Community engagement is a vital way to get people involved in the future of their area.
Hundreds of public bodies and government organisations around the world use Citizen Space to engage communities about all kinds of issues.
If you ever want to see how they’re choosing to do that, you can browse through thousands of real-world examples on the Citizen Space Aggregator.
Here are just a few that caught our eye this week:
Ice cream licensing in Camden, UK
Ice cream vans are a big deal in the UK – probably because their distinctive chimes have become a kind of Pavlovian prompt that ‘today is one of the three sunny ones, quick, get outside!‘ ☀️☀️☀️🍦🍦🍦
However, some Camden residents had lodged complaints about noise and pollution caused by vendors parking on streets that were supposed to be off-limits – so the council decided to review its licensing setup, in consultation with residents.
This is a great example of really practical, helpful community engagement. The whole process:
- responds to people’s expressed needs/concerns;
- engages honestly with the reality of the situation (‘With current staff resources, there is a limited ability to enforce these streets effectively’);
- proposes creative ways forward;
- genuinely seeks to find out if people would be happy with those proposals.
The consultation runs until 30 April.
Developing Pacific education digital channels in New Zealand
New Zealand’s Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education are developing an online hub specifically focused on content for Pacific learners (providing information like ‘scholarships, initiatives, funding, resources and stories’).
They’ve opened up an online survey to make sure this hub will be genuinely useful and accessible to Pacific learners, families and communities.
The survey is open until 16 May.
Police preferences in Scotland
Police Scotland recognise that effective community engagement – listening to the people they serve – is key to their work.
‘Understanding the views and priorities of Scotland’s diverse communities is fundamental to how Police Scotland responds to the needs of the public. Our public engagement activities help us improve how we deliver our policing services in local communities, ensuring they are accessible for everyone.’
Consequently, they’re keeping open as many channels as possible for public feedback on their strategic priorities – including online, via Citizen Space.
People can submit responses throughout the year, right up until 31 March 2023.
Citizen Space is a citizen engagement platform trusted by government around the world. Government organisations and public bodies use Citizen Space to connect with more citizens, increase engagement and improve processes.
To learn more about what Citizen Space can do for your organisation, book a free demo and we’ll walk you through it.
