Table Talks: Recent Episodes

Bang the Table

We're on a mission to enable public participation as a fundamental pillar of well-functioning 21st-century democracies around the world. Listen in as we discuss the challenges governments and organizations face as they work to engage their communities. Hear engagement strategies these leaders are using to forge meaningful connections and develop open dialogue around import issues that affect the lives of their communities.

The UK Consult | Episode 45: with Dan Rhodes by Granicus

In this very special episode, we are delighted to be joined by the one and only Mark Hynes, Chief Executive Officer at Granicus, alongside our marvellous hosts, Karen Steel, Customer Success Manager, and Jonathan Bradley, GXG UK Business and Practice Lead. Throughout this conversation we dive deep into Granicus’ mission of creating better experiences and outcomes for our customers and their communities, using modern technologies for social good, and WHY we are striving for this.Music by: BensoundLicense code: XMJ3LN2TLEE5N23E

Welcome to “The UK Consult,” Our occasional ramble through all things public engagement and citizen experience in the UK, along with special guests and lovely examples of online citizen participation and digital transformation from around the world! In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Sophie Harris-Edmond, Senior Experience Consultant at Granicus Experience Group (GXG), alongside our hosts, Karen Steel, Customer Success Manager, and Jonathan Bradley, Head of Business and Practice at GXG. We delve into what the GXG actually is and what the team gets up to, from communications projects to website re-designs and service design. Sophie explains the benefits of having consultants who understand not only the technology but how the public sector works day in, and day out. During our chat, we delve into a new type of consultation that focuses on design thinking and putting the stakeholder at the centre of your planning. We discuss: What sort of projects GXG works on. What Sophie’s passion—design thinking—means to her and how it has an impact in the public sector. The importance of having a clear understanding of what the end user wants, alongside building the tech. Post-it note heaven leading up to those “a-ha!” moments. A new communications strategy for the World Trade Centre. Service design in Mid-Devon Council... what do the services currently look like and what do we need them to look like? The importance of sharing expertise and knowledge to create recipes for service success. The GXG methodology: What are the client's priorities and how do they make it happen? The power of user research. A four-step process: goals, user, journey, content. Top tips for people embarking on their service design journey. All this in one episode! Grab a cake and a coffee and take your time with this epic episode of service design goodness and consultation across the globe. Until next time!

Fraser Macdonald, Strategic Consultation Lead at Transport for London tells us all about TFL's successes since implementing EngagememtHQ platform.

The UK Consult - Episode 41 by Granicus

In this episode, we are delighted to have Louise Darby from Leeds Federated Housing Association and Paul Nettleton from Catalyst Housing, as our special guests. We discuss the importance of resident and stakeholder engagement as a means of addressing the need for greater transparency and accountability in the housing sector (and beyond).

The UK Consult Episode 39 by Granicus

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen experience in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation and digital engagement from around the world! In this episode, Jonno’s Feature Topic is an invitation to worry about simple yes or no questions or more precisely the problems created by introducing binary choices into public consultation questions. We also have our Shout Out, The Tool of the Month and return to our new topic: The Stat of the Month (a homage to Stato).

This episode will cover human-centred public consultation, a shout out to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and much more!

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things related to public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK. We'll have special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

In this episode, Jonno’s feature topic is human-centred public consultation and how it might affect the humanisation of the public consultation process. We also have our shout out, the tool of the month, and a new segment: the stat of the month (an homage to Stato). Plus, in the absence of a special guest, Wilson the tortoise makes his (or her) debut.

Feature Topic. What can we learn from human-centred design? What are your thoughts on applying concepts like direct engagement, context of use, and evaluation to the design of consultation projects? Do participant personas have more of a role to play? And much, much, more.
Shout Out. Hammersmith and Fulham and their new(ish) site Have Your Say has a great call to action and an excellent explanation for why people should register.
Special Guest. In the absence of a special guest, Wilson the tortoise stands in. Please let us know if you would like to be our special guest in a future episode by emailing us at.
Tool of the Month. Kingston Council’s use of the ideas tool in their project focusing on community parks. Great job Kingston Upon Thames council!
Stat of the Month. A new segment where we’ll highlight an impressive stat, in homage to Stato.

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

In this episode, Jonno relaunches the UK Consult and introduces our new format. For the delight and entertainment of our zillions of listeners each month (we have decided to go monthly for now) we will include a Feature Topic, Shout Out, Special Guest and The Tool of the Month!

This episode we cover the following sensational topics and glorious insight into citizen engagement in the UK (and further afield)

What are the practical implications of the UK Government’s National Disability Strategy ‘inadequate’ and therefore unlawful consultation? In case you missed it and let’s face it most people were distracted by #PartyGate the UK government lost an important case in the HIgh Court on 25th January and this ruling has some important implications for people involved in changing public services and making public policy. Jonno talks about this at length in our Feature Topic

Our Shout Out this episode is to Derby City Council for their Let's Talk Derby Allestree Rewilding project. They have done a great job at using a good range of tools and widgets to help people to get involved in their consultation about Rewilding Allestree Park and the benefits it could bring to the city Special Guest. There is no special guest this week but there will be next time, promise!

Our Tool of the Week goes to Brighton and Hove Council for their use of the Places tool in their project focusing on Liveable neighbourhoods. Great job Brighton and Hove!

All this in one episode! Grab a cake and a coffee and take your time with this bumper episode of public consultation goodness.

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

In this episode, strangely, Jonno finds himself all alone in the virtual UK Consult studio. With an absence of guests, this time around he revisits the subject of blended engagement.

Main Topics and Key Questions

What does blended engagement look like in a peri-covid world?
What blend of methods should be used?
How do we encourage continuous conversations?
Making online public meetings more engaging
The benefit of asynchronous engagement
Doing digital stakeholder mapping
Making public consultation more inclusive
Creating safe places for public discourse

The UK Consult, Episode 34, starring Becky Hirst, author of #1 Amazon Civics best seller: For the Love of Community Engagement, global Community Engagement Day co-Instigator, mentor, trainer, public speaker, and business owner.

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

In this episode, ardent community engagement practitioner and young Turk, Becky Hirst and Jonno share tales of their love (and hate (kind of)) for community engagement. In possibly the most detailed book review ever, during this recording, Jonno turned the pages of Becky's book, For The Love of Community Engagement (live in the studio) and the result is an epic session of shared stories and a dose of consultation catharsis.

Main Topics and Key Questions

Who else remembers saying Thatcher, Thatcher the milk snatcher? Rainbow drops? A computer room at work!
Is there an emergency in community engagement?
Jonno coins a new phrase, "Citizen Churn."
The importance of community immersion for public consultation practitioners
The value of storytelling and how #NotAnotherSurvey just is not good enough for meaningful engagement
Why Becky is unhappy with Have Your Say
The need for leaders who are good listeners and a call for community engagement professionals to have a seat at the top table
Why we must "have reams and reams of evidence, for those who need convincing about the value of community engagement
Dadirri or inner deep listening and why it matters
Why do we need to go back to the future to fix citizen engagement and the public sphere

All this in one episode! Grab a cake and a coffee and take your time with this bumper episode of public consultation goodness.

Until next time!

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

In this episode, public consultation in planning expert and author, Penny Norton, and Jonno talk about the new ebook, “Considering Consultation Content: Views from the Development Industry.”

Based on Penny’s own research and interviews with key stakeholders from the development industry find out what Penny and Jonathan think about this often overlooked part of public consultation and the planning process, consultation content.

"People in Planning: Is Consultation Content the Missing Piece of the Puzzle?"

