The second phase of the benchmarking process focuses largely on workshop preparations and logistics, involving planning and organisation with a client and the CRCWSC. Providers develop an understanding of both the live polling system and the web interface, their use and how to make the necessary preparations for the workshop.

1. Initial Setup and emails

Following the pre-planning meeting with the client and finalising the workshop date, providers may like to send an email to the client outlining the next steps and the material required to set up the workshop, along with the agreed timeline. The WSC Index benchmarking workshop information email to clients provides all the necessary information, instructions and materials to assist a client in preparing for the workshop, including developing the participant invitee list, communication with participants prior to the workshop and workshop requirements. The following supporting material should also be sent with the email:

• WSC Index rating guides (for participants) – Note: there are 7 rating guides, one for each goal. Clients send to participants to prepare for the workshop and also print copies for the workshop. Participants should be encouraged to complete the pre-work (data collection and pre-scoring indicators), though it is not essential that participants complete the work.
• Benchmarking workshop participant invitee list examples – Provide information about the mix of workshop participants and their roles and organisations. Clients may use this to assist with preparing their workshop invitee list.
• Invitee indicator assignment  spreadsheet – Clients and providers may use to help prepare the invitee list, to ensure that there are workshop participants to score each indicator.
• WSC Index benchmarking workshop email templates – Clients can use these templates to communicate with participants about the Index and the workshop (purpose, why attend, how to prepare, location, date and time).
• WSC Index Benchmarking Workshop Agenda template – Clients update highlighted sections, and send to participants to advise of workshop activities.

It is recommended that providers review the email to clients and insert the organisation and other details as required before sending the email to a client. Providers may also like to read the WSC Index benchmarking workshop email templates to understand what may be communicated between the client and participants.

Note: a workshop run sheet is also available (refer to Workshop set up resources section 4), but could be sent at a later date so that the client does not receive all supporting material at the same time and has time to complete all necessary pre-workshop planning.

Initial Setup resources

• WSC Index use of client data information and acknowledgment
• Workshop information email to clients
• Workshop suggested email templates
• WSC Index Benchmarking agenda
• Workshop participant invitee list examples
• Invitee indicator assignment spreadsheet

Rating guides - for participants

1. Ensure good water sensitive governance
2. Increase community capital
3. Equity of essential services
4. Improve productivity and resource efficiency
5. Improve ecological health
6. Ensure quality urban space
7. Promote adaptive infrastructure

• Compiled rating guides for participants

2. Note-taking sheets and guidance

Providers can either nominate two note-takers from their team or advise the client to nominate two note-takers from their organisation for the workshop. Note-takers document all comments when scoring the indicators during the workshop. If requesting the client nominate note-takers, it is recommended that providers speak with clients about the particulars including the note-taker role, prerequisites and assessment. The note-taker requites and assessment document outlines the note-taker responsibilities, requisites and assessment process. Note-takers should be capable of capturing information relating to the polling scores and final scores, scoring justification, including supporting data and the confidence level of the final score. The guidance for benchmarking workshop note-takers document is a resource available for note-takers. The document has detailed information about data that should be recorded during the workshop and this data may be recorded in room 1, room 2 and group notes documents.

Note-taking resources 

• Note-taker requisites and assessment
• Guidance for benchmarking workshop note-takers
• Room 1 notes:  Biophysical indicators
• Room 2 notes: Socio-political indicators
• Group notes: Quality urban space

3. Polling system and web platform

During the workshop, participants score indicators using a live polling system (Mentimeter). Login information will be sent to providers prior to first workshop delivery. The document, using the polling system (Mentimeter) outlines how to run the live polling system.

It is recommended that providers become familiar with the WSC Index web interface. The web interface is an interactive and engaging platform that presents Index benchmarking results and allows for interpretation and use of the results. The understanding and navigating the WSC Index web interface document provides detailed descriptions of the different components of the web interface and how to use the tool. Additionally, to understand how to use the tool most effectively, it is recommended that providers watch detailed videos that walk-through each section of the web interface. The videos are available under the Instructional Videos section.

Polling system and web platform resources

• Using the polling system (Mentimeter)
• Understanding and navigating the WSC Index web interface

4. Other workshop preparation and resources

A number of other tasks may be completed and resources downloaded prior to the workshop.

