“It’s largely a mirage … government officials and staff saying, ‘Well, people aren’t banging on my door, so they probably are OK with what I’m doing.’ That usually is not true. They simply don’t know [how to weigh in].” — Matt Leighninger
One way to evaluate public engagement is to look at its official outcomes. For example, “people recommended X, Y and Z,” said Matt Leighninger, Director, Center for Democracy Innovation, at the National Civic League, “but what did the city council do? And then how did the council report back to the people on the [result] of their engagement?” Sending an email survey or running a newspaper article is ineffective because such unsolicited information gets lost in the other communications we receive, he said.
“We need to connect with people in an ongoing way,” said Leighninger. “Don’t do one-off surveys. Do survey events on issues [people] care about.” That creates a feedback loop. Residents sign up to offer an opinion on a specific topic, say, monthly, and the relationship grows and expands over time.
Consider:
Often, when change is truly warranted, people appreciate even minimal improvement. “Generally, in part because the [reforms] are so new and the bar is so low, in the sense that the current system is so frustrating to people, you will learn that yes, people actually like [the new approach],” Leighninger said.
Through the measurement process, you can offer community members ideas about how to make things even better going forward, he added.
Case Study: Boulder, Colorado
Despite enthusiastic community groups and a core set of engaged residents, Boulder leaders knew that public participation should be broader and more meaningful. So, the city partnered with the Center for Democracy Innovation to conduct a civic infrastructure scan — a combination of semi-structured interviews of local stakeholders with research into city demographics and other details — and to develop an engagement scorecard, that is, a quick digital survey asking for people’s opinions of current City Council meetings.
Based on the results, Boulder piloted new “Community and Council Forums” in which, among other reimaginings, the dais and microphone were replaced by breakout tables where council members and residents sat down face-to-face to discuss issues before the council acted on them. According to one council member, the new format provided “the chance to listen to community members’ conversations, really listen. Not react or respond.”
This article appeared in slightly different form in our guide, “State and Local: Better Public Service Through Innovation.” To learn more about how state and local governments are enhancing both outreach and efficiency, download it here:
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