOWERING COMMUNITY PRIORITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
WHO
The Constituency Association of Surrey/White Rock, in collaboration with MLA Gordon Hogg, used Ethelo’s innovative platform to engage citizens in identifying and prioritizing community initiatives.
GOALS
The project aimed to foster a sense of ownership and transparency while identifying high-impact initiatives to make the Surrey-White Rock community more “caring, resilient, and connected.” The use of technology was central to empowering residents and ensuring broad participation.
HOW
Ethelo facilitated a seamless process for collecting votes and comments, enabling citizens to dynamically engage in selecting community priorities. The project combined in-person consultations with an online platform to maximize accessibility and participation.
OUTCOME
The process resulted in a transparent shortlist of five local initiatives with the highest level of public support. Over 40 community members participated, contributing 112 comments and suggesting six new initiatives. The platform achieved a 42% participation rate, with an average of 2.6 comments per user, allowing the local MLA to identify priorities that resonated with the community.
CONTEXT
Sponsored by MLA Gordon Hogg, this project sought to harness technology to empower the Surrey-White Rock community. As highlighted in the Peace Arch News, the initiative was part of a broader effort to use digital tools to engage citizens in decision-making. Ethelo was chosen for its ability to identify broadly supported strategies and facilitate meaningful collaboration, making it an ideal partner for this community-driven process.
APPROACH
On June 25, 2014, Ethelo’s team facilitated a focus group of nearly 50 community leaders and members, including service recipients and recognized “movers and shakers,” to identify key issues affecting the community. Using a world café-style approach, participants discussed and prioritized actions for collaboration. Following the in-person meeting, Ethelo consolidated the results and worked with the MLA’s office to draft background information, organizing 21 proposed initiatives into eight focus areas.
The initiatives were then uploaded to the Ethelo platform, where participants could weigh in and score proposals. The platform was opened to the public for two months, with extensive promotion to encourage participation. This digital democracy process was designed to make the process accessible and inclusive, allowing residents to engage at their convenience.
RESULTS
The online process saw over 40 participants voting and contributing more than 100 comments, along with six new initiative suggestions. Ethelo’s platform analyzed the data and identified the top five proposals with the strongest and broadest support (Fig. 3). These results informed the Constituency Association’s priority-setting for their government efforts on behalf of the community.
The initiative received positive coverage in the Peace Arch News, which highlighted the innovative use of technology to empower residents. The article emphasized how the process allowed citizens to “have their say” in shaping the community’s future. Additionally, Local Web News profiled the consultation through an interview with MLA Gordon Hogg and Ethelo’s CEO, John Richardson, further underscoring the project’s success.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
This case study demonstrates how technology, combined with thoughtful community engagement, can empower residents to shape their future. By leveraging Ethelo’s platform, Surrey-White Rock set a powerful example of how digital tools can enhance civic participation and drive meaningful change.
“When Metro Vancouver conducted a study of issues that residents felt were most important, it was anticipated that the frontrunners would be poverty and homelessness. Instead, the biggest issues were people feeling isolated and alone – how do you get people engaged?”