It is suggested that providers may like to:

• Download and send the WSC Index benchmarking workshop agenda and run sheet to the client. The run sheet outlines the tasks for both providers and clients on the day of the workshop. Providers may send the run sheet to the client at a later date to reduce the number of resources that the client receives at one time and to give client time to focus on initial preparations.

• Download and update the workshop slide pack (for providers only) - The workshop slide pack is a PowerPoint presentation (PPP) that providers may use throughout the workshop. It contains slides with all the relevant information about the CRCWSC, the WSC Index, key messages, the purpose and objectives of the workshop, the benchmarking process and slide templates to insert the results. The workshop slide pack should be downloaded and updated with the relevant information both prior to the workshop and during the workshop, as outlined in the comments in the PPP. Several slides about the CRCWSC have been included and relevant slides may be used as needed and others deleted if not required.

• Print the city comparison documents (for providers only) - When presenting the results to the group and to assist providers with discussions, the indicator results for a number of other cities and areas have been provided in the city comparison documents (3 documents in total with results for 4 areas in each document). The documents may be used to compare the benchmarking results with the results from other cities/areas to identify differences, similarities and to stimulate discussion. Note: This resource is for reference and use by providers only and should not be shared with participants.

• Print the WSC Index rating guides with facilitator notes (for providers only) - When facilitating indicator scoring discussions, providers may like to refer to the WSC Index rating guides with facilitator notes. There are 7 guides, one for each goal, and can be used as a reference to prompt and support discussion. These resources contain information about each indicator specifically, the differences between each rating in the hierarchy, specific examples, definitions, common questions and answers, notes and information that should be discussed.

• Download and review table of indicator relationships (for provider reference only) - Providers may like to review the table of indicator relationships prior to the workshop to better understand how the indicators are linked, related and weighted with respect to the city states, WSC outcomes and practices. The relationship may be queried by participants during Index benchmarking workshops. This tabulated spreadsheet shows the indicator measures to the city states, outcomes and practices with information about their relationships to the Index.

Other workshop preparation and resources

• Benchmarking workshop agenda and run sheet for clients and providers
• Table of indicator relationships (facilitator use only)
• City comparison 1  (facilitator use only)
• City comparison 2  (facilitator use only)
• City comparison 3  (facilitator use only)
• WSC Index workshop slide pack

Rating guides - for facilitators only

1. Ensure good water sensitive governance
2. Community capital
3. Equity of essential services
4. Improve productivity and resource efficiency
5. Improve ecological health
6. Ensure quality urban space
7. Promote adaptive infrastructure

• Workshop setup checklist

Please refer to the guidance manual for full details about the Workshop set up phase and process

The workshop has three main stages: the pre-workshop set up and introduction, indicator scoring and presentation and discussion of results. The workshop run sheet contains specific details about workshop logistics on the day for both the client and the provider and the workshop slide pack contains slides to support each phase of workshop delivery. It is recommended that the workshop slide pack and the workshop run sheet are downloaded from the workshop set up phase above and reviewed for this section.

• Workshop delivery checklist
• link to Participant survey

Please refer to the guidance manual for full details about the Workshop delivery phase and process

In the final phase of the benchmarking process tasks are completed to finalise a project, including entering all project data on the web interface, preparing and submitting the final report to the client,  and ensuring web interface access for clients.

Web interface data entry

Following the workshop, justification notes and confidence levels are to be added to the project city/area on the web interface. For further information about how to enter data on the web platform, please refer to the understanding and navigating the WSC Index web platform document under the Workshop set up phase. Note: Care should be taken when entering notes, as clients and participants are able to view the results.

Final report submission

A number of sample WSC Index benchmarking reports and the WSC Index logo are available below. The CRCWSC Index reporting template is also available as a reference. Please refer to the guidance manual chapter 4 - Post-workshop, for Index reporting guidelines.

Post-Workshop Resources

• Post-workshop checklist
• WSC Index Logo

Sample Reports 

The following reports are provided as samples only.  The information contained within the reports contain confidential information pertaining to the client and area and must not be shared with other parties.

• CRCWSC Index Reporting Template
• WSC Index Report - Cockburn WA
• WSC Index Report - Mildura
• WSC Index Report - Moonee Valley City Council

Please refer to the guidance manual for full details about the Post-workshop phase and process