Main Topics and Key Questions

Has Penny discovered a new territory for discussion? Is this another part of the art of public consultation that requires a tad more scrutiny? How did Penny end up exploring this important topic? Why is trust a big issue when it comes to consultation content? Hear about Penny's views on the big gap between residents' expectations and what developers need or want to talk about? How do we choose the subjects for discussion? Jonno thinks that if he was a developer he would really be stuck between running a consultation where everything is under consideration or locking things down so that the scope is really narrow and mainly covers material planning considerations only. Penny has lots to say about this and tries to summarise it for listeners (despite the absence of diagrams on the radio!) Listen to Penny talk about differing views on the ability of consultees to engage in technical details. Jonno says people do want to talk about parking. They do want to talk about local traffic. But Penny makes it clear that they will often be out of scope. What can be done? Should developers be prepared to always embrace contentious subjects rather than shy away from difficult conversations? Find out about funneling content over a development’s timeline? We can’t do diagrams on the radio but Penny tries to describe it (again)? And finally, what did Penny learn from this research?

Download People in Planning Considering Consultation Content: Views from the Development Industry

Join our webinar where Penny will present her findings and some exclusive content (diagrams included)

Penny Norton, UK consultant specialist and associate of the Consultation Institute, is going to sit down with Jonno on Wed, 30 June at 10 AM BST to discuss the release of her new ebook and stress the importance of consultation content in the community engagement process. Please book and share! https://www.bangthetable.com/blog/webinar-people-planning-consultation-content/

Until next time!

Trudel est un important fonds immobilier commercial d’acquisition, de développement et de croissance. Leur démarche de consultation avec EngagementHQ cherchait à réinventer deux centres commerciaux de la région de Québec et a connu un énorme succès. Valentin Bachelier, Directeur Québec chez Bang the Table s’est entretenu avec Rosalie Bouchard, analyste en intelligence d’affaires et Mathieu Forget, responsable des relations avec la communauté de Trudel pour en apprendre sur le méthodes de mobilisation des parties prenantes et de la communauté.

Welcome to the UK Consult, our occasional ramble through all things about public consultation and citizen engagement in the UK, with special guests and lovely examples of online public consultation from around the world!

The European Super League debacle has placed fan engagement, rightly so, into the spotlight. In this episode, Jonno hears about the most recent release of the Fan Engagement Index from Kevin Rye of Think Fan Engagement before hearing about how fan engagement definitely DID NOT feature in the decision of "the big six."

Join Kevin and Jonno as they discuss some big topics around fan engagement and consider the crossover between fan engagement, stakeholder engagement, public consultation, and community engagement. There are many lessons to be shared!

Main Topics and Key Questions

The Fan Engagement Index Where does the idea come from? How does it work? What did it tell us this year? What are the differences between those at the top and those at the bottom? What do they do differently that others can learn from?

Fan Engagement and The European Super League - What went wrong? Was there any fan engagement? Any consultation? - How could it have been different? What would a good approach have looked like? - Is this the tipping point for fan engagement in football?

In this episode, Jonno is entertained by our special guest Rhion Jones from The Consultation Institute.

Join Rhion and Jonno as they reminisce about their shared history in the business of public consultation before tackling some big topics around:

The need for extensive public consultation in the climate emergency response, and how this presents a dilemma to policymakers who just want to get on with it!

Air Quality Zones and The Case for Clean Air where consultation cops the blame for many schemes failing. "During the coronavirus pandemic, over fifty local authorities trialled around 200 low traffic neighbourhoods closing off local roads to avoid through traffic and dedicating the space to active travel. However, partly due to a lack of community consultation, some LTNs attracted strong opposition, and many of the trials were suspended."

How COVID-19 has changed public consultation with the government less able to run things on trust with a skeptical public who will demand to be consulted and be involved

New terminology like "the seldom online" and "blended engagement" and the importance of tackling the digital divide as more public consultation goes online

How public consultation is the bastion of evidence-based decision making, harnesses diverse thinking, and protects against the dangers of homophily for good decision making

A two-week consultation being better than no public consultation a tall and the role of online in fast track public engagement (think vaccine passports)

The big challenges ahead of training people to use civic tech as well as training participants to do it And much more!

BREAKING NEWS AND NEW INITIATIVES

Rhion also introduces two important initiatives from The Consultation Institute (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE)

MIDAS the online database and single source of truth about public consultations across the UK
The Institute's Online Dispute Resolution service for disgruntled consultees

Jonathan takes time out to give a shoutout to Rutland County Council's brand new site Future Rutland where local people are being invited to discuss the future.

Topics include:

What you value most about your life here in Rutland What your expectations are for yourself and your family What your expectations are for future generations

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council also get a special mention for their excellent project, Reimagining Your High Street, where the Ideas and Places tool are being put to great use to encourage local people to look past what may currently be present in their high streets and think of its potential and how we can re-energise these areas:

"Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning, said: “I am delighted to launch this informal engagement which looks at the future of our high streets across BCP. This is an ideal opportunity to create a bigger conversation that everyone can be part of and we want your views!

Now is the time to switch gears and reimagine our high streets which play a key role in creating a sense of place. They are the beating heart of our communities and we are determined to do whatever it takes to give our high street businesses the fastest bounce back possible.” (https://haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/)

TIME FOR JOKES? And yes we finish by sharing a bad joke each!

Rhion Jones (together with Elizabeth Gammell) is also the co-author of The Politics of Consultation available here

"It tells the tale of, mostly, well-meaning attempts to engage with people and civil society as public bodies and others seek to respond to demands for greater involvement and participation in decision-making. Politicians are caught in the middle of this, torn between enthusiastically supporting consultation – when it suits them, and nervous of its power to delay and divert them when rushing to make change happen."

Elliot Sim, Business Development and Practice Lead at Bang the Table, speaks with Sonia Gerken, Communications and Marketing Manager at Gore District Council, to find out how she transformed the council’s paper-based community engagement approach to a digital-first one.

Gore District Council quickly embraced online community engagement — launching their new engagement site with four major community projects. Within the first 7 months of engagement on Let’s Talk Gore District, Council published two more significant community projects, six in total, and amassed over 4,500 visits to the site. The Council has already achieved an engagement rate of 3.35% (a good to high rate based on global industry standards).

“Just do it. Don’t delay. Don’t think your community is not ready for it [digital-first community engagement], because they are.” – Sonia Gerken, Communications and Marketing Manager at Gore District Council

Key Moments:

4:30 – Transition and reasons behind Gore’s shift to digital-first engagement 6:54 – Achieving internal buy-in for a transformational shift 9:06 – The community’s uptake of Let’s Talk Gore District 11:47 – Promoting your engagement project 12:55 – How to continually build a database 15:25 – Outcomes after launching Let’s Talk Gore District 17:30 -The Council’s community engagement goals for the next 12 months 18:38 -Advice for Councils that are considering moving to a digital-first approach

The UK Consult is..........BACK!

Leaner, trimmer, and of course we're NOT talking about Jonno & Elt! The UK Consult (Version 2.0) makes its hugely anticipated return, and the boys kick off post-sabbatical with a cracker, and a special guest to boot!

A Wondrously Warm Bang the Table UK Welcome to Siân Lomax!

A mere four days into her new employment at Bang the Table UK as an Engagement Manager, Jonno & Elt had already subjected Siân to a guest appearance on the UK Consult, a fairly terrifying experience for even the most hardy of celebrities to face!

They were keen to ask Siân all about her in-depth digital engagement experience, having worked previously at West Yorkshire Combined Authority as a Bang the Table UK client. (You can see their site in full HERE)!

