Post on 20-Jun-2020
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UserGuideofOnlineCommunityEngagementTools
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Introduction
This User Guide for Online Community Engagement Tools has been developed for
practitioners hoping to utilize these tools to enhance their community engagement
processes. The following sections outline the terms and methodology categories that
were used to describe and organize the tools.
There are five groups of tools: surveys, website builders, budget simulators,
message boards, and mappings. Each grouping contains a chart for each tool that
outlines the analysis of that tool. It is recommended that practioners take time to think
about the type of information they hope to gather through the community engagement
process and then decide the type of tool that will best help them collect that information.
This analysis emphasizes opportunities for engagement, and therefore tools were
selected based on the quality of their engagement abilities. Each tool has different
strengths and weaknesses that should be considered when deciding among them.
Practioners should also consider the best practices outlined in the research that
accompanies this user guide.
Terms
Developer:Thedeveloperoftheonlineengagementtool
OnlineEngagementTool:ASaaSproduct(softwareasaservice)thatisviewableontheinternet,
helpsagenciescollaboratewiththepublic inaplanningprocess,andenablesmembersofthe
publictoparticipateintheonlineplatform.
Participant:Memberofthecommunitythatwillengagewiththeonlineengagementtool
User:PlannerorStaffMemberwhoisdeployingtheonlineengagementtool
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MethodologyCategories
Thefollowingtableoutlinesthecriteriathatwillbeusedtoassesseachtool.Thetoolswillthen
besortedintodifferentgroupingsbasedontheiruses(survey,websitebuilder,etc).Thisprocess
willallowforuserstoeasilyfollowtheguidetochoosethegroupoftoolstheyneedfortheir
engagementprocess,andthenpickthebesttoolfortheirneeds.Thefollowingsectionsoutline
eachoftheanalysisprovidedforeachcategory.
Metric Analysis
Use/Purpose BriefOne-SentenceDescriptionInteraction/EngagementOpportunities
Quantitativelist/descriptionofopportunities(survey,poll,etc.)
Appearance/Organization Ranking(GraphicHeavy,EqualMix,TextHeavy)UserSet-up Ranking(Standardized,EqualMix,Customizable)Relevance/UpdatedInformation Measureoftime(daily,weekly,monthly,etc.)SupportsMultipleLanguages Yes/No-Number/listoflanguagessupportedStrengths QuantitativelistWeaknesses QuantitativelistCosts DollarValueAvailableITSupport Yes/No - Type/CostsassociatedTraining Yes/No - Type/CostsassociatedUse/Purpose
Aconciseone-sentencedescriptionofthetool’smainpurposeisprovidedtoallowtheuserto
easilyunderstandhowitshouldbeusedandwhatitscapabilitiesare.Forexample,thesentence
willincludethetypeofplatformthetooluses(website,survey,mapping,messageboard)and
explainthemissionofthetool,suchastomaximizeparticipants,collectinformation,createdata
graphics, etc. This sentence is based on the tool’smission and vision statements,marketing
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information,andthroughanalyzingthestrengthsandweaknessesofthetool.Thiscategoryis
listedfirstsothatuserscaneasilydetermineifthistoolshouldbeconsideredfurther.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Interactionandengagementopportunitieswillconsiderthenumberandbreadthofengagement
opportunities.Itwillincludealistordescriptionofeachwaythatparticipantscanengagewith
theprojectthroughthetool,aswellasgivefeedbackthroughdatacollectionandanalysis.
Appearance/Organization
Basedonbestpracticesfordevelopmentofonlineengagementtools,successfultoolshavemore
graphics than text in order to better engage with participants. This category will use three
qualitativemeasurestoassesthetools:“GraphicHeavy,EqualMixofgraphicsandtext,orText
Heavy.”Toolsthataregraphicheavywillberankedhigher,followedbyequalmix,andthentext
heavy.
UserSet-up
This category will consider whether the tool uses a more standardized platform, a more
customizableplatform,oramixofboth.Thiswillnotaffecttherankingofthetool,asitisupto
theusertodeterminewhethertheywantatoolthatismorestandardizedorcustomizable,based
onthetrade-offsthatareconsideredinbestpracticesforonlineengagementtooldevelopment.
