Advancing Online Public Consultation

City of VancouverAugust 2012

Refresher - The Problem

Timeline:What a short trip it's been!

● March 2011: City of Vancouver Corporate Mgmt Team- Presented concept

● May-August 2011: Prototype Pilots● September 2011: Vancouver School Board -

Sectoral review● Fall 2011: Additional case studies

● Jan 2012: Urban Futures Survey - expansion● April 2012: Re-engineered platform

NOW: Expansion into other areasNEXT: API, standardization & systemization

Growth of PlaceSpeak Users

Citizen-centred - Network Effect

Lifeguards

Maritime Museum

Planetarium &Museum

Henry Hudson School

Squamish Development

Billy Bishop Patio License

Coast Guard

Development permit application

Bike Lanes

Kitsilano to Jericho Seawall

Artist's Residence

Boathouse Patio

Fires on beach

Traffic Circle

Parking Restrictions

Imagine ~ ~ ~

● You can be notified online of consultations relevant to where you live, work and play.

● You choose by distance and subject what topics you're interested in hearing about.○ e.g. anything to do with housing within 1 KM or ○ anything to do with transportation within 5 KM

● Notifications can come from many sources:○ including governments, transportation agencies, developers, utilities,

schools, parks, emergency services, and community organizations● You register and confirm your identity and location

○ carry those credentials with you everywhere● You can influence outcomes because your verified input

enables evidence-based decision making.

Open Data & Public Consultation

Open Data Standards

Each time a new consultation topic is initiated a standardized listing is created:

1. Title2. Abstract (140 characters, incl. keywords)3. URL (link to originating web site/page)4. Contact Email (notifies responsible staff)5. Address (site location under review)6. Date (public meeting, open house)

● Generates XML or JSON file into the Open Data Catalogue http://data.vancouver.ca/

Setting up a Topic

An email is sent to the contact person asking them to activate the topic and decide whether to choose:

1. API (PS Connect) or;

2. PlaceSpeak page containing feedback tools:● Discussion Forum(s)● Survey(s)● Poll(s)● Notice Board● Social Media

Mapping of Topic Area

● The responsible staff person maps out the area (polygons) of interest: ○ Manually (e.g. 2 block radius) ○ Importing KML file (eg. 26 local areas)

● Residents will be notified within affected area.

● Reporting will be segmented by polygon boundary.

Public Notification

Residents are notified according to their preferences:● Distance: eg. 1 km - 100 km● Keyword: eg. housing, parks,

transportation

Residents determine their privacy ● Show names and photos?

(yes/no)

NOTE: Connected participants identities are always visible to the proponent (although not their street address).

In the Beginning: Registration

Network Effect requires verification of participants:● Email● Home phone (Audio PIN)● Cell phone (SMS PIN) ● Home/work address (Mailer' PIN) ● Other

○ Property assessment roll○ Credit card minimum $0.02

● Privacy: separating 'church from state'

● Authentication = transparency ● Information and Privacy Act(s)

Citizen User (Participant) Feedback

Once notified, residents determine whether or not to engage. Select consultation features:

● Discussion Forums● Polls● Surveys● Notice Board ● Social Media

To participate, residents must CONNECT with the Topic.● This requires registration and verification within the

boundaries defined in the map polygon.

How to build Awareness and Adoption?

Coordinated offline and online strategies:

● Offline○ Posters○ Mailers○ Handouts○ Traditional advertising, media

● Online○ Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)○ Wider reach○ Websites, email, newsletters

Reporting and Analytics

All feedback received:● Quantitative: polls & surveys● Qualitative: discussion, notice board

Reports include: ● x # of participants responded with y area(s) with z

responses● Spatially segment data (by polygons):

○ shows how responses vary by area

Outcomes

CORE PRINCIPLE:Evidence-based decision making and public policy development

● After conclusion of consultation, outcomes must be communicated to participants.

● Important that participants observe that their input has had an impact on the outcome.

● Process is open, accessible, dynamic, transparent and defensible.

Recommendations

1. Standardized Open Data○ Add a public consultation category to the City's Open

Data Catalogue and standardize

2. Inform/Notify○ Implement an online notification system that ties

digital identity to physical address

3. Consult/Feedback○ Ensure accessible online and place-based

4. Report/Analytics○ Require defensible evidence to inform decision-

making and public policy development

www.placespeak.com