Also, importantly, here's a photo of Siân with an Alpaca! (Importantly NEVER to be confused with a Llama!)

Talking Climate Change

Ever a hot topic for consultation and discussion, Bang the Table on a global scale are launching some fantastic, innovative projects with clients, some of which can be seen below, starting with Cornwall Council's "Carbon Neutral Cornwall 2030 Hive."

Let's Talk Cornwall Carbon Neutral Cornwall Hive

Get Involved Londonn Climate Emergency Action Plan

City of Mississauga The Climate Change Action Plan

Dufferin County Dufferin County is Creating a Climate Action Plan!

Waterfront Resilience Program It's Your Turn: Map Your Priorities Along the Waterfront

Maribyrnong City Council Online Engagement Site - Survey Now Open Maribyrnong City Council Draft Climate Emergency Strategy

Your Say Wingecarribee Environment and Climate Change

Jonno also gives us a timely and topical reminder about our CEO Matt Crozier's 2020 article, looking at how cities, counties and other municipal organizations across the globe are engaging the community on the issue of climate change, which you can read in full below.

Bang The Table Climate Change & Online Community Engagement: 10 examples, 5 countries

Recent Project Launch Highlights in EngagementHQ

Belfast City Council recently launched a fantastic project called "Belfast: One Million Trees". You can see the project in full here, with the great example of the mapping tool they set up here.

Jonno describes with great enthusiasm the approach taken by new clients Aberdeenshire Council, who recently launched their "Engage Aberdeenshire" site which you can see here.

The first in a series of podcasts with Indigenous practitioners, Mel Hagedorn, Bang the Table’s Australia & New Zealand Territory Manager and Head of Client Services, invites Eddie Synot, Center Manager for the Indigenous Law Center at University of New South Wales, to discuss Indigenous engagement and developing the Uluru Statement of the Heart.

“In June 2020, the death of George Floyd saw an outcry of support for supporting social change for people of colour, especially in America. However, as an Indigenous Australian myself, I stood back in disbelief around the systemic racism here in Australia.

In order to make positive changes for the betterment of our communities, we need to be educated on issues that impact those we are needing to engage. In the lead up to NAIDOC week 2020, Bang the Table is releasing a series of podcasts talking to Indigenous practitioners from all walks of life to give insight into Indigenous engagement, cultural insights to help engagement practitioners deliver culturally appropriate engagement.

This is part of my personal commitment to my profession to help educate and to end racism in Australia.

Our first podcast is with Eddie Synot, Center Manager for the Indigenous Law Center at University of New South Wales. I met Eddie via a webinar he hosted on the third anniversary of the signing of the Uluru Statement of the Heart.” -Mel Hagedorn, Australia & New Zealand Territory Manager & Head of Client Services, Bang the Table

What we’ll cover:

• What does Uluru Statement of the Heart mean to you? • How was the Uluru Statement of the Heart developed? • How the project team connected with community members to get them involved. • What advice would you give to Communications and Engagement professionals listening to this podcast about engaging with Indigenous communities? • If people want to learn more about Indigenous history in Australia, what resources would you recommend they read, watch or listen to. • What is next for Uluru Statement of the Heart, how can people become involved?

New Kids on the Block!

No, not THOSE New Kids on the Block, keep listening, it's ok! Elt and Jonno always welcome fierce competition for all of the global Podcast awards they are inevitably going to receive in the future. Today, Harry & Meghan, inspired by the UK Consult (undoubtedly?), try to take a massive competitive advantage based on their former Royal status and brand by teaming up with Spotify (other streaming services ARE available) in a multi-million pound deal to launch their own podcast. Nothing to worry about lads, as the British press widely report their first foray into Podcasts as "toe-curling" at best.

Even Jonno's worst dad jokes haven't quite been received as badly (yet...).

Charly's Choons of the Week

Elt goes with the gargantuan tune, Liam Gallagher - "Once", featuring his idol Eric 'The King' Cantona. Cracking video! Have a look and listen here.

Jonno has been grooving to Let Me Show You - Tall Paul Remix on Spotify.

Emerging Trends & Themes in Public Consultation

Jonno shares some findings from the IAP2 report in Australia, from our colleague Nathan Connors (shout out to Nathan!). They ran a survey around trends and opportunities for 2021.

Practice - Huge continuing increase in online participation and consultation

Reporting & Analysis - More sophisticated reporting in relation to engagement data, aligned to Bang the Table's continued mission and always a point for discussion with EngagementHQ evolution in mind

Authentic Engagement - Greater demand for "authentic engagement" to include people in decision-making and make them feel that their opinion is valued and appreciated.

Jonno Craven's Newsround (click on links below whilst listening to Jonno's expert insight)

New walking and cycling schemes out to public consultation - KCC Media Hub - Shout out to Kent County Council for this!

PR push or public consultation? Row over calls made about new Dorchester housing scheme

Site Launches of the Week in EngagementHQ

Jonno & Elt are dazzled, excited and thrilled by Catalyst Housing's site launch, called "The Garden". Have a look here.

Mug of the Week?

A thoroughly deserved, indeed, a MULTIPLE Bang the Table branded mug award for Anna, Paul and the team at Catalyst Housing - BRAVO!

Stats/Infographics of the Week

Ben Page, Ipsos MORI @benatipsosmori

New - a quarter of people now not looking forward to Xmas - but most of us still ARE!

Meldrew Moments

For the first time in 30 episodes of the UK Consult, Elt has a work-related Meldrew moment! It relates to a community planning 'consultation' in his local area.

In spite of turning into a sieve, a state of mind within which any droplets of grumpiness pass straight through Jonno this week before turning into reservoirs of despair, he still musters a melancholy moment relating to people sending birthday cards late.

*Happy Birthday Gaffer!

Jonno celebrates (still) his 28th Birthday next Monday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONNO! Christmas spirit may formally commence thereafter. To formally celebrate the occasion his dog Betty makes a rather unexpected Paddington Bear-esque noise at circa the 4 minute mark! Check out the similarity here> https://youtu.be/VBku6tXLDo4

*Twitter Poll

Hot on the heels of Elt's Meldrew moment last week about the diminishing size of crisps (chips if you're in the US!) in the UK, Elt 'formally' consults with the Twittersphere, with the results conclusively confirming his motives for grumpiness.

*Jonno Craven's Newsround (click on links below whilst listening to Jonno's expert insight)

Public consultation on wheelie bins waste plans slammed as 3% of New Forest residents respond with only two days left > https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/wheelie-bins-new-forest-consultation

Potential New Prison in Buckinghamshire – Public Consultation > https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/potential-new-prison-in-buckinghamshire-public-consultation

Online public consultation on transforming disused quarries into solar farms > https://newsbook.com.mt/en/online-public-consultation-on-transforming-disused-quarries-into-solar-farms/

*Wordplay at the Table

How will Jonno react when he hears the following words and phrases? What nuggets of wisdom can he pull out of the bag this week, whilst in a standing position?

Substantial Locked in Barriers

*Site/Project Launches of the Week in EngagementHQ

Elt is super impressed by Leeds City Council's festive "Beeston, Belle Isle, Holbeck, Hunslet & Middleton Winter Wonderland Walks" project. Have a look at it here. (We do love a mapping tool on the UK Consult!)

https://yourvoice.leeds.gov.uk/winter-wonderland?tool=guest_book#tool_tab

*Jonno Launches of "Top of the Pops" Style Digital Engagement Hit Parade

Top Numbers of Contributions on EngagementHQ sites in the last 7 Days!