Ifnecessary,usersetupwillbeexplainedfurtherineitherthestrengthsorweaknessescategory.
SupportMultipleLanguages
Thiscategorywilleitheransweryesorno,andifknown,willincludethenumberoflanguages
thatareavailableforeachtoolaswellasthetranslationplug-inavailable(Googletranslate,etc.)
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StrengthsandWeaknesses
Thesetwocategorieswillcontainalistofthemostimportantstrengthsandweaknessesofeach
tool. This category will allow for an explanation of the ease of navigation,
interaction/engagement opportunities, appearance/organization, and relevance/updated
informationcategories.Thissectionwillnotcontributetotherankingofeachtool,butwillgive
furtherdetailontheuseofthetool.
Costs
Quantitativedataonthecostofthetool,andifavailable,whatisincludedinthatcost.
AvailableITSupport
Yesornoanswerand,ifavailable,furtherdetailonwhatisincluded.
Training
Yesornoanswerand,ifavailable,furtherdetailonwhatisincluded.
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TableofContentsfortheToolsSurveyTools......................................................................................................................................43
MetroQuest................................................................................................................................................43
AllOurIdeas...............................................................................................................................................44
InteractiveText..........................................................................................................................................45
Codigital.....................................................................................................................................................46
WebsiteBuildingTools.....................................................................................................................47
CoUrbanize.................................................................................................................................................47
Neighborland..............................................................................................................................................48
BangtheTable/EngagementHQ................................................................................................................49
EngagingPlans.............................................................................................................................................50
CitizenSpace..............................................................................................................................................51
Crowdbrite.................................................................................................................................................52
Participate.Online.......................................................................................................................................53
Wejit...........................................................................................................................................................54
BudgetSimulatorTools....................................................................................................................55
BudgetSimulator........................................................................................................................................55
CitizenBudget............................................................................................................................................56
MessageBoardTools........................................................................................................................57
DialogueApp...............................................................................................................................................57
MindMixer..................................................................................................................................................58
Loomio.......................................................................................................................................................59
Zilino...........................................................................................................................................................60
MappingTools..................................................................................................................................61
Maptionnaire.............................................................................................................................................61
SocialPinPoint...........................................................................................................................................62
CommonPlace...........................................................................................................................................63
CommunityRemarks..................................................................................................................................64
PlaceSpeak.................................................................................................................................................65
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SurveyToolsThe following toolsareused to create surveysorpolls thatwill beused to collectdata from
participants.Otherpopularsurveytoolsthatarenotincludedinthisguideincludewebsitessuch
asSurveyMonkeyandQualtrics.
MetroQuest Analysis
Use/Purpose Publicinvolvementsoftwarethatenablesuserstomaximizethenumberandbreadthofparticipants,collectinformedandactionablepublicinput,andbuildgreatercommunitysupportthroughinteractivesurveys.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Screens:welcome,wrapup,priorityranking,scenariorating,visualpreference,imagerating,mapmarker,projectselection,budgetallocation,fundingbalance,visionstatement,tradeoffs,strategyrating,standardsurvey
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Featurerich
•Nosign-inrequiredwithstillcollectingdemographicdata•Optimizedformobile/smallscreens
Weaknesses •Notaflexible,scalableprojectwebsitepublishingtool•Nosocialmediaintegration
Costs $4,000/month($12,000per3-monthproject)Discountforvolumepricing(ex.6projects$40,000)
AvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes,ProvidesGuideBookExample http://metroquest.com/how-it-works/
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AllOurIdeas Analysis
Use/Purpose Createsa"wikisurvey"websitetoallowforparticipantstovoteonideasandaddtheirown.Thetooleasilycollectsthedata,transparenttotheparticipants,andallowsforuserstointegratetheresultsintotheplanningprocess
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantsvotebetweenchoicesonagiventopicandaddtheirownchoices.Choicesaremoderated,thenappearasachoiceforotherparticipantstovoteon.
