One of the biggest issues local governments battle is maintaining communication with their citizens. Luckily, the rise in digital government solutions is making community engagement easier to accomplish, as long as you have the right tools.
Here are four of the best solutions you can employ for better and more proactive communication.
1. Citizen Request System
A Citizen Request System (CRS) provides citizens with an easy way to report issues and a streamlined way for government staff to provide updates. This type of solution improves two-way communication between citizens and government because it allows residents to send reports and information to the correct government entity through any digital means (desktop, laptop and mobile device). The best part about a CRS is that it allows citizens to track the reports they send, so they can follow them all the way through to completion.
2. Community Engagement Solutions
Community Engagement Solutions (CES) encourage ongoing discussion, are inclusive and allow citizens to make their voices heard on important issues such as upcoming city planning or changes to public transportation infrastructure.
CivicLive’s new CES provides your municipality with a safe and secure location-based engagement tool that makes it easy for decision makers to connect with citizens as they take part in public consultations and discussions. CivicLive’s geo-verification technology allows municipalities to conduct discussions within a specific area, zeroing in on the residents in a neighbourhood or borough for whom the topic is most relevant, ultimately creating a more personalized experience.
3. Polls & Surveys
Get ahead on hot topics by engaging citizens with polls and surveys. Both are great for getting feedback and giving your residents an opportunity to share their opinions on city matters. Polls and surveys are easy to put together and can be shared on your website, in emails and via social media. In fact several social media sites, such as Twitter and Instagram now have options that let you easily incorporate simple polls in your posts.
4. Social Media
The success of social media is that it makes connecting so simple. It’s easy to update your constituents and engage with them on a regular basis when you incorporate social media into your governance strategy. Sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram allow local governments to make fast updates and spread information quickly to anyone following your account or page.
The Key to Proactive Communication
There’s no one right way to be proactive in your communication. There are however, a variety of strategies and digital solutions available to local governments that help foster different types of communication—from emergencies to city updates to sharing news and gaining insight from constituents. The key to proactive communication is for local governments to focus on building a well-rounded eGovernment solution that helps meet the different communication demands of a thriving municipality.
West’s CivicLive solutions offer the best in fully-functional eGov technology. Contact us today to learn more.