1) Tower Hamlets Council = a stunning 598 Contributions!

2) Consult Cambridgeshire, a multiple projects EngagementHQ site which has had 8,000 site visits, with 3,000 actively engaging over the last 7 days alone!

3) One Borough Voice, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.

Special mention and shout out also, to the Buckingham Gateway Proposals' EngagementHQ site, who have had a staggering 68% engagement rate on their project from all those who have registered to get involved. Check it out here! > https://www.buckinghamgateway.co.uk/

*Stats/Infographics of the Week

Royal Town Planning Institute revealed some interesting responses from industry professionals in the RTPI report "The Future of Engagement", released yesterday. Have a look below and read the full report here. > https://www.rtpi.org.uk/press-releases/2020/december/more-than-half-of-uk-public-want-to-be-involved-in-changes-to-their-local-community-post-pandemic/

Jonno highlights the following Stats (as if you haven't had enough today already you lucky lot! Click on links below)

Journalists are the fourth-least trusted profession in the Ipsos Mori Veracity Index with trust score of 23% > https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/most-trusted-professions-uk-2020-journalists-newsreaders-falter/

Trust in TV newsreaders drops from 61% to 50% in a year > https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/most-trusted-professions-uk-2020-journalists-newsreaders-falter/

Meldrew Moments

Jonno is grumpy about "serious" Christmas decorations like Driftwood Christmas trees and wants a bit more of the old school tacky and bright stuff. He's also despondent about batteries, both in terms of how long they last, and the lack of them being supplied with gifts.

Elt is really grumpy about, and mystified by, over 90% (MINIMUM) of his pants coming out of the washing machine inside-out. WHY? HOW?

Elliot Sim and Sarah Pritchett, Sector Projects Manager at the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand (WasteMinz), discuss how WasteMINZ quickly changed its project approach and methodology due to New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. Initially looking to run a series of face-to-face regional hiu (or meetings) across all of New Zealand, WasteMINZ changed its approach to a purely digital one. They found success and increased participation due to the inclusivity and accessibility of online engagement.

What we’ll cover:

The goals of the recycling consultation and how they were conceived in the initial planning process
Adapting a community engagement approach during the COVID-19 era that successfully reached over 60 regional councils over 3 months
How to combine regional hui (via Zoom meetings) with EngagementHQ’s tools that are available to collect feedback 24/7 during the consultation period

Tune in as Elliot Sim, Business Development and Practice Lead at Bang the Table, speaks with an industry expert on how to adapt your engagement strategy when face-to-face meetings are not possible.

SPECIAL GUEST! Chloe Juliette from World Famous Pollsters Ipsos MORI

Elt & Jonno are delighted (10/10 on the excitement scale no less!) to be joined by Chloe Juliette from Ipsos MORI. Chloe is a Social researcher specialising in public and stakeholder engagement, with a passion for inclusive and asset-based practices. Chloe is an avid "UK Consult" fan and talks through her deliberative engagement work at Ipsos MORI. Thank you for joining us for a great discussion Chloe!

Towards Innovation in Online Public Deliberation

How do you harness the unique capacities of the online world for deliberation and dialogue? A recent report from Ipsos MORI shared findings from an expert workshop they conducted with Engage Britain. Jonno & Elt were keen to find out more about the findings from Chloe. You can read and download the report here.

Chloe reflects on an exciting project back in June, drawing together a broad range of people representing a wide range of sectors, using Miro in workshops around deliberative online engagement.

A real stand out was the human-centred design element as opposed to tech focus in the discussions. Participant-led discussion was a really valuable outcome from the workshops, and the exciting sense of the sheer scale that online engagement presents us with.

Peer-led deliberation was also an important emergent theme throughout.

Jonno highlights the fears many people have about speaking up in face to face meetings, and the inherent benefits those people can have in the online environment to have their say, and be heard! Click on the links below and learn more!

PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY AND FEAR OF BRAIN FREEZES (https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2017/02/20/public-speaking-and-fear-of-brain-freezes/)

Can Britain face its fears? 1 in 3 employees would reject their dream job if it meant facing biggest fear | Jobsite Worklife (https://www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/can-britain-face-its-fears-1-in-3-employees-would-reject-their-dream-job-if-it-meant-facing-biggest-fear-24514/)

Glossophobia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossophobia)

Chloe highlights that AI is becoming more plausible as a tool and will become available quicker than we think!

Meldrew Moments

Chloe is grumpy about the continued emphasis on loss rather than what can be gained so positively from online engagement. She's also mandated the British public to STOP USING INTERNET EXPLORER! :-)

Jonno is really disappointed about gadget based Christmas gifts he's seen advertised and equally downbeat about coffee combined with vitamins in one jar. Whatever next?

Elt is really grumpy about the ever-diminishing size of crisps, now having to eat multiple bags in one sitting to compensate.

Jonno is BACK with a BANG!

After a couple of weeks off Podcast duty, Jonno is refreshed and raring to go, and "decompressed", back in his rightful place at the head of The UK Consult table, and he's got his eyes on MULTIPLE global Podcast awards!

Charly's Choons of the Week

Jonno introduces Country music to the Podcast in the form of Ruthie Collins. Listen to her track "Cold Comfort" here!

Elt has been listening to an ambient version of Deftones - Passenger, remixed by Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park. Have a listen here!

News Roundup with John (Jonno) Craven

It may be a long time since John Craven hung up his Newsround boots, but Jonno revives those memories in a new UK Consult feature, with the following headlines from the world of public consultation.

Click on the Headlines Below to Get Yourself in the Know!

3rd Annual Citizen Engagement and Deliberative Democracy Festival - EU Science Hub - European Commission

The Faulks Review - Judicial review under threat? — The Consultation Institute

New public consultation on total ban of online advertising for unhealthy foods

£6.1 billion plan to radically overhaul the region’s transport network

Council urged to ask locals before imposing controversial Edinburgh traffic scheme

Move over John Craven! (Pictured below... circa 1980)

EngagementHQ Site/Project Launches of the Week

Newry, Mourne and Down Council's "Living Well Together" project launched this week, much to Jonno & Elt's excitement. Beyond looking amazing in the new Appearance Editor in EngagementHQ, Jonno describes the project in more detail. Have a look here!

BCP Council launched an incredible new site in EngagementHQ this week, with way more than just a stunning coastal banner at the top. Elt describes their approach and you can see the main site page here.

Their first project launch is called "Transforming Travel," and already has an impressive number of resident contributions to their Ideas board. Check it out here!

Mug of the Week

This week sees an unprecedented dual award for mugs of the week with Chloe Durrant and the BCP Council team clinching the site launch award, and David Patterson and the team at Newry, Mourne and Down Community Planning Partnership scooping the project launch.

Now, can Jonno retrieve the mugs from his lockup?

Word Play at The Table

What nuggets of pure public consultation GOLD can Jonno come up with for the following words and phrases after Bang the Table colleagues Mel & Charly set such a high bar in his absence? Stay tuned for this...!

Boisterous Candid Chiming in

Meldrew Moments

Jonno is still.......yes, STILL grumpy about traffic reduction schemes and ongoing lack of consultation with the public. He's also grumpy about grand plans for moon and space travel, before things on earth have been sorted out properly. Priorities!

Elt is being stopped in his tracks by slow walkers as he continues his quest to beat his personal best 3 mile walking time, whilst adhering to the requisite social distancing measures.

Tribute to Hector

Jonno's dog Hector very sadly passed away over the weekend, so Charly & Elt decided to do an ad hoc surprise podcast recording for him this week, as a special tribute.