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-16Strengths •Participantscanaddtheirownchoices
•Simpletosetup,andsimpletouse•Participantscanseetheresultsinstantly
Weaknesses •Noinclusionorwrap-upinformationwhichcouldleaveparticipantsuncertainofthenextsteps•Verylittledescriptionofwhatisbeingdone/nocontext•Nocontroloverthesurveybecauseofthenatureofopenendedquestions/answers
Costs FreetouseAvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample http://allourideas.org/planyc_example?guides=true
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InteractiveText Analysis
Use/Purpose Collectrepresentativefeedbacktobuildasharedvisionforthefutureorimproveexistingprocesses.Trackparticipantsovertime,soprogramscanimproveandgrow.Sendmessageswhenitcounts.Bite-sizededucationandreal-timeexercisesworkbetterforbusylives.Getpeoplesigneduponthespotandsendremindersbytext.Closethegapbetweeninterestandparticipation.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Sendtextmessages,participantsrespondtothetextmessage
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Cancustomizetocollectthedataneededwithmultiple
questiontypes,built-inlogic,customareacodes,etc.•Canbeusedatanytime,duringmeetingsorbefore/after
Weaknesses •Doesnotcollectdemographicdataunlessthatisthequestionbeingasked
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining YesExample https://www.textizen.com/welcome
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Codigital Analysis
Use/Purpose Askanopenquestionandhaveparticipantssubmitananswer,ortakeanexistinganswerandtrytoimproveitwithmodifications.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanvoteonideas,editideas,oraddtheirownideas.Pairsofanswersareshowntoparticipantsandeachtimetheyareaskedtopicktheonetheyprefer,rankingthepreferenceofanswers.
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Allowsforparticipantstobeflexibleintheirresponses
(openendedanswers)•Simpleplatformthatiseasytonavigate•Prioritizesresponsesasparticipantsvote,makingiteasyfordataanalysisandincorporationintoplans
Weaknesses •Noprojectcontextorinformationgiventoexplainthepurposeofthesurveywithinthetool•Nocontroloverthesurveyasanswersareopenended•Textheavy•Noconclusionorwrap-upinformationincluded
Costs Freeforupto50participantswithoneprojectatatime.Corporateratesforunlimitedparticipantsandunlimitedprojectsarenotpubliclyavailable
AvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample http://cd.codigital.com/p/planet
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WebsiteBuildingToolsThe following tools are used to create websites for community engagement projects. Other
popularwebsitebuildingtoolsthatarenotincludedinthisguideincludeSquarespace,Wix,and
Wordpress.
CoUrbanize Analysis
Use/Purpose Createsanonlinehomeforrealestatedevelopmentandcity/townplanningprojects.Userspostupdatesandhostonlineconversationsabouttheirplanswithparticipants
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Suggestions/Askquestionsincommentssection.Receiveresponsesfromtheprojectteam.“Support”optiononcomments;“Follow”optiontoreceiveprojectupdatesbyemail;Surveying/polling/interactivemapping;Timelineofproject/teamupdates;Socialmediaandcontentcreation
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes– 18languagessupportedStrengths • Nohidingofcomments fromprojectteam
• Maphaslayers/legends(niceMapboxintegration)• Optimizedformobile/smallscreens
Weaknesses • Noanonymity.Noprivatemessaging• Projectpageisnotconfigurable• Limitedeventfunctionality
Costs Variable($1,500-$75,000perproject)AvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample https://courbanize.com/projects/theladybird/information
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Neighborland Analysis
