Menorcans co-design a plan to end residential exclusion
Kuorum provided the digital participation platform and specialized guidance that made this process possible. The Island Council and Kuorum's team began with a situational analysis, allocating available resources and mapping the stakeholders affected by the housing issue. Key groups were identified to serve as the initiative’s driving force and were invited to an in-person meeting. Following this, a communication plan with measurable milestones for the coming months was drafted.
With the analysis phase complete, the participatory process began with a survey to assess perceptions about the causes of housing exclusion. Such surveys are invaluable, as they both raise awareness of the issue and collect emails from interested citizens. Once the survey concluded, participants were invited to a launch event where the survey results were compared to the actual housing challenges on the island. This approach provided attendees with indirect training, equipping them for the next phase: an online debate.
During this phase, dissemination efforts intensified through owned and external channels (Facebook Ads, press, radio, TV, posters, etc.). Online debates are often challenging to moderate, so, in addition to traditional outreach, workshops were held in high schools and universities to gather student input using creative techniques and idea refinement strategies.
After the deliberation period, the best proposals submitted through the participation platform were selected.A final workshop was organized to refine these ideas further, employing a technique known as the Innovation Canvas. Kuorum prepared a final report summarizing the project’s conclusions. The Menorca initiative exemplifies how a complex issue like housing can be collaboratively addressed with the community, provided the participatory process is well-designed, including a situational analysis, a perception survey, an online debate, and workshops facilitated by professionals.
Finally, the Council presented its commitments to some of the citizen proposals during a press conference. According to Cristina Gómez, the Councilor for Housing and Participation, “The Island Council of Menorca successfully collaborated with citizens to address a key issue for the island, strengthened the training of its public employees, built a segmented participation database, and learned new techniques for implementing participatory processes.” Projects like this are common in the most innovative municipalities and regional governments, such as the City Councils of Vienna, Toledo or Manchester.
"We achieved a highly valuable exchange of ideas."
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