2014-08-19 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda - Pages 102-155

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                           19 AUGUST 2014


Suggestions for improvement from respondents included:

   Incorporate more information and videos and interactive learning;
   More frequent information i.e. emails/information and newsletters;
   Reminders or prompts to complete modules (email campaigns and communications);
   More workshops and events;
   A facebook page, more info on social media;
   More local information, smaller amounts of information like tips that are achievable;
   Simplify the modules;
   More consistency, more frequent communication; and
    More local case studies


Assessment of Program Outcomes

An assessment of the outcomes of the program has been undertaken by posing a number of
questions

1) Is the program achieving its original objectives?

The program’s original objectives were to assist the residential community to live more sustainably while
reducing their ecological footprint and save money on households costs.

The program was identified in SCC strategy documents with the aim of registering 3,000 households by
2015 and 10,000 by 2020. Marketing campaigns occurred with rebranding and a new website was created.
The original website captured information to measure and calculate an individual household’s ecological
footprint. The new website was changed significantly and the collection of quantitative data ceased.
Although registrations increased dramatically there is no quantitative data showing that savings have
occurred. Different methods were used to attract new memberships, prizes were used however module
completion has been low.

2) Is it assisting the community to live more sustainably?

As no quantitative data is collected it is not possible to measure actual reductions, however we know
people have been viewing the website and reading newsletters. Therefore demonstrating people are
interested in living more sustainably.

3) Reach of the campaign message through an online web based program?

The website was receiving approximately 4,206 hits per month in the Jul-Dec 2013 period and 4,361 per
month Jan – May 2014.

The majority of these visits came from the United States and can be attributed to a mistaken website
address. Within Australia, the Brisbane region had the highest amount of traffic to the site, followed by
Sydney and then Melbourne. Approximately 479 hits were from the Sunshine Coast during the Jul-Dec
2013 period. Limited promotion of the program occurred during this time.

As a comparison the biosphere website received an average of 154,405 hits per month over the past five
months, showing that there is a large potential through online web programs.

4) Is there brand recognition regarding the program?

There seems to be local recognition within the local sustainability network, but still relatively low recognition
amongst the broader community no research has been done on this. A few people commented on this in
the survey, suggesting specific marketing campaigns were required to make the program more visible.




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