Use/Purpose Designedtohostprojectsonline,listentostakeholders,integrateonlineandofflineengagement,acceptdonations,conductsimplesurveys,andreportbackonimpact.Themissionistoempowerpeopletoshapethedevelopmentoftheirneighborhoods
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Surveys,ideation,upvoting,commenting,prioritizations,mapping,scenarios,donations
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-googletranslateStrengths •Featurerich(manydifferentwaysforengagement)
•Googleanalyticsintegrationforreporting•Compatibleonalldevicetypes•Template-basedlayoutoptionsthatmeetspecificprojectneeds
Weaknesses •Longscrollingpagescouldbecomeoverwhelmingwithtoomuchtext•Havetosign-in(optiontoallowanonymoususers)
Costs $1000+/monthAvailableITSupport AdditionalfeeTraining Helptextbuiltintoadminview,howtovideosavailableto
partnersarefree.HandsontraininghasadditionalfeeExample https://neighborland.com/stadiumneighborhoods/about
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BangtheTable/
EngagementHQ
Analysis
Use/Purpose UsestheEngagmentHQsuiteoftoolsfordesigningwebsitestocollectdataandreportinformation,andlistencitizens’totheconcernsofcitizens.Usedbytowngovernmentstosharemultipleongoingprojectsinoneplaceandallowsfordifferentengagementstrategiesforeachproject.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Engagementtoolsinclude:Mappingsurveying,"virtual"postitnotesforideas,surveys,forums,questions,guestbooks,andpollsInformationandreportingtoolsinclude:participantrelationshipmanagement,e-newsletters,socialplatforms,blogs,informationalwidgets,levelsofvisibility;datainsights,datasummaryreports,demographicbreakdown,commentanalysis,exportableformatsandcharts
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-cancreateseparatewebsitefordifferentlanguages,or
usethegoogletranslatewidgetStrengths •"Homepage"isverygraphicandeasytonavigate
•Eachprojectcanbetreateddifferently,withitsownwaystoengageorgiveinformation/updates•Projectpagesacrosstheboardarestandardized
Weaknesses •Requiressign-upinordertoparticipate;however,youdonothavetosharepersonaldetailswhenyouparticipate•Projectpagescanbeverytextheavy•Difficulttounderstandwaystoengageimmediately
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes
Example https://letstalk.niagarafalls.ca
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EngagingPlans Analysis
Use/Purpose PartoftheUrbanInteractiveStudio–allowsforprojectteamstobuildaprojectwebsitethatincludestoolsforsharinginformationandcollectingfeedback
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Sharinginformation(newsupdates,timeline,documentlibrary,FAQs,emailsubscription,imagegallery);collectinginput(ideawall,discussion&comments,surveys&polls,draftdocumentreview);evaluate(contentmanagementsystem,reportrebuild&dataexports,commentmoderationoptions,builtinSPAMfilter,helpdesk)
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up CustomizableSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-GoogleTranslateStrengths •Highlyflexible
•Feature-richWeaknesses •Commentscanbehidden/moderated
•Nosociallayer•Noconsistencyamongprojects
Costs Variable:$1,000-$20,000/projectAvailableITSupport Yes–WebsupportonlyTraining Yes–$125/hourExample https://abc-zone.com
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CitizenSpace Analysis
Use/Purpose Anadaptablesystemforcreatingonlineconsultations.Manageallpublicinvolvementactivity,runonlineconsultationsandsurveys,andanalyzeandreportbackonfindings.Specificallydesignedwithgovernmentsforpublicsectoruse.(PartoftheDelibtoolset)
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscansearchfordifferentconsultationprojectsandengagementactivityopportunitiesthatanorganizationhasgoingon.Thetoolcanconnecttootherengagementtoolsoruseabuilt-insurveyapplication.Theorganizationcanalsoshareimportantinformation,summarizeconsultationresults,andprovidedocumentsandcontextualinformation.
