Guides

Why engage online: making a case for online community engagement

Digital tools dramatically bring down the cost of getting community members to participate, and engagement teams to manage projects.

What exactly is the return on investment (ROI) in a digital community engagement platform?

How to create a communications plan for community engagement

Participatory budgeting has emerged as one of the strongest methods of community engagement for governments looking to make their communities more inclusive and participatory. By organizing a participatory budget, you can tap directly into the collective intelligence of your community and align the allocation of public funds with real-life community needs.

An introduction to participatory budgeting

Participatory budgeting has emerged as one of the strongest methods of community engagement for governments looking to make their communities more inclusive and participatory. By organizing a participatory budget, you can tap directly into the collective intelligence of your community and align the allocation of public funds with real-life community needs.

How to build community engagement into your planning processes

Creating comprehensive plans is one of many responsibilities local governments are tasked with. Involving residents and stakeholders in reviewing, assessing, and even co-creating plans can improve them and help you prioritize competing needs.

The beginner's guide to community engagement

To make the most of our communities’ collective intelligence, and to allocate our time and resources in a more efficient and sustainable way, we have to maximize the way we use digital solutions.This guide will walk you through the basics of digital community engagement, but it’s meant to serve as a resource for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.

Moderating difficult conversations

In this guide, we'll take a closer look at the core responsibilities and skills of a conversation moderator, as well as some insights on the best ways to approach these challenging tasks for both online and offline conversations.

Engaging your community in urban development

More and more cities are choosing to involve residents and stakeholders in developing public spaces. In this guide, we discuss best practices on giving your community a voice in with digital tools.

How to set up an inclusive digital engagement project

We like to think that digital reaches everyone, but what if you're missing out on some groups?

Here are key principles to follow when setting a digital participation project to ensure that your platform is as inclusive and representative as possible.

While there is no golden rule for successful digital community engagement, there are guidelines that have proven to help you achieve your participation goals. The lessons learned and practical tips and tricks in this guide will certainly come in handy when your government launches a digital community engagement project.

6 ways to consult and engage with your community online

A practical overview of the main consultation methods for councils looking to implement digital participation and boost community engagement on a local scale.

Measuring Impact in Civic Tech

Community engagement platforms aim to improve intangible metrics such as trust,  participation and democratic dialogue. How can these be accurately measured, and why is demonstrating impact so important? This guide looks at practical measures of impact, with a special focus on community engagement platforms.