Governments to Use Technology to Increase Civic Engagement in 2023

With the help of technology, governments can enhance service delivery, increase citizen engagement, and meet the ever-changing needs of citizens.

FREMONT, CA: The private sector has been very good at using technology to provide online services, which has made the customer experience better and more efficient. People are used to using digital tools for many things they do every day, like banking, shopping online, and making video calls. Most people expect to be able to use technology in many parts of their daily lives, including their interactions with the government. Technology makes it easy for governments to get more people involved if they embrace innovation and digital transformation. This ultimately improves the citizen experience throughout the community.

‍Technological methods to enhance civic engagement

Establish virtual city council meetings: In the past few years, many cities have quickly switched to virtual or hybrid council meetings. This is because lockdowns and other social isolation measures have made it hard for people to meet in person. They became the norm, and video conferencing made it possible for the government to keep running and for many people to attend city council meetings no matter where they were or what their schedules were like.

Municipalities are now expected to do more than simply post online meeting agendas and minutes. Live streams and video conferencing make it possible for citizens to stay in touch with their government even if they can't go to city hall in person. This technology makes it easier for people to take part in community events since they don't have to worry about scheduling, transportation, or childcare.

Online delivery of government services and payment processing: In today's world, it's so common to add items to a virtual shopping cart and finish a purchase online that it's often surprising when a service doesn't have a way to pay online. Citizens already receive this kind of service delivery from the private sector, and they anticipate receiving it from government agencies as well.

Modern payment systems make it easier for citizens to interact with the government and create obvious efficiencies, such as faster money collection (for the municipality) and automatic monthly billing (for the citizen). Moreover, a seamless digital government experience can help to increase citizen confidence. The pandemic accelerated the need for governments to provide a positive digital experience, and these types of online interactions will continue to play a vital role in increasing citizen engagement in municipalities.

Invest in mobile-friendly solutions: Not everyone will have a computer at home, but the vast majority of North American citizens carry a smartphone. There are also a lot of rural areas that rely heavily on mobile networks to get online. Worldwide website traffic in the second quarter of 2022 was generated by mobile devices (excluding tablets).Mobile users added 230 billion apps to their devices between 2016 and 2021.

Municipalities can get their citizens more involved in government by meeting their needs wherever they are. This can be done through a mobile app that delivers government services. However, it is necessary to prevent the constituents from drowning in a sea of applications, also known as "app sprawl." Governments are complex, with numerous departments, which frequently leads to the development of a large number of citizen-facing apps for various purposes. This is often perplexing for a constituent, who must understand the organizational structure of the municipality to interact efficiently. Consider developing a single municipal app capable of integrating all the different departments to make the citizen experience more adaptable and therefore more satisfying.

Facilitate connections between individuals and local groups and activities: Governments can play a crucial role in fostering community relationships. They can make it easy for the citizens to locate local individuals who share their interests. For marginalized populations, such as new migrants with language barriers, the ability to quickly locate these interactions can be especially useful.

A population that is actively involved generates a community that benefits all its members. Consider utilizing technology to implement an online registration system for meetups, classes, and recreational activities with locals. A system of opt-in alerts notifying citizens of interesting regional events can also increase civic engagement.

Adapt to the technological trends of the older generations: A one-size-fits-all approach to technology can make it harder for a government to connect with people of different ages. Cities and towns need to think about the different age groups of their residents and recognize that different generations use technology in different ways.

For example, a Pew Research Center survey done in 2021 showed that the number of people who own and use tablets has steadily gone down since 2018. In the same time frame, however, the percentage of older adults who used the Internet increased from 38 percent to 44 percent. This could mean that tablet computers are becoming more and more popular among older people for many different reasons. This trend in device usage provides governments with an excellent opportunity to increase engagement with their aging populations. By optimizing e-services to be compatible with tablets, older citizens will be able to interact with the municipality in a manner with which they are most comfortable.

‍Technology is a fantastic enabler for facilitating and improving government interactions. Nevertheless, technology has the potential to improve the lives of citizens in unprecedented ways. Governments can harness the power of technology to improve service delivery, increase citizen engagement, and respond to citizens' ever-changing needs.