GovTips: Empowering Citizen Engagement

GOVTIPS: EMPOWERING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT GOVTIPS | CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT | 2021

Here are expert tips for how local governments can improve engagement with the communities they serve.

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement

EMPOWERING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

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EDMUNDS OUTLOOK ON CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT When it comes to local government, citizen engagement is both crucial and complex. As challenges arise, especially as they have in 2020, organizations must adapt to stay connected with those they serve. Being able to effectively drive civic interaction with leading technology can cultivate several positive benefits.

Let’s explore how you can drive your citizen engagement.

GOVTIP 001: IMPLEMENT EFFICIENCY WITH ONLINE TOOLS Having an efficient and effective online presence can greatly improve your ability to engage with your citizens. Many local governments face challenges with engagement, which is caused by a lack of access and efficiency. This includes:

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Citizen demands for 24/7 access to services Limitations to office hours and staffing A lack of contact-less payment and self-service options A need to reduce phone and foot traffic Limitations with online services and applications Reliance on paper trails A need for effective communication to residents Data entry errors

EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS Optimizing your website can easily have one of the largest impacts on improving your local government’s efficiency score. Having a highly responsive website with simple and easy-to-use navigation, accompanied by a modern layout will allow your residents to easily access any information they need in one convenient location. For information on our website design services, click here.

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement

EMPOWERING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

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Utilizing social media platforms can also improve efficiency. Social media allows for a widespread and cost-effective reach, and has proven to be a more effective way of informing residents compared to other traditional methods.

Push notifications and SMS messages on mobile devices, along with automated e-mails are also an efficient way to communicate with residents. Utilizing most, if not all of these, will assure that the targeted recipients are notified. It’s also beneficial to enable account-related e-notifications.

These types of alerts, especially for billing purposes, will increase the speed of customer payments while also saving paper, time, and money by eliminating the need to send paper bills and reducing data entry issues.

Did You Know?

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62% of adults use social media as a source for news 6 in 10 residents said they had searched for information about their town on the internet

The adoption and introduction of online dashboards and self-service portals is another valuable option to increase efficiency and streamline operations.

Online dashboards provide transparency to your website visitors and self-service portals are exactly what they say they are– service portals for your residents and employees to complete action items on their own. For more information about our online dashboards and portals, click here.

One of the easiest and most premiere self-service portals is online bill pay. In today’s climate, online payment capabilities facilitate revenue collection even when offices are closed. The ability to provide residents with 24/7/365 access to their account and billing details produces tremendous benefits in terms of saving staff time and reducing payment delinquencies.

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement

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Did You Know?

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30% of call volume can be reduced by making online bill pay available 100% of our online bill pay customers reduced walk-ins, decreased processing times, and reduced data entry errors

GOVTIP 002: PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY As new technology and outside factors continue to arise, residents’ needs are shifting. The digitalization of services has accelerated since customers are now bypassing in-person assistance and opting for a more modernized approach to access the information they need.

Consider These Accessibility Features:

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Feature accessible online tools that make services available 24/7 Utilize mobile applications Move to cloud hosting

For example, if your organization bills for taxes or utilities, you could consider giving residents access to a customer portal. A portal will give them the ability to view account-related activity on their own without needing the assistance of a staff employee. Having this type of accessibility enables account transparency, which only further reduces call volume and increases customer satisfaction.

Many software systems offer mobile apps as another accessibility option. One useful app is the Edmunds GovTech MyTown App. This app allows residents to view information feeds and receive community-related news notifications. This app seamlessly integrates with its web-based counterpart, the Resident Self-Service Portal. Both access points also allow residents to request a service, report an issue, or track a previous submission.

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement

EMPOWERING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

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Lastly, if you’ve heard of cloud hosting then you may have heard of its remote accessibility benefits. By securing and optimizing your data within the cloud, your employees, residents, and vendors will be able to securely access their data from anywhere at anytime.

Providing greater accessibility cultivates rewarding outcomes:

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Better online adoption rates Fewer calls to your office More informed and happier customers

GOVTIP 003: EDUCATE YOUR RESIDENTS While implementing these tools and making them accessible is important, educating those who will use them may be the most crucial aspect. The only way to truly maximize citizen engagement is to educate, promote, and empower the utilization and ease of these tools and offerings.

Consider These Tips:

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Create an easy-to-find button on your homepage linking to online bill pay and other online options Post the link to online bill pay on your department pages, or across your entire site by using a side bar or header option Develop a direct mailer or email follow-up to your bills to showcase the ability to pay online Add information about the online options to your phone system or your customer service e-mail signatures Use social media to make residents aware of any online options that are being offered

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement

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Overall, it can be beneficial to leverage a multi-channel marketing approach to educate your residents. Aside from social media, utilize contact information, such as email address and cell phone numbers as a form of communication. Be sure to explore other cost-effective channels like YouTube, online newsletters, and website landing pages to effectively convey what online features citizens have available to them.

GOVTIP 004: KEEP IT SIMPLE Whichever tactics you deploy to engage with your citizens, be sure to keep it simple. Whether it’s your website, email communications, or online portals, it is ideal to avoid clutter and simplify the entire use experience and interaction.

CONCLUSION Local governments need to prioritize citizen expectations in order to effectively engage with them. It’s clear that technology and outside factors drive citizen needs, so your best bet is to listen to your customers and monitor industry trends.

If you would like more information on how your local government can drive their citizen engagement, please contact us at Info@EdmundsGovTech.com to find out more about our solutions.

Edmunds GovTech | Empowering Citizen Engagement