Councils all over the world are responding to COVID in different and unique ways. Consultation on things that are not Coronavirus has started up again after being paused for a couple of months, but this week we’re going to focus on how people have been engaging with their residents about the pandemic.
You can check out nearly 22000 other consultations on the Citizen Space Aggregator.
The Sefton ‘Masterplan’
Sefton Council are running a series of consultations on their ‘masterplan’ for the area. It’s similar to a Local Plan consultation but covers more than just development: it has different surveys for different focus areas, like Climate and Economy, as well as options for revitalising the waterfront area. This exercise follows on from a previous, more open-ended round of consultation and features options that have been drafted according to resident input.
The impacts of COVID-19 on each of these areas is detailed throughout. This demonstrates adaptability on the part of the council – these options will likely have been drafted before the pandemic hit, but it’s encouraging to see that they’ve been adapted them since and that the council isn’t just planning a return to ‘business as usual’. I like how they’ve created a second landing page on their Citizen Space site for this consultation; it gives respondents a base to return to if they want to respond to more than one survey.
Resource Allocation In Times of Scarcity
The National Ethics Advisory Committee advises the New Zealand Ministry of Health. Due to the pandemic, the Committee has fast-tracked a review of their Pandemic Ethical Framework, last updated in 2007. The document outlines the most ethical ways to allocate scarce resources in a pandemic situation – like, for example, ventilators or PPE.
The consultation and supporting documentation, while containing reasonably complex subject matter, aren’t difficult to understand. The draft Framework is embedded at the top of each section so the respondent can read it without having to download it.
Brighton temporary travel/transport changes
Brighton and Hove Council are making temporary changes to enable residents to better comply with social distancing. This survey contains an interactive map which shows areas with proposed changes. When respondents click on an area, they’re prompted to click through to a separate survey for that particular point, where they can raise any comments or concerns.
Maps are helpful for respondents as often people don’t know the names of specific streets but recognise the area. They can also return to the map and click on another point if they want to comment on more than one.
That’s it for now. Remember, if you’d like to learn more about Citizen Space and what it can do for your organisation, book a free demo and we’ll walk you through it.