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Keepsallengagementopportunitiesinonelocation-easyto
find•Canlinktoothertools,allowsformultiplewaysofengagement•Integratesdocuments,maps,andcontextualinformationeasily
Weaknesses •Limitedin-toolengagementopportunities-onlyoptiontocreatesurveys•Canbetextheavydependingonmanagementbyuser
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes-dedicatedsupportpersonforeachprojectExample https://www.citizenspace.com/info/tour
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Crowdbrite Analysis
Use/Purpose Communicateplans,buildcommunity,prioritizeinvestment,andinspireactionthroughmobilefriendly,onlinetoolsforcomprehensiveplanning,capitalimprovements,andothermajorprojects.Hastoolsforfivemajorplanningareas:informing,consulting,involving,collaborating,andempowering.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Audio/video"welcomes"tocommunicatepurpose,goals,andobjective;visualsurveys;drag&dropideamap;idea/commentcards;progresstrackers;onlineopenhouse;documentreview;andfeedbackforms.Alsoprovidesresourcesforenhancingonsiteengagementoptionssuchastwitterpostcards,paperpolls,posterboards,workshopsupplies,mobilesurveys,kiosks,openhousehit,digitalworkshop/charrettekit,andsmarttables
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up CustomizableSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Compellingwebsitedesignsthatfeaturegraphicswith
informationoverlays•Widerangeofengagementopportunitiestofitanystageoftheengagementprocess•Layoutamongprojectwebsitesremainsstandard•Strongmobileandsocialcomponents
Weaknesses •Projectwebsitescancontaintoomuchinformation•Engagementopportunitiesnotimmediatelyfeatured,moreimportancegiventoinformationthandatacollection•Successfuldeploymentoftooldependsonguidancefromthetooldeveloperteam
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining N/AExample http://www.urbanforestsf.com
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Participate.Online Analysis
Use/Purpose Projectwebsitesdesignedtomimicapublicopenhouse-stylemeeting.Thewebsitesectionsaretopicfocusedasifparticipantswereatanin-personmeeting(tables,booths,boards,organizedaroundaroom).Participantscantakenotesastheyreadthroughtheinformationandthensubmitcomments.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Surveysfordemographics,Commentsubmissions,onlineconversations,mappingcomments
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up CustomizableSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Flexibleintegrationwithothertoolssuchasmailchimp,
vimeo,andsuveygizmowithintheplatform•Don'tneedtologintoparticipate,veryeasytosubmitcomments•Usesgoogleanalyticstotrackdatacollected
Weaknesses •Highlycustomizableformatcanleadtotextheavyprojectwebsites•Websiteisformattedinthatyoureadthroughmanypagesofcontextbeforegettingtomakecomments(aplacetotakenotesisatbottomofeachpagehowever)•Limitedengagementopportunities
Costs $5000forsingleeventsAvailableITSupport YesTraining YesExample https://demo.participate.online
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Wejit Analysis
Use/Purpose Createaone-pagewebsitethatcollectsvotes,commentsandresults
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanrespondtothetopicbyselectingoneofthetopics(poll)orbywritinganopenendedanswer.
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Onlyonepagewhichkeepstheprojectsimple
•Fivedifferentoptionsforthetypeofengagementtouse(openendedanswers,yesornowithjustification,multiplechoice,prioritization,orvoteforsuggestion)•Canaddimage,video,anddocumentstothepage
Weaknesses •Limitedtoonlyonetypeofengagementopportunityperproject•Lackofcustomization•Havetolog-intoparticipate
Costs FreeAvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample http://www.mywejit.com/#!signin
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BudgetSimulatorToolsThefollowingtoolsareusedtocreatebudgetsimilationstocollectdataonhowparticipantsthink
budgetsshouldbebalancedforcommunityengagementprocesses.
BudgetSimulator Analysis
Use/Purpose Engagecitizenswithbudgetsandinspireinsightfulresponse.Adigitaltoolthatletspeopleexploreandconsiderthetrade-offsbetweendifferentcombinationsofpriorities.(PartoftheDelibtoolset)
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantsadjustslidersondifferentareasorthemes,seeingtheeffectonitemssuchaslikeoverallbudget,taxlevels,andconsequencesforservices.Usersarepresentedwithtotalbudgetandthencanadjustspendinginkeyareasuntilthey'resatisfiedwiththeoverallbalanceofallocations
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes(extrafeetoprovide)Strengths •Showshowbudgetscanaffectparticipantpersonallybased
ondemographicinformation(ex.Howthebudgetwillchangetheirpropertytaxrates)•Includespotentialconsequencestotheoverallprojectforeachchangetothebudget•Projectpagesacrosstheboardarestandardized,buteachprojectcanbecustomizedwithgraphics
Weaknesses •Maytakeawhiletosetupalltheinformation•Textheavywithahighreadingcomprehensionlevelneeded•Noteasilyembeddedintoprojectwebsite-needstoredirectparticipantstoaseparatewebsitetousethetool
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes-Providesaguideonlineandaccountmanagertohelp
withconfigurationExample https://www.budgetsimulator.com/info/tour
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CitizenBudget Analysis
Use/Purpose Interactiveplatformthatshowsthefinancialimpactsonbudgetofparticipants'choicesinrealtime,educatingthemaboutthetrade-offsandconstraintsfacedbymunicipalities
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantsmakebudgetchoices,answersurveyquestions,andmakecommentsonselectedtopics.Theyalsogetinformationaboutthetopics,andcanbelinkedbacktotheprojectwebsite/relativeprojectdocumentstohelpmaketheirdecisions.
