User Guide of Online Community Engagement Tools · This User Guide for Online Community Engagement...

37

UserGuideofOnlineCommunityEngagementTools

38

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

39

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

40

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.)

41

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.

42

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

43

SurveyToolsThe following toolsareused to create surveysorpolls thatwill beused to collectdata from

participants.Otherpopularsurveytoolsthatarenotincludedinthisguideincludewebsitessuch

asSurveyMonkeyandQualtrics.

MetroQuest Analysis

Use/Purpose Publicinvolvementsoftwarethatenablesuserstomaximizethenumberandbreadthofparticipants,collectinformedandactionablepublicinput,andbuildgreatercommunitysupportthroughinteractivesurveys.


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/

44

AllOurIdeas Analysis

Use/Purpose Createsa"wikisurvey"websitetoallowforparticipantstovoteonideasandaddtheirown.Thetooleasilycollectsthedata,transparenttotheparticipants,andallowsforuserstointegratetheresultsintotheplanningprocess


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

45

InteractiveText Analysis

Use/Purpose Collectrepresentativefeedbacktobuildasharedvisionforthefutureorimproveexistingprocesses.Trackparticipantsovertime,soprogramscanimproveandgrow.Sendmessageswhenitcounts.Bite-sizededucationandreal-timeexercisesworkbetterforbusylives.Getpeoplesigneduponthespotandsendremindersbytext.Closethegapbetweeninterestandparticipation.


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

46

Codigital Analysis

Use/Purpose Askanopenquestionandhaveparticipantssubmitananswer,ortakeanexistinganswerandtrytoimproveitwithmodifications.


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

47

WebsiteBuildingToolsThe following tools are used to create websites for community engagement projects. Other

popularwebsitebuildingtoolsthatarenotincludedinthisguideincludeSquarespace,Wix,and

Wordpress.

CoUrbanize Analysis

Use/Purpose Createsanonlinehomeforrealestatedevelopmentandcity/townplanningprojects.Userspostupdatesandhostonlineconversationsabouttheirplanswithparticipants


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

48

Neighborland Analysis

Use/Purpose Designedtohostprojectsonline,listentostakeholders,integrateonlineandofflineengagement,acceptdonations,conductsimplesurveys,andreportbackonimpact.Themissionistoempowerpeopletoshapethedevelopmentoftheirneighborhoods


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

49

BangtheTable/

EngagementHQ

Analysis

Use/Purpose UsestheEngagmentHQsuiteoftoolsfordesigningwebsitestocollectdataandreportinformation,andlistencitizens’totheconcernsofcitizens.Usedbytowngovernmentstosharemultipleongoingprojectsinoneplaceandallowsfordifferentengagementstrategiesforeachproject.


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

50

EngagingPlans Analysis

Use/Purpose PartoftheUrbanInteractiveStudio–allowsforprojectteamstobuildaprojectwebsitethatincludestoolsforsharinginformationandcollectingfeedback


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

51

CitizenSpace Analysis

Use/Purpose Anadaptablesystemforcreatingonlineconsultations.Manageallpublicinvolvementactivity,runonlineconsultationsandsurveys,andanalyzeandreportbackonfindings.Specificallydesignedwithgovernmentsforpublicsectoruse.(PartoftheDelibtoolset)


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

52

Crowdbrite Analysis

Use/Purpose Communicateplans,buildcommunity,prioritizeinvestment,andinspireactionthroughmobilefriendly,onlinetoolsforcomprehensiveplanning,capitalimprovements,andothermajorprojects.Hastoolsforfivemajorplanningareas:informing,consulting,involving,collaborating,andempowering.


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

53

Participate.Online Analysis

Use/Purpose Projectwebsitesdesignedtomimicapublicopenhouse-stylemeeting.Thewebsitesectionsaretopicfocusedasifparticipantswereatanin-personmeeting(tables,booths,boards,organizedaroundaroom).Participantscantakenotesastheyreadthroughtheinformationandthensubmitcomments.