Welcome to the UK Consult - Mel Hagedorn from Bang the Table Australia!

This is a first for the UK Consult as Elt and Charly welcome Australia and New Zealand Bang the Table Territory Manager Mel Hagedorn on to share her pearls of wisdom and experience, in addition to an awful Penguin related joke of course!

Charly's Choons of the Week

Elt's been listening to Roni Size's New Forms album, an absolute BELTER from all the way back in 1997. Have a listen here (https://open.spotify.com/album/0RFE2IiZa7OCGrEZngGlGJ).

Charly's all Dancy this week, with a fantastic selection of chilled dance, taken from the Disclosure playlist. Check it out here(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJCkQhz3X0)!

Mel's into high octane, high pace music when at the gym. When working, maximum concentration is required, so here's a Spotify playlist (Classical music) called exactly that (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX0wdQKgYFb7Q)!

Word Play at The Table

What will Mel & Charly come up with as Elt poses the following words and phrases to them?

Determination In Depth Supportive

EngagementHQ Site/Project Launches of the Week

Elt & Charly are so excited to see the launch of Community Gateway's EngagementHQ site, an incredibly visually appealing site presided over by the fabulous Thomas Maughan. Take a look here (https://www.gateway2engagement.co.uk/).

Mel describes the changes in the States around Australia with a shift beyond the use of surveys, into much more innovative ideation based consultation approaches with clients in Australia.

Mug of the Week

Proudly awarded to Thomas Maughan at Community Gateway for a CRACKING site launch!

Meldrew Moments

Charly is bemoaning the lockdown and the absence of a good old fashioned Fireworks display for families to attend. The lockdown came in a day before November 5th this year, meaning it was a "watching through the window" event for families across the UK. BOO!

Mel is annoyed about Bluetooth headphones running out of charge during workouts at the gym, exposing her to the demotivating likes of Bon Jovi.

She's also grumpy about online chat with certain companies. They could learn a LOT from the brilliance of our Bang the Table support team!

Elt is perplexed by the soul patch at the top of his forehead, providing further compelling evidence that his head has indeed gradually turned upside down over the past 10 years!

Mel's Webinar Shout Out!

On Thursday, Mel is hosting a webinar about engaging with indigenous Australians. Don't worry if the timezones prevent you from attending, we'll circulate a recording afterward. If you want to sign up, you can do so here (https://www.bangthetable.com/resources/webinars/engaging-with-indigenous-australia/)! Enjoy!

Twitter Poll of the Week

Jonno's latest poll may not QUITE have broken the internet, but his "Which of these is a Substantial Meal" Poll has a winner!

Charly's Choons of the Week

Jonno has been delving back into the 80s and early 90s with The Cure's smash hit "Just Like Heaven" Have a listen here (https://open.spotify.com/album/2mJPi0xA1CwMYEemYkuUPK?highlight=spotify:track:5ft1GmMZA4uNX7afvQfDLn)!

As the UK grapples with who is in Tier 1,2 or 3 lockdown, and mass confusion reigns supreme, Elt's been soul searching with The Pixies classic "Where Is My Mind," which you can listen to here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49FB9hhoO6c).

Word Play at The Table

What will Jonno take out of his considerable thought microwave to snack on for the following words and phrases?

Camaraderie In Sync Call My Bluff

EngagementHQ Site/Project Launches of the Week

Now, we LOVE a mapping tool on the UK Consult, and this week we are very much feeling the love for Tower Hamlets' Liveable Streets Whitechapel project launch in EngagementHQ which you can see here in full (https://talk.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lswhitechapel).

Have a zoom around in the Whitechapel Interactive Map here (https://talk.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lswhitechapel/maps/whitechapel-interactive-map) and see the many valuable contributions of residents who can share their ideas and suggestions as well as raising concerns and pertinent issues for the Council to respond to and remedy as needed.

Jonno is very enthused about Wirral Council's approach to "The New Brighton Master Plan" whilst highlighting forthcoming projects they plan on launching. Check out their site here (https://haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk/)!

From our global Bang the Table colleagues across the pond, Jonno highlights City of Kansas City Missouri's really REALLY cool map, "The 5 Big Questions." (https://playbook.kcmo.gov/get-involved/maps/map-the-big-5-questions)

Mug of the Week

Proudly awarded to Tower Hamlets Council after Elt's vociferous pitch for them! Well done!

Stat of the Week

Conspiracy Theory: Coronavirus was probably created in a laboratory..........believed by 30% OF PEOPLE!

Meldrew Moments

Elt is experiencing a whole new set of video conferencing challenges he didn't think were even possible. It's given him the major grumps!

Jonno is apoplectic about seemingly law-abiding citizens wearing their masks/face coverings then just throwing them on the floor after leaving a shop.

Shoutout to BtT Colleague Jodie House!!!

Australia based, UK born and bred Bang the Table colleague Jodie House has NEVER listened to the UK Consult Podcast before, and with some flimsy excuses (at best) for not doing so, but can Jonno guess what sector she focuses on in her work, and what her favourite TV Show is, based on her name alone?

Charly's Choons of the Week

Elt's been listening to 'Tears' by The Stone Roses, have a listen here(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRg7oV6q05Q)! Should it be spelt "Tiers" though?

Jonno is back from his 80s cheese last week, and re-enters Charly's Choons with the FAR more respectable Flawless - Phunk Investigation Club, check it out here (https://open.spotify.com/track/5oUH9Rl2PdFklGKc9kMBkE?si=taAhQ9eQSdGQIeIeAX6wsw)!

General Themes

Jonno highlights the lack of public consultation over important local planning, highlighting an article in which "Ealing councillors face dramatic vote over their leader and traffic controversy in extraordinary meeting." Read it in full here (https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/ealing-councillors-face-dramatic-vote-19133511).

The controversy continues with Project Big Picture as Man United and Liverpool plot a European Super League, in secret, with NO consultation with other English clubs, let alone fans.

EngagementHQ Site Launch of the Week

Greater London Authority - London Plan Guidance.

Londoners can have their say across all aspects of the London Plan in a fantastic new EngagementHQ site, including;

Good Quality Homes for All Londoners Public London Charter Circular Economy Statements Be Seen Energy Monitoring Assessments Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework

Jonno highlights a great consultation from our Bang the Table client in Australia, Livingstone Shire, Exploring the 2021-22 Draft Budget, who "want to give residents the opportunity to understand what goes into building the budget." They are using Balancing Act! Inspirational indeed!

Mug of the Week

Proudly awarded to Natalie Wells at Greater London Authority! HURRAH!

Word Play at The Table

What descriptive magic will Jonno come up with for the following words and phrases?

Tumultuous Tongue-Tied Posturing

Meldrew Moments

Jonno has just discovered, aged 35, what a headache is! He's also grumpy about digital exclusion as a throwaway comment. We need to be far more understanding about digital poverty and factor this into our product development. BRAVO!

Elt is annoyed about the number of oversized Turkeys being prepared for small Christmas gatherings in the UK. On the plus side, however, they may survive the winter slaughter and go on a New Years diet and live a long, happy life.

Charly's Choons of the Week

Jonno is haunted by throwback music (Abba, Tina Turner) on Spotify (other music streaming platforms ARE available). It's unanimously agreed that none of this can be shared with the public.

Elt has enjoyed the dark recommendations of Bang the Table colleague Johannes Kresling this week. Nominated track is Nine Black Alps, Unsatisfied. Have a listen here.

