This text is part of the special publication Public consultations
The Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) is taking advantage of its twentieth anniversary to launch a reflection on the practice of public consultation. This takes the form of a symposium entitled Montreal participates!, which will be held on October 26 and 27 at the Maison du développement durable.
The OCPM made the wise decision to ask the Villes Régions Monde (VRM) network to collaborate in the development of the symposium, and three of its members, namely Laurence Bherer, professor of political science at the University of Montreal, Florence Paulhiac , professor of urban studies at UQAM, and Mario Gauthier, professor of social sciences at UQO, have agreed to act as organizers. “By calling on the VRM network, specifies Florence Paulhiac, the OCPM immediately recognized that it was perhaps not in the best position to assess itself. »
VRM currently brings together approximately 70 researchers, most of them from Quebec, but also a few foreign researchers, who have a common interest in urban studies, explains Mario Gauthier. He adds that “the goal, of course, is to collaborate and benefit students, but also to ensure the transfer of knowledge to stakeholders in urban affairs”.
Discuss best practices
The objective of the symposium is first to examine the OCPM’s public consultation practices. “When we accepted the mandate two years ago, we quickly realized that there were very few studies on OCPM practices,” says Florence Paulhiac. Our first task therefore consisted of collecting data on the OCPM and analyzing it in order to identify avenues for reflection. »
The organizers have also made the decision to go beyond the strict framework of the activities of the OCPM. “Yes, the OCPM is at the heart of our approach, but public consultations take place elsewhere than in Montreal,” points out Mario Gauthier. How are they different? Is the knowledge transferable? What are the best practices? These questions made us understand that the symposium should also examine the very practice of public consultation. »
The organizers have therefore adopted an approach based on three axes. “First, you have to do a retrospective of the activities of the last twenty years in order to identify the evolution of the practice,” explains Florence Paulhiac. Then, it is necessary to take a critical look at this practice in order to distinguish what works from what does not work. And finally, you have to look ahead. What will be the new social challenges that will require public consultation? And how should public consultation evolve to meet these new challenges? »
Viewpoints on the OCPM
Among the speakers, Pierre Houssais, Director of Prospective and Public Dialogue of Grand-Lyon, will give the opening conference. “Mr. Houssais is familiar with Montreal and he has come on many occasions because he is very interested in the work done by the OCPM,” says Ms.me Paulhiac. And Mario Gauthier to clarify: “Of course, there will be comparisons between the ways of doing things in Montreal and those that are done in Lyon. But the bulk of his speech will focus instead on what he retains from the practices of the OCPM, what he observed and what he was able to learn from them. »
Evolution of the consultations, role of the OCPM over time, social observations of such approaches, lessons to be drawn from them… this day and a half will be an opportunity for the VRM network to present the results of its research through a dozen of activities.
Who do we hope to see participate in the symposium? “We hope to cast the widest possible net, specifies Mario Gauthier: academics, students, public decision-makers and civil society actors. In short, all those concerned by the public consultation. »
Three panels not to be missed
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