Our Process

We’re different because of our approach. BCHC is one of the few organizations in Canada to combine the fields of planning and public health, using the strengths of both disciplines to support communities as they make the decisions that will shape their community members’ lives for years to come. Because of this, we have redesigned traditional planning, policy, and public engagement processes from the bottom up to ensure better impacts and outcomes.

At BC Healthy Communities, we see health and well-being as the foundation of a thriving society, one that is resilient and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. When communities are designed to facilitate health and well-being, maintaining one’s health becomes less of an individual undertaking, and more of a natural part of everyday life. When people don’t have to spend as much time, money, energy and capacity worrying about their health, they have more of these things to devote to their families, their careers, and their communities.

We’re not the experts. You are. We know that context is important, and that every community is unique. As an interdisciplinary organization, we understand the power of using multiple kinds of knowledge – such as lived experience, academic research, traditional knowledge, and case studies – to leverage the unique strengths of your community and respond to the challenges of today. This intersectional approach is a foundational element to our work.

Built-in evaluation supports mean better outcomes. Health and well-being is not a box that can be checked; it’s a process of continuous improvement and movement forward. That’s why we have dedicated evaluation professionals on staff to support communities as they transform their goals into measurable objectives and document their progress along the way. Through this process, we can also reflect on the achievements of communities across the province, incorporating them into our own learnings and practices to provide better service to you.