Traditionally, city council meeting management has been handled by the secretary, the leader of the school board governance, or even the local government leaders. When done manually, this hefty task involves prepping materials before the meeting, organizing the meeting itself, including the agenda and minute taking, and circulating follow-up materials after the meeting. Binders, papers, folders, packets, and other materials add up quickly.
However, there has been a significant trend toward utilizing meeting management software among city councils and other local government organizations.
As a city council member, you can push to implement a city council meeting software to streamline your meetings and give you more time to focus on what matters. But how do you find the best city council meeting software?
What is City Council Meeting Software?
A city council meeting software is a digital tool structured and made to assist city council members in planning, organizing, and conducting meetings efficiently. This software also helps record all the minutes and resolutions that the city council meeting will realize.
The use of city council meeting software is a common practice among most local councils as they believe this digital tool offers multiple advantages. For example, a city council meeting software will:
- Simplify pre-meeting activities
- Automate creating the meeting agenda and minutes
- Provide built-in tools for gathering input from members and citizens
- Streamline the decision-making process
- Allow for easy publication of post-meeting materials
These benefits explain the increased demand for city council meeting software. However, finding the best city council meeting software is essential to maximize these benefits.
Steps to Find the Best City Council Meeting Software
With meeting management software becoming a common infrastructure in multiple organizations and local governments, many meeting management solutions are available. Here are the steps to find the best solution.
1. Identify City Council Goals and Objectives
The goals and objectives of every organization determine the technology it will incorporate into its operations. Therefore, the meeting management software that you’ll adopt in your organization must be consistent with the goals and objectives of the city council.
With all kinds of solutions on the market, each offering different modules and varying degrees of customizability, take time to research the best option for you. Then, find a solution that allows for configuration and module-based packages.
2. Align With Other City Council Members
Aligning the city council meeting software with other city council members is not easy. Different individuals have varying opinions, which might bring some complex issues in selecting the best meeting management software.
Still, all city council members should be involved in the software selection process. Everyone should bring their perspectives to the table. Not only does this ensure selecting the best possible solution for the council, but it also brings every issue to light. In addition, the group as a whole will likely be able to identify what one or a few individuals might overlook.
As you already know, every city council member is unique and actively pursuing different objectives in the organization. So, it would be best to incorporate the necessary opinion from each council member to get a meeting management software that all members accept.
3. Review City Council Meeting Software Rules and Regulations
Initially, there were few rules and regulations governing the use of technology in public organizations. As a result, leaders had complete discretion to use whatever software they believed could help the organization achieve its objectives.
Not so today. With cybersecurity issues standing front-and-center among threats to sensitive information, government organizations must be sure the technology they use is in line with IT security regulations and various compliance standards.
Each municipality likely has its own set of compliance standards regarding the use of technology. Familiarize yourself with these standards before deciding on a meeting management solution. You’ll want to ensure the one you choose is in line with your local rules and regulations.
4. Request a Free Trial or Demo
Most software development companies offer free trials or demos. This is almost always the case for meeting management solution providers, too. So take advantage of this opportunity so you can look at each solution firsthand. There may be instances where you can learn more about how certain features work. Plus, you may discover modules or solutions you didn’t even know you needed!
After analyzing various meeting software systems, you can choose the software that addresses your council’s needs. Remember, the best meeting software is not always the cheapest. Additionally, be sure to consider other aspects of a solution like outstanding customer service, implementation assistance, integration capabilities, and options for unique configuration.
Power Your City Council With eScribe
With so many meeting management solutions, there’s no reason to continue to hold your city council meetings manually. The investment in a meeting management software like eScribe will pay for itself many times over. There will be massive reductions in paper usage, huge time savings, and priceless value added to your city council by freeing your members up to focus less on administrative tasks and more on what matters.
eScribe streamlines every aspect of the meeting lifecycle. From preparing materials before the meeting, to managing processes and procedures during the meeting, to distributing follow-up materials after the meeting, eScribe streamlines and simplifies the process every step of the way. Plus, eScribe boasts incomparable customer service and the freedom to configure your software package as you see fit.
Learn more about the continuing trend toward meeting management software in local government organizations and discover how to adopt digital technology in your public service while meeting stakeholder needs.
