Comparing traditional consultation methods with digital community engagement on Give My View

Community engagement has always been essential to understand the needs and concerns of local community members. It’s also a statutory requirement if you’re preparing a development plan document or submitting a planning application. Traditionally, consultations have taken place in town halls, community centres, or through in-person events.

While traditional forms of consultation allow for in-depth conversation, many community members will not have time for face-to-face meetings, which means that a different method needs to be used to connect with everyone, and not just those who are motivated to turn up in person. 

Give My View, a community consultation platform, now part of LandTech’s ecosystem, is built to make decision making easier. It has been used by a wide range of clients, in the public and private sectors, to engage with their community on policy and planning applications, as well as the gathering of feedback on a wide range of other key topics.

How do traditional methods and digital consultations differ?

Traditional consultation methods are a valuable way to connect with the community, allowing for direct conversations and in-depth discussions. However, they can have downsides such as:

• Low attendance: Many community members may find it challenging to attend in-person events due to their schedules or lack of awareness.
  
  
• Smaller reach: In-person consultations can also be inaccessible due to locations, making it difficult to engage with the entire community, especially those in remote areas or who might have mobility restrictions. 
  
  
• Time and resource: Planning and managing in-person events can be costly and time-consuming.

Give My View utilises digital platforms to overcome these challenges and enhance community engagement through:

• Being at the right place at the right time: Community members are able to answer surveys anywhere at any time, taking away barriers of geography and schedule conflicts.
  
  
• Larger numbers and diverse outreach: Through digital consultations and targeted engagement in over 15 different languages, the platform encourages wider participation from diverse members of the community. This approach ensures that there is a more representative view of what the community truly wants and needs.
  
  

• Real-time insights: Give My View also has real-time reporting and analytics, that allows users to easily and quickly understand community concerns and preferences.
  
  
• Range and flexibility: Give My View can be used alongside traditional methods via the use of QR codes on print materials and at in-person events or links in email communications.
  
  

Though they differ, traditional and digital methods can go hand-in-hand to bring you valuable insight and help you make informed decisions. Traditional approaches can help start conversations - but integrating a digital component like Give My View can keep the conversations going beyond these initial engagements and supercharge your consultation.

Insights from Give My View and voting comparisons

In a recent project conducted on Give My View by one of our long-standing clients, 81% of community members reported that they did not attend in-person events for a new local planning application. Why?

• Many people were unaware of the events, highlighting the need for better publicity.
  
  
• Time constraints, particularly due to work, were also a major barrier emphasising the need for flexibility and a variety of engagement methods.
  
  
• Some felt that their participation wouldn't make a difference, which indicates the need for transparency and consistency in communication.

We wanted to clearly see these numbers to understand the difference between engagement with Give My View and the levels of engagement with more traditional consultation methods. We looked at data from three different types of project: public sector policy consultations, private sector development projects, and housing associations resident consultations. 

In each case, we compared the levels of engagement seen via Give My View with published comparables that are in the public domain. In all cases, we observed a greater number of voters using our platform compared to traditional methods. 

In a recent blog post, we wrote about why a strategic approach to Housing Associations and community consultations are vital. Working with Give My View, Housing Associations have seen an increase in engagement ranging from 1000% to 2000%. 

Transforming community engagement with Give My View

Since Give My View launched in 2019, our team has seen digital consultations help organisations across various sectors to connect more effectively with their communities. Traditional methods remain valuable and have their place, ensuring a comprehensive approach to community engagement. 

Adding in a digital component to your consultation strategy will allow you to reach a more diverse section of the community, and reach them in larger numbers. This not only enables organisations to make more informed decisions but also fosters stronger connections with these communities.

If you would like to discuss how Give My View can help you connect with your community, please get in touch for a demo.