10

New Zealand Councils and Online Public

Participation
An investigation into how New Zealand councils engage with citizens
online
June, 2014






New Zealand Councils and Online Public Participation
PublicVoice 2 June 2014


Contents


Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
About PublicVoice ........................................................................................................... 4
Key Findings ................................................................................................................... 5
Survey Results ................................................................................................................ 7
Digital Engagement Options Currently Utilised by Councils in New Zealand ........ 7
Successful Methods of Obtaining Feedback from Citizens ................................... 8
Council Area Responsible for Online Engagement and Public Participation ........ 9
Councils Priority Levels Towards Online Public Participation ............................. 10
Councils Efforts in Facilitating Online Public Participation .................................. 11
Future E-Democracy Plans ................................................................................ 12
Key Barriers to Implementing Online Initiatives to Facilitate Public Engagement13
Future Changes to How Councils Engage with the Public.................................. 14
Online Public Participation Plans in the Next Two Years.................................... 15
Future Interactive/Online Engagement Plans that Councils Plan on Utilising ..... 16
Respondent Profile ........................................................................................................ 17
Population Size of Councils Surveyed ............................................................... 17
Council Breakdown ............................................................................................ 18
Appendix ....................................................................................................................... 19
What do you find are the most successful methods for obtaining feedback from
Citizens? Comments Section .......................................................................... 19
What are the key barriers when implementing online initiatives to facilitate public
engagement? Comments Section ................................................................... 21
Looking to the future, what (if any) changes will there be in how your Council
engages with the Public? Comments Section ................................................. 22
List of Councils Who Responded ....................................................................... 24
List of Councils Audited by PublicVoice ............................................................. 25
Survey Questions .......................................................................................................... 26
New Zealand Councils and Online Public Participation - Survey ........................ 26
References .................................................................................................................... 29


New Zealand Councils and Online Public Participation
PublicVoice 3 June 2014


Introduction

The way that people expect to obtain information and communicate their views to
organisations such as councils is changing. Councils are expected to move with their
communities towards being more accessible and more willing to conduct their business
online.

Citizens in the 21
st
century expect to have access to information right at their fingertips
and expect organisations to be able to keep up with their increasing demands. The
traditional expectation that information and help is only available between the hours of
9am to 5pm has changed to people expecting to be able to get information and help 24
hours, 7 days a week.
Local government in New Zealand has over time noticed this shift in expectation and has
taken steps towards moving using more online platforms to be able to assist citizens with
their interactions with councils.
This report provides a snapshot about how councils are using online engagement tools
to engage with citizens online and how in future this will be used. These include;
Current and future online engagement tools in New Zealand are/will be using to
engage with citizens.

What councils consider are successful methods to engaging with citizens.

How councils rate the priority given to online public participation and their current
efforts at getting more citizens to engage with them online.

Key barriers that stop councils from increasing engagement with citizens online.

Identifying which council departments look after online engagement and public
participation around New Zealand.

For the purposes of this report, e-democracy is the combination of the use of online
engagement tools such as the internet which allows people to voice their opinion as well
the system used to be able to give citizens in our communities the power to be able to
able to tell decision makers what they expect of them.
This report was conducted over the period of May June 2014 with councils invited to
participate in a short telephone survey alongside PublicVoice conducting an audit of all
councils online to see what digital engagement options they currently utilise.

All councils in New Zealand were invited to participate in this research with 41 councils
completing this survey.

New Zealand Councils and Online Public Participation
PublicVoice 4 June 2014


About PublicVoice

PublicVoice was founded in 2006 and is a digital engagement company that helps New
Zealand government, councils and public institutions engage and consult online with
citizens, customers and key stakeholders.

One of our unique specialities is our years of experience working alongside Local
Government to be able to engage and consult with the silent majority that exists in their
communities. The struggle to be able to get the silent majority to be able to engage with
their council is major with councils often hearing from the same group of people on
issues that affect the silent majority the most.

PublicVoice has a proven history of being able to help councils connect and engage with
the silent majority and we have helped a number of councils around New Zealand do
this including;

Palmerston North City Council
Hastings District Council
Tararua District Council
Manawatu District Council

We have a number of solutions that can assist organisations across New Zealand
engage with citizens and key stakeholders in order to achieve meaningful engagement
with people that works.

Our services include;

Citizens Panels
Online Surveys
Online Consultation Management
Budget Simulation
Ideation and Crowd Sourcing

For more information on how PublicVoice can help your council engage with your
community online please visit our website at www.publicvoice.co.nz or give us a call on
0800 003 621.

New Zealand Councils and Online Public Participation
PublicVoice 5 June 2014


Key Findings

Current Digital Engagement Options Used By Councils in
New Zealand
83% of councils have a Facebook page to communicate with the public. In 2009,
only 22% of councils had a presence on Facebook.
1


35% of councils have a YouTube presence compared to just 22% who had a
YouTube presence in 2009.

58% of councils have a Twitter page. In 2009, only 11% of councils had a
presence on Twitter.

Successful Methods of Obtaining Feedback from Citizens
44% of councils indicted that the use of traditional submissions to council is a
successful way of obtaining feedback from citizens.

29% of councils indicted that online submissions are a successful way of
obtaining feedback from citizens.

27% of councils indicted that using face to face methods to obtain feedback is a
successful way of obtaining feedback from citizens.

Council Area Responsible for Online Engagement and
Public Participation
61% of councils indicted that communications is responsible for online
engagement and public participation at their council.

32% of councils indicted that strategy & policy is responsible for online
engagement and public participation at their council.

24% of councils indicted that departments related to community engagement
are responsible for online engagement and public participation at their council.
For example, Community Services, Community Relations, Community Development,
Community Engagement, Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Engagement team.



1
A Roadmap to E-democracy in New Zealand Local Government, ALGIM E-Democracy Research
Paper 2009