Twitter Poll

The UK was divided North/South over the big "What's Best with Chips?" debate. With only 4 options available to Elt (unlike EngagementHQ Polls!!!), Curry & Brown Sauce lovers were left disappointed.

General Themes

Project Big Picture - We can no longer take a "DAD" (Decide, Act, Defend) approach to engagement and consultation. Check out the Fans' response here (https://thefsa.org.uk/news/fan-groups-unite-to-condemn-project-big-picture/).

Ipsos Mori published a really insightful report called "Towards innovation in online public deliberation", which you can read in more detail here (https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/towards-innovation-online-public-deliberation). Great stuff!

EngagementHQ Project Launch of the Week

A MASSIVE shout out to Ben James & the East West Rail team who not only launched their Community Hub in EngagementHQ today, check it out here (https://communityhub.eastwestrail.co.uk/), but celebrated the launch with an introductory video, which you can watch here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdg7ehbe-8k&feature=youtu.be).

Mug of the Week

Drum Roll - Undoubtedly awarded to Ben James at East West Rail! Congratulations!

Word Play at The Table

What will Jonno come up with for the following words and phrases?

Fear Factor Probability Chess

Meldrew Moments

Jonno is really grumpy about the sheer arrogance and lack of consultation shown by the big Premier League football clubs around 'Project Big Picture,' which isn't EVEN backed by their own fans let alone all the other clubs and fans across the country. We'll continue this grumpy theme into subsequent weeks as fans and clubs continue to react. Watch this space...

Elt is really hacked off with the ineptitude of clingfilm. Jonno reveals his many interesting uses for the cardboard inner, none of which include recycling it...

As with all Special Guests on the UK Consult, Elt opens with the really big questions the public want to know, like "What's the best accompaniment to a bowl of chips?" Twitter Poll to follow so everyone can have a say.

Caitlin talks through her PhD research and how the emphasis has changed since the global pandemic, and as always has a fantastic new infographic to guide the discussion taken from this blog post (https://www.commonplace.is/blog/blending-online-and-offline-community-engagement).

General Themes

Caitlin has interviewed over 40 practitioners throughout her research, surveying them on their evolving approaches to digital engagement. The shift towards using digital tools has been rapidly accelerated by the impact of Covid19.

Organisations are thinking far more constructively about blended approaches to engagement and how to integrate individual tools/toolkits more flexibly, with inclusion in mind. There is no one size fits all.

"Trust is one of the most essential objectives towards best practice engagement, tying in with facilitation and leadership..." (Caitlin)

Infographic of the Week

The Healing Power of Cat Purrs (https://www.dailyinfographic.com/the-healing-power-of-cat-purrs-infographic) Cat owners might be onto something. According to today's infographic, our feline friends provide us with more than just emotional support. House cats may actually be contributing to our physical well-being by offering soothing cat purrs!

Meldrew Moments

Caitlin is grumpy about queuing etiquette and awareness at the traffic light system in her local M&S petrol station.

Jonno is STILL grumpy about lack of meaningful consultation on cycling lanes, but heartened by Kent County Council's approach to this. He's also unhappy about the appearance of hair in unwanted places as he navigates his way through midlife. He's also lost faith in teaspoons in opened bottles of Prosecco keeping the fizzy bubbles in.

Elt is disappointed about the fundamental design floors in cat litter, which invariably lead to most of the litter being spread around the house after each visit. Or are the cats themselves more to blame for this? 🐈

Charly's Choons

Jonno's been listening to mellow music, in particular a Spotify playlist called "Dislocation Songs" by Awkward Corners. Have a listen here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qeMec3m9AN6h0SDAtVjvA)!

General Random Observations from the Week

A young Jonno (pictured left below in a striking James Bond T-shirt) never did get the autograph of Ruth Madoc from Hi-De-Hi in the early 1980s in Bournemouth.....the one that got away! Little did Ruth know then the future stardom and fame that awaited that youngster on the global Podcast stage!

NEW PODCAST THEME - INTRODUCING...Word Play at the Table!

Elt invites Jonno to take part in a new word-based public consultation and community engagement game. Will it make the cut through to the final release?

This week's words/phrases ARE:

Root & Branch Mind Games Level Up

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement

Jonno & Elt reflect on the GovTech summit which ran online yesterday. There is now a really clearly defined HUNGER for online participation and inclusion, this IS the moment! Plan for the long term, invest in technology! Invest in it now!

Mug Awards of the Week

In this new feature, Jonno will send out two mugs each week from the massive stash of Bang the Table merch he found in his cupboard. One is attributed to a perceived failure, one an overwhelming positive award! This week's mug winners and losers are;

1) Mug Loser: Matt Hancock, for turning up late to the GovTech Summit mainstage then straightening his tie as if the computer screen was a mirror. 2) Mug WINNER! The North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for launching a great new site in EngagementHQ. Hurrah!

Project Launches of the Week in EngagementHQ

Elt is really enthused by the launch of the Preston & South Ribble Flood Management Scheme (https://nwfrm.uk.engagementhq.com/), in particular the highly visual scheme overview page which you can see by clicking here (https://nwfrm.uk.engagementhq.com/preston-and-south-ribble-flood-risk-management-scheme).

Jonno is really excited by US based McCandless & Me's Backyard Chickens Zoning Amendment project, here.

He is even MORE impressed by US Marketing colleague Christie Cutter's natural ability to squeeze FOUR chicken related jokes into a single sentence whilst describing it. Another Bang the Table comedy superstar is born???

Stats of the Week

67% - This represents the number of people polled in the North who aren't confident about the UK Government's pledge to "Level Up" in the North over the next 4-5 years.

Meldrew Moments

Jonno has reasons (at LEAST 3) to be grumpy this week;

1) Lack of public consultation on cycling and footpaths. 2) Reading glasses: He owns 20 pairs so as to never be without a pair to hand, but can't find ANY of them. 3) Citizen's Assemblies. #DelibWave

He is however very excited about (https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/methods) Involve's Toolkit of Participatory Methods which addresses the third point.

Elt is grumpy about trolling, not just on Twitter and Facebook (other social media platforms ARE available) but extending into virtual conferences, with people taking personal agendas into online meetings and trolling guest speakers, which limits participation by other guests who are put off by it.

Charly's Choons

Nostalgia is very much the watchword this week as Elt reminisces about The Smiths, and in particular Girl Afraid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK2BtdablXw), which you can listen to here. Jonno vows to diligently listen to the full back catalogue of Smith's music before next week's podcast recording. Will it improve his mood or will he need to dig out some classic Pet Shop Boys to cheer himself back up again?

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement

Jonno is detecting a real change in approaches to digital engagement and online public participation with people tending to ask "How do I do it?" rather than "why would I do it?" There is more of a conversation shift towards what makes a good online public consultation.

This chimes with Elt's recent conversations in the Housing sector, looking to re-engage with residents and customers in the absence of face to face meetings.

Project Launches of the Week in EngagementHQ

Jonno is really excited about a raft of new NHS sites being launched in EngagementHQ, highlighting, in particular, the warm, inviting introduction made to residents by NHS Somerset CCG (https://citizenspanelsomersetccg.uk.engagementhq.com/), here. A great example of "setting the tone."

Elt talks through NHS Somerset CCG's Citizens' Panel Project, which you can see here (https://citizenspanelsomersetccg.uk.engagementhq.com/somerset-nhs-citizens-panel).

Judge Jonno - The Letter "L"

Jonno presides over Elt's deep dive into community engagement and public participation in the realm of local history. What will Jonno make of online digital engagement tool History Pin? Take a look for yourself here (https://www.historypin.org/en/connections-leeds/geo/51.507335,-0.127683,11/bounds/51.353219,-0.283709,51.660931,0.028343/paging/1)

Stats of the Week

Jonno is concerned about 4/10 people not trusting Scientists.