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up CustomizableSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Canembedlinksandgraphicsintotooltolinkbackto
projectwebsite•Optiontocreateprintversionsofbudgetconsultationtoreachofflineresidents•Commentboxesandsurveyquestionsincludedwiththebudgetsliders
Weaknesses •Maytakeparticipantsawhiletoanswerallquestions•Customizationcancauseanoverwhelmingamountofinformationprovidedtoparticipants•Notvisuallyexciting
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes-dedicatedsupportpersonforeachprojectExample http://www.citizenbudget.com/index.html
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MessageBoardToolsThefollowingtoolsareusedtocreatemessageboardsforcommunityengagementprocesses
thatwillallowparticipantstohaveconversationswitheachotheraswellaswiththeusersofthe
tool.Socialmediasiteshavesimilarcapabilitiesasthesetools,howevertheyarenotincludedin
thisguide.
DialogueApp Analysis
Use/Purpose Solvepolicychallengeswithinputfromparticipantsthroughconstructiveconversationonline.Dialoguegivesusersanopportunitytoinvolvecommunitiesintheissuesthatmattertothem(PartoftheDelibtoolset)
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanaddcommentstotopicscreatedbytheuser,commentonotherparticipantsposts,andvoteoncomments.Usersareabletorespondtocommentsaswell
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Verysimpleplatformthatiseasytouse
•Moderationformatkeepsconversationsontrackandencouragesproductiveengagement•Userdashboardgivesheadlinestatswithabilitytoexportdataeasily•Verysimpletoolsetupwithuser-friendlyadmintools
Weaknesses •Notvisuallyexciting,nographics•Lacksspacetoincludecontextaboutprojects
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes-dedicatedsupportpersonforeachprojectExample https://www.dialogue-app.com/info/tour
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MindMixer Analysis
Use/Purpose Createsaprojectwebsitethatallowsforusestoshareprojectinformationandreceivecommentsfromparticipantsondifferenttopics.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanaddideasindifferenttopicsections,rateothersideas,commentonthoseideas,orsharethroughsocialmedia.
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-GoogleTranslateStrengths •Hasdedicatedspacetoincludecontextabouttheproject
•Engagementopportunitiesarefoundeasilyandsimpletouse•Canchoosetoreceiveupdatesabouttheproject
Weaknesses •Limitedpublishingfunctionality•Havetosignintoparticipate•Limitedspaceforgraphics,makingittextheavyandoverwhelmingonsomeprojects
Costs •$3,000/annualfor1license•$5,000/annualfor5licenses
AvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample https://www.mindmixer.com
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Loomio Analysis
Use/Purpose Appforcollaborativedecision-making.Empowersparticipantstocometogether,buildsharedunderstanding,andagreeonaclearcourseofaction.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
ParticipantsgatherintheLoomioapp,startadiscussionwhereeveryoneinthegroupcanparticipate,makeproposals,andthendecideandactbyagreeing,abstaining,disagreeing,orblockingtheproposal.Whenparticipantsselecttheirpositionstheycanalsoenterashortstatementtoexplainwhy,creatingasummaryofeveryone'sthoughts.Alsooptionsforpollingabouttopics.
