In recent years, promoting citizen participation has become a strategic priority for many governments. Local and regional administrations are investing in dedicated participation departments, and the most advanced ones are even launching digital platforms that allow citizens to engage in public policy design.
Today, there are numerous technology providers offering citizen participation tools. If you are an elected official or a public employee working in this area, chances are you've been approached by sales representatives promoting these services. But how do you separate the best from the rest? Which solutions truly fit your needs? And just as importantly, how much should you be willing to invest?
For years, Kuorum has been advising local and regional governments in six countries on citizen participation strategies. In most cases, the biggest challenge is not technological but strategic. Some administrations invest in technology before creating a participation registry, analyzing the state of local civic engagement, or modernizing participation regulations. This often leads to disappointing results. That’s why our consultants offer an initial free meeting to address key strategic aspects like these.
Once the strategic groundwork is laid, it's time to choose the right technology. The first question to ask is: how will the platform help organize your contacts? Will it allow you to segment the participation registry? Identify the most active users? Send mass emails? These features are crucial for increasing engagement rates.
Participation also varies significantly between a large metropolis and a small rural town. Participatory budgeting, for instance, might be suitable for a major city, especially if there’s already a strong culture of civic involvement. Meanwhile, in smaller communities, organizing digital or even in-person assemblies may be more effective. That’s why it’s important to evaluate the types of processes the platform supports and how well they align with your specific needs.
Developing web services is a highly complex task that requires skilled professionals - engineers, designers, and, most importantly, experts in optimizing user experience. If you find yourself lost when navigating a participation platform, unsure of where to click, it’s a sign that the provider hasn’t invested enough in user-friendly design. And this will likely lead to low participation rates.
Finally, remember that you have two main options: deploying a website on a server (whether on your own infrastructure or in the cloud) or using Software as a Service (SaaS). The latter is usually more cost-effective and includes free updates over time. And most importantly, a participation platform is just a tool - it’s not the end goal. Your citizens are what truly matters. If they embrace the technology, you know you're on the right track.
If you need assistance or would like a free demo of our platform, feel free to contact us, no commitment required.