Elt describes the nation's feelings about daily government press briefings, with 55% of Brits thinking that the government should resume their daily Covid-19 press conferences, as coronavirus cases are rapidly rising.

Meldrew Moments

Jonno is grumpy about the public being excluded in terms of key decision-making, and equally grumpy about 'Influencer Marketing', or is he in denial about being a fashion influencer on the world stage??!!

Elt is extremely grumpy about plastic squeezy condiment bottles and their ill-designed lids.

Register for one of our upcoming webinars: https://www.bangthetable.com/resources/engagement-webinars/engagementhq-an-online-demonstration-from-bang-the-table/

The UK's Favourite Fries - the Debate Rages On Elt ran a Twitter Poll this week following Anna from Traverse's vote for Curly Fries last week. What was the outcome, and where do online polls sit in relation to the Government's Planning Whitepaper around consultation?

Charly's Choons is BACK! Bang the Table UK's own Charly Amos has been reliving Ace of Base - I Saw The Sign. She also invented her own dance routine for it which we hope to share in future weeks if Charly will allow??!!

Also, she's been getting down with Lane 8 - Apes & Children.

Elt has been enjoying the late summer heatwave, and listening to Seb Fontaine - Global Underground Prototype 2, which you can listen.

Shout out to Bang the Table's Great Colleagues Jonno & Elt are ever grateful for the fantastic content writing of our Principal Writer & Editorial Director Sally Hussey, who this week published an article on Rapid Online Deliberation: Sustaining Democratic Values in Difficult Times, which was discussed with Anna McKeon from Traverse on last week's UK Consult Podcast.

Read it in full here! > https://www.bangthetable.com/blog/rapid-online-deliberation-sustaining-democratic-values-in-difficult-times/

They are equally grateful for UK colleague Carla Toyne's fantastic contribution to supporting our many NHS clients with setting up new projects and launching EngagementHQ sites.

BRAVO CARLA & SALLY!

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement Jonno highlights a really concerted effort by local authorities in the UK who are consulting on Climate Action themed projects and planning using their EngagementHQ sites.

Project Launches of the Week in EngagementHQ Elt is bowled over by Project Centre's A308 Corridor Study project, in particular the fantastic use of the mapping tool.

Have a look at the project here> https://consultprojectcentre.co.uk/a308?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=ehq&utm_medium=email

Here's a direct link to the mapping tool > https://consultprojectcentre.co.uk/a308/maps/a308interactivemap#marker-13243

Judge Jonno Jonno presides over the relatively unknown sport, Korfball, and their approach to public consultation and community involvement. Another suspended sentence?

Stats of the Week Jonno sheds light on the number 34 in terms of numbers of years of screen time in a human's life, and how that screen time could be optimised and used for positive purposes.

Elt talks through the number 66, in relation to what Brits miss most about the workplace since the global pandemic hit.

Meldrew Moments Elt is extremely grumpy about dog walking etiquette.

Jonno is grumpy about face masks and the way people wear them, and lack of clear guidance from the government to help the public out. He's also grumpy about lack of standards and benchmarking around online consultation.

Special Guest Appearance from our friends Traverse

Jonno and Elt are reunited after 2 weeks of fabulous and positively chirpy deputising by Bang the Table UK colleague Charly Amos, but they're not alone!

Making a special debut guest appearance on the UK Consult, they are joined by Anna McKeon, Head of Engagement & Associate Director at Traverse.

Traverse and Bang the Table have worked together on a number of really exciting projects with other partners over the last 6 months, so this was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on those projects, discuss emerging trends and themes in online engagement in an ever-changing world, and of course presented Elt with the perfect opportunity to ask Anna that all important question, "what are your favourite types of fries?"

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement

Anna describes Traverse's work spanning research, engagement, consultation and evaluation, underpinned by a focus on:

Rigour: high quality evidence based on rigorous methods.
Inclusive practice: to involve the widest range of voices in their work they are continually developing practice to reflect the diversity of society.
Lived experience: belief that the people affected by a decision should have a role in it that goes beyond being informed.
Capacity building: as an employee owned business they know the value of collaboration, and help clients to develop the skills and capability to make good decisions.

The Rapid, Online Deliberation on COVID-19 Technologies Project

Traverse and Bang the Table teamed up with the Ada Lovelace Institute & Involve to run a project over a 3 week period. Anna describes the collaborative approach, intended outcomes and describes how the project took shape. The quality of the deliberation was really aided by the ability for participants to engage online and offline, yielding great results, feedback and findings.

The full report is here(https://traverse.ltd/application/files/6715/9290/3370/Lockdown_Debate_methodology.pdf) for you to read through in more detail.

Meldrew Moments

Anna is always "glass half full", super perky and chirpy, but did manage to get grumpy about video conference meetings over running.

Jonno has the Isle of Wight council in his 'grumpy' crosshairs this week in relation to the government's "gear change" document. Public consultation is thin on the ground.

A BIG First for the Podcast as Jonno Takes The Reigns from Elt with Rising Podcast Star Charly Amos!

See if you can sense how the radio quality has fallen in Elton's absence as Charly tries to keep things together. Not to mention the jokes!

Charly's Choons and Jonathan's Bangers This week Charly's community engagement practice gets its vibe from the subconscious consumption of Purple Disco Machine Essentials. Have a listen -> https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/purple-disco-machine-essentials/pl.67c73df0dbba4c31aa522ca45a1bbf13

Jonno let slip his secret adoration for all things ABBA after admitting he can't get the Mamma Mia soundtrack out of his head, especially Our Last Summer. Our Last Summer is available here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyUZe8xRNnQ&feature=youtu.be

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement Charly reflects on her recent conversations with Bang the Table legend and globe trotter extraordinaire Ray Scanlan about how hard it is for local councils to do proper budget engagement. Jonno picked the same topic but his angle is that post Covid19 local councils need to improve their approach to budget consultation. As it happens we will be hosting a webinar on doing this online very soon - watch this space!

Judge Jonno - Cycling and Walking Consultation Judge Jonno is back this week to preside over Crawley Council's approach to consulting the public on cycling and walking (and it seems jogging). Already grumpy about too many Councils adopting a lackadaisical approach to public consultation on Gear Change A Bold Vision for Cycling and Walking, Judge Jonno is not happy. He's especially upset by this question: Do you think it is important to make it easier for people to walk and cycle in Crawley?

Project Launch of The Week in EngagementHQ Charly is super happy to have found Tower Hamlet's new project (https://talk.towerhamlets.gov.uk/southdockbridge), consulting with the public on the proposed design for the new pedestrian crossing over the South Dock, linking South Quay with Canary Wharf and Wood Wharf. Charly likes their use of video and images to bring their proposals to life, as well as their use of multiple widgets and the news feed to keep consultees informed and engaged.

Back in the hot seat, Jonno picks out the great work being done by Statkraft on their windfarm public consultation. The Scottish Government has laid out certain requirements for public consultation when it comes to planning post Covid19. Statkraft has tried to go above and beyond their specification with their Artfield Forest Virtual Exhibition. -> https://projects.statkraft.co.uk/artfield-forest-virtual-exhibition

Stats of the Week Charly dazzles us with the fact that per capita the British eat double the amount of baked beans than any other country!