Appearance/Organization TextHeavyUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Simpletouse
•Formatmakesdecisionmakingmoreefficient•Formattedwellformobileuseandintegrationwithothertools
Weaknesses •Mustuseemail,Google,orFacebookaccounttologin•Lacksspacetoincludecontextaboutprojects
Costs •Freeforcasualandcommunitygroups(onegroupatatime)•$19/monthforGoldsubscription•$99/monthforProsubscription
AvailableITSupport N/ATraining OnlineguideExample https://www.loomio.org/p/lGcs8zJ5?invitation_token=
3ccd3ef5fcc5b002a890
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Zilino Analysis
Use/Purpose Zilinoisaweb-basedsolutionforhostingadvancedgroupdialogues.Zilinoenablesfacilitatorsandothergroupprocesspractitionerstodesign,hostandmanagedeliberativeonlineforumsandothertypesofintentional,well-structured,well-facilitatedandoutcome-orientedparticipatoryprocesses.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Moderateannouncementsandgroupupdates,resourcesharinganddocumentuploadforcollaborativelearning,whole-groupdiscussionincludingstructuretheming,small-groupdialogueandbreakoutsessionsincludingcollaborativenotetaking,pollingandvotingincludingrankorderingandrangevoting,storytellingandstorysharing
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Incorporatesseveralwaysforengagementfocusedaround
theconversation•Projectpagesnotvisuallyexcitingandcanbecometextheavy
Weaknesses •Mustcreateanaccounttoaccessanypartofthetool•Cannotbeembeddedintoexistingprojectwebsites
Costs •PerProject:$5/participant/month,$150/facilitator/month•Subscriptionsstartat$100/month•Full-servicepackagesrangebetween$5,000-$25,000
AvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/AExample http://ecastonline.zilino.com
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MappingToolsThe following tools are used to create maps that collect data from participants on various
communityengagementprojects.
Maptionnaire Analysis
Use/Purpose Engagesparticipantsthroughmappingtocollectsurveydata.Usersmakeamap-baseddatacollectionandcantransformthedataintotangibleinsightsanddevelopdeeperunderstandingoftheresults.IncorporatedatacollectedusingMaptionnariesintoplansanddesigns.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantsanswersurveyquestions,placemarkersonthemap,andaddcomments.
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages YesStrengths •Givesparticipantsoptionsfortypesofmaptouse(Bing
satelliteorMapBox)•Surveyquestionsstartwithdemographicswithoutrequiringanameoremail•Differenttypesofsurveyquestionskeepparticipantsengagedandinterested•Howtoaddmarkersandcommentstothemapiswellexplainedandeasytodo
Weaknesses •Cannotseeother'sresponseswhileaddingtothemap•Lacksspacetoincludecontextabouttheproject•Cannotbeintegratedintoanexistingprojectwebsite
Costs Oneprojectcanrangefrom$625-$2000dependingonthenumberofmonthstheprojectislivefor•$250/monthforeachmonthover4months•$6251/yearforafullannualplan
AvailableITSupport Yes-AdditionalpriceTraining Yes-AdditionalpriceExample https://app.maptionnaire.com/en/2133/
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SocialPinPoint Analysis
Use/Purpose Mappingtoolthatallowsparticipantstoshowexactlywheretheirfeedback,ideas,andconcernsrelateto.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanaddcommentstoamap,viewotherscomments,likeordislikeothercomments
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Projectsetupisquickandsimple
•Comprehensivedataanalysisprovidedbyplatform•Hasawiderangeoffeaturestobeutilized•IncorporateownGISdataintothemap
Weaknesses •Cannotbeintegratedintoexistingprojectwebsite•Nowaytocollectdemographicinformation•Limitedengagementopportunities
Costs •StandardProjectLicense$1920/annual•ProfessionalProjectLicense$2880/annual•Enterpriselicensenotpubliclyavailable•Organizationalpricingalsoavailableformultipleprojects
AvailableITSupport YesTraining N/AExample https://www.socialpinpoint.com/project/central-coast-
council-coast-pathways/
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CommonPlace Analysis
Use/Purpose Commonplace'sonlineconsultationplatformgivesqualityanddepthofengagementneededtoincreasereach,buildtrust,andgetbuy-infromlocalcommunities.Allowsuserstosetupawebsitetoprovideinformationandupdatesaboutaproject,whilereceivingcommentsaboutareasthatneedimprovementsorfeedbackontheproposeddesigns
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanmakecommentsonamapbychoosingthelocation,providinganactionthatisneeded,andanyadditionalcomments.Participantscanagreewiththesecommentsbylikingthem,orsharingthemonsocialmedia.Inprojectswithnomapsparticipantscanmakecommentsontopics.Optiontolinktosurveysfromexternaltools.
