In fact, the 2024 Civic Engagement Benchmark Report indicated that more than half (54%) of respondents have no scheduled consultation of their engagement research. With engagement as a mission-critical strategy for many agencies, it’s important that organizations make time for regular audits to understand the audiences with whom they are hoping to engage. Regularly consulting engagement research is key to maintaining trust.
What leads to poor constituent experiences and disempowered communities?
Limited consultation with locals
Gaining buy-in from diverse stakeholders can be challenging. Staff might struggle to capture sentiment and keep hard-to-reach communities involved, which is crucial for project success.
Poor communication
Lack of transparency or inconsistent messaging can frustrate. Constituents might perceive the project as more harmful than beneficial, fueling opposition, eroding goodwill, and stalling progress.
Limited resources
Insufficient planning for resources — whether personnel, budget, or materials — can lead to delays and project overruns. Staff often face difficulties in managing these resources effectively.
Short-term focus
Projects often face shifting priorities due to political, economic, or social factors. This can complicate planning and execution, requiring staff to adapt quickly and manage expectations.
"Allowing people to subscribe to individual projects keeps them in tune with projects they want to know about, and they aren’t inundated with information they don’t care about.”
Shandy Lam
Director of the Communications Division
Proper community engagement allows new ideas to come from those that know the community best: its residents. It enables decisions made at the top to be more robust and reflective of stakeholder desires, and it prevents wasted time and energy on unwanted or problematic initiatives.
As examined in the whitepaper, Assessing the Value of Digital Community Engagement, dedicated engagement platforms like Granicus’ Engagement Cloud can help governments mitigate the risk of new projects and ensure representation of the entire community.
Are you addressing the real needs of your community?
By fully understanding their community, governments can deliver policies and enact meaningful programs that benefit everyone — not just a vocal minority.
