Citizen engagement is crucial to a healthy, happy community. Effective engagement ensures government officials understand the needs and wants of the community and can develop projects and initiatives that align with them.
Often, though, there’s a disconnect between a local government and its citizens. In a recent survey, eScribe discovered that more than half of city clerks surveyed (55%) felt that the public was not well engaged with local government. Since local governments serve the public, it’s crucial that the public be engaged with it. Although there’s no quick fix to this problem, here are some strategies that can help local governments better engage their citizens.
Citizen Engagement, Defined
According to the Institute of Development Studies, citizen engagement is “a form of interaction between citizens and their governments. It can happen at any stage of the development or implementation of government policy and the delivery of public services or be triggered by events in local areas. It can lead to various outcomes, including more effective services and responsive and accountable states.”
In other words, citizen engagement ( often called civic engagement) is the practice of community members collaborating with municipal leaders on an ongoing basis to improve the community and the lives of those who live there.
Citizen engagement isn’t a one-time event or a one-way relationship. Instead, it’s a two-way process that encourages ongoing dialog and idea-sharing between a government and those it governs.
In the past, citizen engagement primarily took place in person. Local governments would announce upcoming council meetings and town halls by placing newspaper notices and distributing flyers. Interested citizens would then attend those meetings to engage with municipal leaders. If a citizen wanted to make a formal inquiry – like a request to present at a future meeting – that inquiry had to be made via traditional mail.
In-person meetings are still an essential part of citizen engagement. However, the rise in technology has enabled other means of engagement which have the potential to increase community participation. For example, constituents and leaders can now correspond electronically, and video conferencing capabilities allow citizens to participate and collaborate remotely. In addition, online resources enable community members to access information whenever and wherever needed.
What Makes a Well-Engaged Community?
But what exactly does a well-engaged community look like? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, as each community is unique. In general, though, there are some common characteristics all well-engaged communities share.
Below is a list of six key characteristics that engaged communities should have:
- Accessibility: Citizen engagement opportunities must be accessible to all, regardless of constraints.
- Transparency: Local governments must prioritize transparency in decision-making, public input, and its utilization to earn and maintain citizen trust.
- Vision-driven: The future of their communities should guide all actions of local governments.
- Alignment: Local governments must prioritize their constituents’ needs, wants, and values and ensure alignment with community desires.
- Open to Dialog: Local governments should be receptive to feedback from their citizens and provide ample opportunities for them to voice their concerns.
- Efficiency: Processes that are cumbersome and technological limitations should not impede progress.
Key Benefits of Engaged Citizens
Increasingly, governments are making citizen engagement a priority. Those who do are realizing significant benefits.
Citizen engagement can lead to better decision-making by considering a more comprehensive range of perspectives and ideas from the community.
Citizen engagement is an effective way to ensure community participation and support. When citizens are actively involved in the decision-making process of policies or projects, they are more likely to support the outcome. Moreover, transparency about the public’s input can increase community support.
Engaging citizens early and frequently can lead to productive and civil discussions, and valuable feedback can be gathered before issues become contentious.
Last, involving citizens in the decision-making process can expedite project implementation. Projects can be executed more efficiently by seeking early buy-in and collaborating with the community, with fewer revisions required.
Citizen engagement promotes mutual trust between the government and the public, strengthening communities. When local agencies value the opinions and perspectives of their constituents and offer them opportunities to provide input, it fosters community participation and trust in the government.
Did you know?
60% of public sector organizations indicate that citizen engagement has the primary benefit of helping them better understand citizens’ priorities.
Obstacles to Effective Engagement
Engaging citizens can be highly beneficial for both governments and their constituents. It can result in mutual trust, better decision-making, and happier, healthier communities when done correctly. However, achieving effective citizen engagement can be challenging due to the distinct obstacles faced by organizations, citizens, as well as city clerks and administrators.
Top Obstacles for Organizations
Citizen participation is essential for building a better society. However, many organizations need help to encourage it.
According to research from SmartCitiesWorld, only one in ten public sector organizations, such as cities and local authorities, believe they are achieving successful citizen engagement. Despite understanding the benefits of promoting citizen engagement, organizations often hesitate due to concerns such as a lack of resources, limited staff, and insufficient funding.
Failing to meet the public’s demands: It has been proven that accepting ideas and insights from the public leads to better decision-making. However, around one-third of organizations are worried that they may be unable to fulfill their citizens’ demands. This can result in a lack of trust, as failing to meet expectations can be detrimental. Therefore, it is essential to manage expectations properly to overcome this concern.
Lack of participation: It’s often thought that if you build opportunities for citizen participation, citizens will automatically take advantage of them. However, this is only sometimes the case. Studies show that around 22 percent of organizations worry they may offer such opportunities, but citizens may need to be more interested in participating. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide inclusive means of participation and ensure citizens are aware of how they can get involved.
Cost concerns: Local governments always want to make the most of their budget. That’s why it’s unsurprising that 17 percent of organizations consider cost a challenge to achieving more effective citizen engagement. However, increasing citizen engagement can be inexpensive. While some costs are involved with citizen engagement, such as investing in a platform for community engagement, these costs are worth it, and they can even pay for themselves in terms of cost and time savings. Local governments can improve decision-making and create a more effective and efficient governance system by investing in community engagement.
The technology gap: Community engagement is evolving with technology, yet organizations often rely on outdated processes.
Did you know?
10% of public sector organizations feel they’re doing “very well” with citizen engagement.
33% of organizations worry that the public will make demands they can’t meet.
22% of organizations are concerned that not enough people will participate in citizen engagement initiatives.
