The strategy has been developed by Dunedin City Council staff over three years to prioritise the activities of the council in social areas.
Seeking approval from councillors to start consultation on the draft, council events and community development manager Rebecca Williams said the strategy was viewed as one of a few core documents, including the spatial plan, the economic development strategy and the arts and culture strategy, which would provide strategic direction on some level for all 48 of the council's current strategies or policies.
It was envisaged those strategies and policies would then become "action plans" for implementing the overarching strategies, she said.
Several council departments had already been involved in the development of the strategy, and would continue to be during the comprehensive consultation phase.
The consultation programme would include calls for written submissions, as well as workshops with a broad range of community organisations and "geographic workshops" with well-connected community and community board members, who could also learn to carry out their own localised consultation if desired.
There would be one workshop in the central city for areas not covered by a community board.
There would also be "planned random" consultation with individuals who might not otherwise provide feedback.
Information gathered in consultation would be made viewable on the council's website, if submitters agreed.
A steering group would consider the consultation findings and approve recommended changes to the draft strategy.
The community development committee approved the draft this week.
It was hoped to report back to the committee on November 26, Ms Williams said.
