We have had the pleasure of consulting and helping cities connect with their residents. In an effort to collect ongoing, regular feedback, the city of Edmonton, Alberta created a member engagement community for its residents. What we have seen is this an increasing trend among cities as the civic officials are elected based on their ability to deliver what the residents need and want. Townhall meetings will soon be a thing of the past, as they proved to be ineffective. The frustrated angry residents, who usually represented a fraction minority often dominate the meetings. While busy, single mothers or fathers often didn't have the luxury of being able to attend and where often left voiceless in their communities. Now with a customer experience platform for cities, all members can share.
Edmonton Listens to Its Residents
Responding to feedback from its residents, the city of Edmonton has taken steps to better engage with its community through their customer experience platform. One of its initiatives was to establish an Office of Public Engagement, which introduced an online research community where residents could share their opinions on various topics, such as urban development, herbicide use, and bike paths. This online community, also called the MROC (Market Research Online Community), allows members to contribute both qualitative and quantitative research by participating in surveys and sharing their thoughts on a wide range of issues. Each month, there is a mixed-topic survey that members can take, and the city uses the data gathered to make informed decisions about various projects and initiatives.
Thanks to the input collected through the member engagement software, Edmonton was able to transform a north-side alley into a beautiful pedestrian plaza, among other projects. In addition, the community's feedback helped the city improve its notice mail-outs regarding local development plans. The software has had over 10,000 members signup and is increasing by the day. Members can take surveys on their phone, tablet, or computer, and each survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. If you're an Edmonton resident, you can sign up for the Edmonton Insight Community to share your thoughts and make your city a better place.
If you're interested in establishing an online civic community in your own city please do not hesitate to contact us!
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