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up EqualMixSupportsMultipleLanguages N/AStrengths •Choiceofstandardizedlayoutsforwebsitesthatallowsfor
customizationthroughthetypeofinformationtheuserprovides•Addingcommentsisveryeasyandtakesverylittletime•Providesoptionsforresponsesinordertoframethediscussionratherthangatheronlyopenendedanswers•Norequirementtolog-intoprovidecomments•Optiontocreatecompellinggraphicsfromtheresultsofcommentscollected
Weaknesses •Cannotbeintegratedintoexistingprojectwebsite•Nowaytocollectdemographicinformationunlessparticipantchoosestocreateanoptionalaccount
Costs NotPubliclyAvailableAvailableITSupport N/ATraining N/A
Example https://bristolbugbears.commonplace.is/comments
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CommunityRemarks Analysis
Use/Purpose CommunityRemarksmakesiteasyforparticipantstoplotacommentonaGooglemap.Showsimprovementprojectsandillustratespertinentprojectdetailstogetinformedfeedback.Crowdsourcecommentsduringthevisioningprocess,thenpresentplansforfeedback.Useitcontinuouslyforalltypesofprojectsinplanningareaswithoutincreasedfees.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantscanaddcommentstomaptopics;addphotostocomments;voteonother'scomments;cansharecommentsonsocialmedia;commentsarealsoaddedtostreetview.Registrationisnotrequired,butoptional.
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-GoogleTranslateStrengths •Commentsubmissionisguidedthroughpromptsrather
thanopenended•Googlemapsintegrationmakestheplatformfamiliartomostparticipants•OverlayscanbeaddedtomapstoshowlandmarksthroughGISlayers(canalsobeexportedtoGIS)•Wellintegratedformobileuse-willfindcurrentlocationofparticipant
Weaknesses •Cannotbeembeddedintoexistingprojectwebsite•Doesnotintegrateanyotherwaysforengagement
Costs •BasicLicense,collectplace-basedcomments:$1,995(one-timefee)•Basic+Plus,allphasesofengagement:$2,720(one-timefee)•Basic+PlusforTIP,DOTprojects&fiscalconstraints:$5,845(annual)•WebHosting:$320(annual)
AvailableITSupport Yes(dependsonlicensing,minimumof4hoursoftechnicalsupport)
Training Yes-1-hourdemosessiontofullyutilizeallthefeaturesintheadmin
Example https://communityremarks.com/projects/
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PlaceSpeak Analysis
Use/Purpose PlaceSpeak’suniquegeo-verificationprocessconnectsparticipants’digitalidentitytotheirphysicallocationandmakecommentsonprojects.Existingparticipantsareautomaticallynotifiedofnewconsultationsintheircommunitybasedontheirinterests.
Interaction/EngagementOpportunities
Participantsselecttopicsonamapoftheirlocalareaandaddcommentsortakesurveys
Appearance/Organization EqualMixUserSet-up StandardizedSupportsMultipleLanguages Yes-GoogleTranslateStrengths •Canbeintegratedintoanexistingprojectwebsite
•Engagementopportunitiesoneachsectionforeachproject•Lightontext,makingitvisuallyappealingandeasytonavigatethrough•Canviewotherparticipantscomments
Weaknesses •Participantsmustregisterforthesitewiththeiraddressandphonenumber,howevertheycanmaketheiraccountprivate•Doesn'tcollectanyotherdemographicdataotherthanlocation
Costs •StandardLicense$249.99/monthor$2499.99/year•PremiumLicense$499.99/monthor$4999.99/year•Additionalchargesforadd-ons
AvailableITSupport YesTraining Yes-$500/hourforupto4peopleExample https://www.placespeak.com/en/topic/5700-556-576-
conservation-dr/#/overview
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