"

An Example: Evaluating a Local Government Official Community Plan Using Planetary Health Lenses

13.3 Data collection

Astrid Brousselle and Kai Mountfort

Focus groups were conducted to assess the program theory of the OCP against the Planetary Health Framework’s dimensions. 17 participants were drawn from a range of sectors that could speak to the various dimensions of the Planetary Health Framework, ensuring representation that advocated for, and empowered, the community’s diverse voices and lived experiences.

Participants were recruited through Facebook, word-of-mouth and posters on local bulletin boards. Participants had to be Sooke residents and were selected based on their identities and professional/voluntary associations, as rich knowledge is generated when participants are among “people like themselves” (Krueger, 2014, p. 3). The identities of the focus groups were designed in a way to speak to the different dimensions of the Planetary Health Framework and included:

  1. Social Group,
  2. Nature and Wellness Group,
  3. Business Group,
  4. Governance Group,
  5. District of Sooke Group.

Although the study sought to include the T’sou-ke Nation as one of the focus groups, they were not able to participate due to capacity and timing concerns.

Materials were developed to facilitate the focus groups, including a presentation of the synthesis of the OCP, a summary handout of the OCP policies and actions, and an anonymous questionnaire for participants to systematically assess the OCP following the group discussion.

Participants were asked to respond to four main discussion questions during focus groups:

  • How likely is it that the OCP will achieve its objectives?
  • What do you see as the key strengths of the OCP with regards to planetary health?
  • What do you perceive as the pitfalls or challenges of the OCP with regards to planetary health?
  • Do you think the OCP has the potential to make Sooke a greater contributor to planetary health?

Participants were given time at the end of the focus group to fill out anonymous questionnaires, which provided an avenue to voice all opinions they might not have shared during the focus group sessions.

About the authors

name: Astrid Brousselle

institution: University of Victoria

Astrid Brousselle is a professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria. Her expertise relates to the approaches, theories and evaluative methods that she applies to the field of health and to Planetary Health. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Montreal. Before joining the University of Victoria as the Director of the School, she held a Canada Research Chair in Evaluation and Analysis of the Health System at the University of Sherbrooke (Prov. of Quebec).

name: Kai Mountfort

Kai holds a Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science (Biology and Earth & Ocean Sciences), and a Diploma in Business Administration, all from the University of Victoria. His academic pursuits included a directed study on Chinook salmon population dynamics and a thesis on planetary health evaluation of the District of Sooke’s Official Community Plan.

His professional journey began with co-op placements at the Canadian Wildlife Service, followed by a role as a wildlife biologist, where he contributed to biodiversity conservation programs and developed guidelines for Indigenous conservation requests. Transitioning to the Government of BC, Kai now serves as a conservation policy analyst, focusing on wetland protection, regulatory amendments, and Indigenous capacity funding.

Dedicated to protecting Earth’s habitability, Kai is driven to make an impact on biodiversity and climate change through policy and advocacy. He lives in Sooke, BC, with his family on the traditional unceded territories of the T’sou-ke Nation and the Scia’new Nation. He is actively involved in the local agricultural community and enjoys outdoor activities, envisioning a future off-grid homestead.

 

 

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Foundations of Evaluation for Planetary Health Copyright © 2026 by Astrid Brouselle is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book