Introduction to e-participation

www.participationcymru.org.uk

Domestics

• Timings• Breaks• Toilets• Phones• Fire• Handouts• Evaluation

Introductions

Arrange yourselves in a line according to when you last

went online

Web 2.0

Web 2.0

• Collaborating• Sharing• Tagging• Commenting• Rating• Interacting

Web 2.0

• Getting the best rate on our car insurance• Buying a holiday• Choosing a restaurant• Communicating with friends• Learning• Even how we date

Social media tools

• Free• Available to anyone• Flexible• Easy to use• Quick – to set up and update• No more ‘Webmaster’

Web 2.0

• Recent developments in digital technology have led to huge social and cultural changes

• Benefits are not experienced by all

Terminology

E-participation• Using Information Communication Technology (ICT) to involve

service users, citizens and communities in decisions, services and design.

• ICT includes technologies with which users can share information and communicate using technology. This might be across a virtual network (e.g. email), or in the same place (e.g. an electronic voting system).

Digital inclusion in Wales

Wales

• 23% adults digitally excluded in Wales• 18-25 yr olds – 9/10 access the internet• Older people, those with lower socio-economic

status, individuals with limiting disabilities and those with lower educational attainment are more likely to be digitally disengaged.

Wales

• Take up of internet lower in Wales than UK• Geography of Wales • Broadband / mobile coverage• Language

Wales

• An important distinction is made between digital disengagement through personal choice and through socio-economic or health constraints.

• Digital disengagement through personal choice is closely linked to age and life stage of an individual, with those who are not interested in using the internet tending to be older and retired people.

Wales

• Six out of ten non-users report they had no need or desire to have household access.

• In comparison, three out of ten non-users reported that equipment or access costs were too high

• And two out of ten reported lack of skills as the main reason.

Some believe the digital divide is narrowing, but deepening

The digital divide

Attitudes

Users:

• Alpha socialisers

• Attention seekers

• Followers

• Faithfuls

• Functionals

Attitudes

Non-users:

• Concerns about safety

• Technically inexperienced

• Intellectual rejecters

Methods for e-participation

Exercise

What methods do you currently use to engage with service users (traditional and social

media)

Ideas storm on post-its

Examples

Twitter

https://twitter.com/torfaencouncil

http://visibletweets.com/ (#demopart)

Blogs• http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/• http://www.comms2point0.co.uk • http://whatsthepont.wordpress.com/• http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/• http://geecs.tumblr.com/

ExamplesFacebook

www.facebook.com/GwirVol

www.facebook.com/agecymru

YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMkldPGe8ps New Tredegar Bravehearts

www.youtube.com/user/1000LivesCampaign

www.youtube.com/user/Monmouthshirecc

Pinterest

www.pinterest.com/walescva/

http://pinterest.com/marilynelb/digital-engagement-hints-tips-advice/

http://pinterest.com/monmouthshirecc/monmouthshire-county-council-budget-proposals-2013/

Examples

Storify

http://storify.com/WelshGovernment

Audio

http://audioboo.fm/PartCymru

http://soundcloud.com/charmine-smikle Care Council for Wales

Planning

Before you start

People first, technology last• Who?• What?• Why?• When?• How? (tools)

Before you start

• Brand• Who are your stakeholders?• Which media are your stakeholders most likely to

use?• Some ground rules/structure• Start small

Planning

• Draw up a calendar of what you will post and when

• Use management tools like Hootsuite to link accounts and save time

Type of content

• Resourceful content - links to 3rd party articles, tutorials, tips & tricks for your industry

• Interactive content – questions for your audience, polls, fill-in-the-blanks, trivia, contests

Type of content

• Visual media - videos, images, infographics, presentations

• Company news - blog posts, links to press mentions, events (including online events like podcasts & webinars)

Taken from http://www.blueglass.com

When

• Email – mid-week, morning• Blogs - morning, tapering off during day• Facebook – end of week/Saturdays• Twitter – end of week, afternoon/evening

(Tweriod.com)

Practical

Set up Twitter / Blog

Getting people to engage

Getting people to engage

Exercise:

1. How will you get people to come to your site/follow you/like your page?

2. How will you encourage them to interact with you?

Engage genuinely

• Use your own voice – not a corporate one• Engage in conversations• Respond to comments• Comment on other blogs / sites• Be genuine• Don’t just market your services

Make it ‘sticky’

A sticky website is one where a first time reader arrives and finds it difficult to leave… because something about the site motivates them to explore it further – and more importantly to make a decision to (and takes some steps to ensure that they) return again to it.

Taken from www.problogger.net

Make it ‘sticky’

• Sticky content• Good design• Clear branding• Make it personal• Posting frequency

Taken from www.problogger.net

Make it ‘sticky’

• Interaction: comments, competitions, surveys, polls

• Incentives: giveaways, prize draws• Respond to comments• Highlight your best content

Make it ‘sticky’

“What’s in it for me?”

WIIFM?

• Being part of change, the opportunity to be involved• Having a voice / being heard• The convenience of using ICT to engage• Belonging to a (social) network• People feel validated when their comments are responded to• Being the first to know – about events, free stuff

Marketing

• Advertise / promote new opportunities using existing mechanisms (newsletter, website, face-to-face, events / forums / networks)

• Invite people to enter a competition, and ask their consent to keep them up to date with future opportunities to engage

Marketing

• Complete a form – include a tick-box to give consent• Word of mouth• Link from other websites, partner organisations• Add links to information leaflets, reports, business

cards etc

Measuring success

Measuring success

Numbers of followers or fans doesn’t mean anything

Exercise: How will you measure the difference your use of social media is making?

Measuring success

• Number of comments / re-tweets / likes (quantitative)

• Content of comments (qualitative)• How the comments/interaction have made a

difference to services

National Principles

• National Principles for Public Engagement apply to all forms of engagement/participation

• Just because social media is quick and easy don’t forget to engage properly

• A mix of engagement methods is best way to reach everyone – don’t rely on just one

Resources

http://introtoeparticipation.wordpress.com/

https://www.delicious.com/partcymru

Tag: e-participation

Thank you

Participation Cymruparticipationcymru@wcva.org.uk 029 2043 1757

www.participationcymru.org.uk @PartCymru