Given that physical, face-to-face interactions were not possible, the organising team had to manage their expectations about the potential outcomes.
Mr Lewis Liu, also from MCCY, said: “Initially, we felt that a virtual engagement wasn't going to be as efficient or productive as a face-to-face discussion, so we made a deliberate choice to be realistic in what our potential outcomes could be.”
The team split the engagement process into two phases: Phase 1 to familiarise participants with the topics and with one another, and Phase 2 for content creation, with the hope that the COVID-19 situation would improve later in the year.
While it took some time for everyone to get used to the virtual format, the engagement sessions were well-received by participants. The participants also expressed the desire to meet their fellow workgroup members in person.