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How to organize a citizen consultation on the post-Covid-19 era?

  • Thursday, May 7, 2020

  • Blog cover image

    For several days, initiatives of citizen consultation on the world of the future have been flourishing. Citizens, elected officials, associations, companies... Many of them express their will (and the democratic necessity) to conceive together the scenario of tomorrow.

    But how to set up such a large-scale consultation in a few weeks? To help local authorities meet the challenge, Fluicity offers them complete support throughout their consultation. Ready-to-use digital platform, framing of key themes, moderation, analysis: we are here to guide you.

    Illustration of an elected official smiling with the key elements of the citizen consultation (platform, ideas, collaboration..) around her

    Who to involve in a consultation on "The Day After Tomorrow"?

    In addition to containment management, communities are being asked to take on part of the reconstruction after the coronavirus crisis. A mission that they cannot assume alone.

    The participation of citizens, associations and private actors are all indispensable contributions to imagine tomorrow. Their collective intelligence is a precious asset. But how to involve and coordinate all these voices?

    Here again, local authorities are not alone. Collaboration with civic tech specialists in citizen participation allows them to move more easily from intention to action. And that's all the good Fluicity wishes them!

    How to organize this consultation and mobilize local actors?

    Organizing a citizen consultation cannot be improvised. Especially in such a particular context, with over-subscribed services. With its "Resilient Territories" initiative, Fluicity offers local authorities a full support throughout their participatory project.

    1. A digital platform available immediately

    Graphic representation of a digital platform for citizen consultation

    Digital communication has played an important role since the beginning of containment. This online tool helps anchor the practice with residents and mobilize a larger and more diverse audience: associations, businesses, working population, youth, etc.

    Fluicity's teams will help you to get used to the platform.

    2. Framing the consultation around thematic challenges

    Picto representing the framing of a citizen consultation

    This initial framing is a key step in giving meaning to the consultations and resulting in quality proposals.

    Fluicity proposes to pre-define the themes for ending the crisis with the communities and to submit them to the participants in the form of challenges. Ecology, work, citizenship, solidarity, health, society... The challenges are adapted to the problems of each territory.

    3. Animation, moderation and analysis

    Picto representing the analysis of a citizen consultation

    These actions are necessary to keep the consultation alive** over time, to understand the data collected and to ensure the quality of the dialogue. Here again, Fluicity brings its methodological knowledge and guarantees its active presence.

    Discover our solution

    Why organize a citizen consultation on the post-coronavirus?

    We know that the economic, ecological and social challenges that await us require a strong involvement of citizens. Tomorrow's scenario is inseparable from a new democratic scenario, which was already felt before the health crisis.

    Two citizens imagining the future from their windows. Illustration suggesting the remote citizen consultation

    This consultation is an opportunity to continue the collaboration with citizens and to highlight issues specific to the territories. It is a first step towards the valuation of local initiatives and an invitation to decentralize decision-making.

    Why choose Fluicity for your consultation?

    The goal of this consultation is to achieve tangible results: concrete collective proposals and activatable projects. Fluicity's platform offers a methodology and functionalities that precisely meet this expectation.

    1. Via the organization of the consultation around challenges (already discussed).

    This framing makes it possible to immediately define the issues of the territory and then to orient the participants on their preferred subjects. A clearer approach for everyone.

    2. Via its co-creation functionality.

    This feature aims to stimulate critical thinking and caring throughout the participation.

    • When you propose your idea 📝

    All participants follow a structured 3-step process: what is your proposed solution? What problem does it aim to solve? What will be the benefit? The goal is to go beyond mere intuition and formulate the clearest possible idea from the start.

    Computer screen showing the first stage of idea proposal during a citizen consultation

    • When we interact 👍

    The participants find the familiar markers of social networks: likes, comments, etc. With one particularity: they are systematically invited to produce a complementary argument and go beyond the simple "like/dislike" statement.

    Computer screen showing the first stage of idea proposal during a citizen consultation

    • To co-create 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏼

    Thanks to these constructive arguments, the proposals are reformulated by their authors and improved. The power of collective intelligence!

    Participants are guided through the different stages, for greater autonomy.

    By simplifying the participation process for all stakeholders, Fluicity advocates a more inclusive decision-making process and a stronger proximity between all local stakeholders.

    We believe that local authorities are at the heart of a necessary transformation of the democratic landscape. For that, "it is essential that they have the means to act!" recently underlined the cabinet director of Saran. This is precisely the goal of our "Resilient Territories" initiative.

    Building the Day After in your city