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

54

Wejit Analysis

Use/Purpose Createaone-pagewebsitethatcollectsvotes,commentsandresults


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

55

BudgetSimulatorToolsThefollowingtoolsareusedtocreatebudgetsimilationstocollectdataonhowparticipantsthink

budgetsshouldbebalancedforcommunityengagementprocesses.

BudgetSimulator Analysis

Use/Purpose Engagecitizenswithbudgetsandinspireinsightfulresponse.Adigitaltoolthatletspeopleexploreandconsiderthetrade-offsbetweendifferentcombinationsofpriorities.(PartoftheDelibtoolset)


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

56

CitizenBudget Analysis

Use/Purpose Interactiveplatformthatshowsthefinancialimpactsonbudgetofparticipants'choicesinrealtime,educatingthemaboutthetrade-offsandconstraintsfacedbymunicipalities


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

57

MessageBoardToolsThefollowingtoolsareusedtocreatemessageboardsforcommunityengagementprocesses

thatwillallowparticipantstohaveconversationswitheachotheraswellaswiththeusersofthe

tool.Socialmediasiteshavesimilarcapabilitiesasthesetools,howevertheyarenotincludedin

thisguide.

DialogueApp Analysis

Use/Purpose Solvepolicychallengeswithinputfromparticipantsthroughconstructiveconversationonline.Dialoguegivesusersanopportunitytoinvolvecommunitiesintheissuesthatmattertothem(PartoftheDelibtoolset)


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

58

MindMixer Analysis

Use/Purpose Createsaprojectwebsitethatallowsforusestoshareprojectinformationandreceivecommentsfromparticipantsondifferenttopics.


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

59

Loomio Analysis

Use/Purpose Appforcollaborativedecision-making.Empowersparticipantstocometogether,buildsharedunderstanding,andagreeonaclearcourseofaction.


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

60

Zilino Analysis

Use/Purpose Zilinoisaweb-basedsolutionforhostingadvancedgroupdialogues.Zilinoenablesfacilitatorsandothergroupprocesspractitionerstodesign,hostandmanagedeliberativeonlineforumsandothertypesofintentional,well-structured,well-facilitatedandoutcome-orientedparticipatoryprocesses.


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

61

MappingToolsThe following tools are used to create maps that collect data from participants on various

communityengagementprojects.

Maptionnaire Analysis

Use/Purpose Engagesparticipantsthroughmappingtocollectsurveydata.Usersmakeamap-baseddatacollectionandcantransformthedataintotangibleinsightsanddevelopdeeperunderstandingoftheresults.IncorporatedatacollectedusingMaptionnariesintoplansanddesigns.


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/

62

SocialPinPoint Analysis

Use/Purpose Mappingtoolthatallowsparticipantstoshowexactlywheretheirfeedback,ideas,andconcernsrelateto.


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/

63

CommonPlace Analysis

Use/Purpose Commonplace'sonlineconsultationplatformgivesqualityanddepthofengagementneededtoincreasereach,buildtrust,andgetbuy-infromlocalcommunities.Allowsuserstosetupawebsitetoprovideinformationandupdatesaboutaproject,whilereceivingcommentsaboutareasthatneedimprovementsorfeedbackontheproposeddesigns


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

64

CommunityRemarks Analysis

Use/Purpose CommunityRemarksmakesiteasyforparticipantstoplotacommentonaGooglemap.Showsimprovementprojectsandillustratespertinentprojectdetailstogetinformedfeedback.Crowdsourcecommentsduringthevisioningprocess,thenpresentplansforfeedback.Useitcontinuouslyforalltypesofprojectsinplanningareaswithoutincreasedfees.


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/

65

PlaceSpeak Analysis

Use/Purpose PlaceSpeak’suniquegeo-verificationprocessconnectsparticipants’digitalidentitytotheirphysicallocationandmakecommentsonprojects.Existingparticipantsareautomaticallynotifiedofnewconsultationsintheircommunitybasedontheirinterests.


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

66

[End of Document]

User Guide of Online Community Engagement Tools · This User Guide for Online Community Engagement...

Documents

Transcript of User Guide of Online Community Engagement Tools · This User Guide for Online Community Engagement...