17% of organizations worry that citizen engagement is too costly.
Top Obstacles for Citizens
As previously mentioned, many organizations are concerned about low participation rates if they offer opportunities for citizen engagement. This is a valid concern since one of the main benefits of citizen engagement is obtaining a wide range of perspectives, which is impossible if only a few people are involved. In many cases, three factors prevent greater citizen involvement.
Firstly, citizens may not get involved because participation is inaccessible. For instance, meetings may be held in a location that could be more easily reachable, or they might be scheduled during community members’ working hours. Besides, community members with disabilities may not have access to the necessary accommodations for participation. Therefore, accessibility is crucial, and providing accessible opportunities can increase participation from all citizens.
Secondly, some citizens do not engage because they need to learn how. Governments need to communicate clearly about the opportunities for involvement. For example, they should use multiple communication channels to ensure community members know when and how to participate in public meetings.
Thirdly, some citizens opt out of engagement because they feel that their voice does not matter and that their participation will not make an impact. These people may believe that governments request community feedback to “check the box” but do not act upon it. Transparency is crucial in overcoming this obstacle.
Governments must communicate the decision-making process, opportunities for providing ideas and feedback, and how that feedback will be used. It is equally important to close the feedback loop. By doing this, citizens will see that their feedback is valued and used and will be more likely to participate in the future.
Top Obstacles for City Clerks and Administrators
Bringing municipal leaders and their constituents together is a powerful and important task. City clerks and administrators are often the individuals responsible for managing citizen engagement efforts. However, this task is challenging as they face several significant challenges that hinder effective citizen engagement.
City clerks and administrators are responsible for enabling accessible and transparent opportunities for citizen engagement. Unfortunately, without the right tools and resources, this process can be difficult and time-consuming.
Keeping the public informed about all the local government activities is another crucial responsibility of city clerks and administrators. This ensures maximum participation and higher satisfaction levels with the local government. However, it can take time to determine the best communication channels for disseminating information and managing them effectively.
Undoubtedly, significant barriers stand in the way of citizen engagement. However, local governments cannot allow these obstacles to hinder the process. Instead, they need to develop effective strategies to overcome these challenges and start reaping the benefits of an engaged citizenry.
In an era where civic participation is more critical than ever, local governments are at the forefront of forging dynamic, engaged communities. This transformation requires a blend of innovation, strategic insight, and direct action, moving beyond traditional methods to embrace a new paradigm of citizen engagement. Here’s a deeper dive into this evolving landscape, segmented by strategic approaches and complemented by tactical innovations.
Building the Foundation: Core Principles of Engagement
The Essence of Accessibility and Transparency
An effective engagement strategy should prioritize accessibility for all citizens by bridging gaps caused by disability, work schedules, or geographical barriers. This can be achieved by adopting a transparent approach to governance, where decision-making processes are conducted openly, and public input is sought, valued, and acted upon. In this context, digital platforms can be powerful tools that extend the reach of traditional engagement methods and provide new avenues for dialogue.
Vision-Driven Governance: Aligning with Community Aspirations
Having a forward-looking perspective is essential for local governments that aim to align their actions with the long-term aspirations of their community. This approach, driven by vision, ensures that every initiative, policy, or service is a stepping stone towards a shared future, reflecting the collective dreams and needs of the community. By fostering alignment, governments ensure that their efforts resonate deeply with those they serve, creating a sense of shared purpose and direction.
Strategies for Promoting Citizen Engagement
Enhancing Communication and Participation
Governments strive to increase citizen participation by adopting various communication strategies, allowing every community member to express their opinions. To achieve this goal, they are utilizing social media and digital forums and hosting virtual town halls. These innovative methods enable citizens to engage with their government more conveniently and inclusively.
Embracing Efficiency and Open Dialogue
Efficiency is paramount in engagement processes, as complex and time-consuming procedures may discourage people from participating. Hence, simplifying these processes should be a primary strategy and create an environment that fosters open dialogue. Governments are developing platforms where feedback is welcomed and considered a crucial factor in the decision-making process. This ensures that governance is responsive and reflective of the community’s voice.
Tactics for Increasing Community Engagement
Digital and Mobile First: The New Frontiers
The digital revolution has brought about a new era of citizen engagement centered around mobile devices. Governments are now optimizing their communication and engagement strategies to cater to mobile users, recognizing the widespread use of smartphones and the Internet. By doing so, they aim to make civic engagement as easy as a tap on the screen, ensuring accessibility to everyone, everywhere, and at any time.
Storytelling and Community-centric Approaches
Storytelling has become a valuable asset in the engagement toolkit as it helps to personalize issues and make them more relatable to the community. When combined with community-centric methods such as “walkshops” and open house events, this approach not only simplifies governmental processes but also invites citizens to be an active part of governance. This fosters a deeper connection and understanding between officials and the community.
A Path Forward
The journey towards improving citizen engagement is a joint effort that requires a commitment from both local governments and the communities they serve. By embracing the principles of accessibility, transparency, and vision-driven governance and implementing innovative strategies and tactics, local governments can encourage a vibrant civic life. This collaborative governance model not only addresses the community’s immediate needs but also establishes a foundation for a future where every voice is heard and valued and plays a role in shaping the community’s destiny. The way forward is clear by continuously innovating and prioritizing inclusivity: a future where engaged citizens and responsive governments work together to create thriving, dynamic communities.
Institute of Development Studies “Citizen Engagement”
PennState School of Agricultural Science “Why Community Engagement Matters” and Institute for Local Government “Why Engage the Public?”