In 2009, the Ontario Power Authority engaged Summerhill to complete a community engagement initiative in order to assess the capability and interest of community groups in delivering conservation education and efficiency measures across Ontario.

The community engagement study involved the design and execution of the following deliverables:

• literature review
• stakeholder identification
• on-line survey
• direct outreach
• final report and recommendations

By working with community groups as program partners, incorporating their input at the program design phase and leveraging their existing communication vehicles, these groups will help lend credibility to conservation programs and make their members more likely to participate.

The results of this study provided the OPA with a comprehensive inventory of Ontario community groups ranked by their level of interest in delivering energy conservation programs, along with key contacts at each organization. Summerhill also provided key insights on how to engage community groups and their members as well as a list of recommended, actionable next steps.