Not to be outdone Jonno brings the number 10 into play, highlighting Wotsit's recent world record for the longest ever Wotsit at just over 10 metres (other corn snacks are available). You can take a look at the worlds longest Wotsit here -> https://twitter.com/walkers_crisps/status/1300738418788442113?s=20

Meanwhile back in the world of public engagement, we are astonished that a worldwide opinion poll (https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/three-four-adults-globally-say-they-would-get-vaccine-covid-19) has found that one in four people do not intend to take a vaccine for Covid19 if it becomes available. Jonno puts this down to bad engagement by the governments concerned who are allowing "big tech" to disrupt the public sphere.

Meldrew Moments Charly breaks the format with her chirpy "back to school" news.

Meanwhile, in Grumpyville, a newsletter from South West Water which landed on his doormat this week almost filled Jonno with bliss. But soon he was REALLY grumpy with a key feature of their New Deal called WaterShare+. One of its main parts A Greater Say is in danger of being a major let down.

A BIG First for the Podcast as Charly Amos Takes The Mic from Jonno!

Charly's Choons Charly is really inspired by the smooth grooves from Phil Taggart's Dance Weekend Special playlist. Have a listen >>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000lg8d

Elt has been listening to the acoustic genius of Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies track "Nutshell" >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_siJRgDlddY

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement Charly reflects on the first 3 weeks she has enjoyed at Bang The Table, and emerging trends around digital public consultations being on the rise since the global pandemic hit.

Judge Jonno - The Internet Elt dons the Judge's hat this week to preside over the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport's approach to consulting the public on decisions relating to the internet.

Project Launch of The Week in EngagementHQ Elt is really inspired by SES Water's new project (https://seswater.uk.engagementhq.com/west-park-road), consulting with the public on an important water mains renewal project along West Park Road in Copthorne. Charly notes that her in laws live in that area so is going to ask them to engage and give feedback next week.

Stats of the Week 20% (30 million) - The number of US based Twitter users each day. Charly notes that 80% of the tweets come from 10% of Twitter users, most of whom are women talking about politics!

1610 - The number of pin drops West Yorkshire Combined Authority have had from community members, consulting on their safe streets for walking and cycling project in EHQ using our mapping tool. They used 11 different pins >>> https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/safestreets/maps/safestreets

600 - England cricketer Jimmy Anderson breaks ALL records by becoming the first player in history to take 600 wickets in test match cricket. HOWZAT!

Meldrew Moments Charly bemoans the lack of "good quality TV series" available since lock down, having finished Netflix.

Elt is REALLY grumpy about his local Council's inability to clarify how it is possible to get involved in a consultation.

A BIG Change is coming for the Podcast! - What's Happening for the next two weeks? Tune in to find out.

Bradley's Bangers -Jonno introduces Elt to the concept of 8D music. Find out more and take a listen here > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRpYEytIHGyDgNWO6VbHlQ

-Caity's Beltas - Elt is inspired by a global Bang the Table colleague's Beastie Boys playlist, here > https://open.spotify.com/album/0nA01XOVBUoi1zDVVYKz4i?si=731fyYGJQ3iaxTF2mNMZBQ

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement Never before has moderation been more important to give people a safe space within which they can feel comfortable to express their opinions.

Jonno & Elt are inspired by the innovation and ingenuity shown by new client East West Rail among many others, who came up with a fantastic introductory statement for their new Community hub to be launched soon in EngagementHQ.

Project Launch of The Week in EngagementHQ The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham have really inspired Jonno with their approach to digital engagement. Check out their "Help us to enhance the heritage of Barking Town Centre" project here > https://oneboroughvoice.lbbd.gov.uk/consultation-on-the-barking-town-centre-conservation-area

Statkraft's "Greener Grid Park near Neilston" project catches Elt's eye this week. Have a look here > https://projects.statkraft.co.uk/neilston?tool=survey_tool&tool_id=feedback-form#tool_tab

Stats of the Week Jonno announces the possible "end of statistics" as his son William told him this week.

Elt has a whole range of impressive stats relating to Indian Cricketing legend Virat Kohli.

Meldrew Moments

Both hosts are super grumpy about Ofqual and the UK Government's handling of the A-Level and GCSE grading system, and total lack of engagement and forward planning.

They are equally grumpy about the sheer pointlessness of gas BBQs. It reminds Elt of a Food Standards Agency TV Ad, which you can see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CIORN9pIg4

Jonno provides a Valuable History Lesson Read about the Battle of Nantwich here > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nantwich

SHOUTOUT TO CHARLY Bang the Table is excited to welcome Charly Amos to the UK Team as a Business Development Manager.

Bradley's Bangers North Country Boy by The Charlatans >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBAxEQZViTU

USA Bang The Table's Zane Taylor recommends this Spotify Playlist for your work day - Ambient Space Soundscapes >> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NbleROaHyKOZDwJEPm7f5?si=HMSzlzMPQH-dWzqf7J1Vzg

Jonno's Twitter Poll - WANTED Your views on the UK Govt's Planning For The Future public consultation Another Jonno weekly Twitter poll special. What is the nation's verdict?

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement Jonno is excited about forthcoming online Citizens' Panels projects and the potential for case studies. As he explains, these more deliberative, modern approaches have evolved greatly in the last 20 years.

Project Launch of The Week in EngagementHQ Sussex Health and Care Partnership's "The Future of Eastbourne Station Health Centre Public Consultation" has caught the eye this week. Have a look here >> https://urbangrowth.london/about/

The Letter G - Gardening Judge Jonno presides over Urban Growth London's approach to community engagement. Check out their website here >> https://urbangrowth.london/about/

Stats of the Week Jonno analyses 9 out of 10 statistics, and the number 107 relating to farming.

Elt sheds light on the number 50% relating to Coronavirus and the impact of "fake news" on public opinion.

Meldrew Moments Jonno is really upset about grass seed, website error messages, and poor approaches to public consultation in Blackburn.

Elt has let the UK heatwave get to him this week, and is tired of dressing for a tennis match just to sit in the same spot all day.....

Dan Popping and the engagement specialists behind adapting the City of Onkaparinga’s community engagement strategy during COVID-19 discuss strategies and tactics to reach residents during a global pandemic.

When COVID-19 caused a global lockdown, Council had projects and initiatives planned for 2020, along with engagement strategies to accompany them. COVID-19 threw a wrench in those plans. Onkaparinga quickly adapted to the new reality COVID-19 presented by bringing authentic interview-style videos to their engagement platform along with a survey, online discussion forum, and the Q&A tool. https://yoursay.onkaparinga.sa.gov.au/

What we’ll cover:

-How a genuine and authentic approach to informing residents improves resident comprehension -Organisational and internal adoption -Benefits of using a digital-first methodology, informing engagement strategies well beyond COVID-19 -Increasing participation on your engagement site -How closing the loop improves the quality of resident feedback

Tune in as Dan Popping, Practice Lead at Bang the Table, interviews industry experts on how to adapt your engagement strategy during COVID-19.

Jonno's Twitter Poll - What's Your Favourite Type of Online Public Participation? A tantalising range of options is put forward to the swathes of global participants. What was the outcome?

Emerging Trends & Themes in Online Public Consultation and Community Engagement: Elt feeds back on a fascinating and insightful discussion with Caitlin Hafferty, a PhD student and researcher who, as part of the research for her PhD research project, published a great visual around "Considerations for Digital Engagement" which you can see below. Follow Caitlin on Twitter to see how this valuable and important research progresses @caitlinhafferty

Project Launch of The Week in EngagementHQ: Jonno is really enthused by long standing client One Community Bury's introductory overview to their site in EngagementHQ which you can see here > https://www.onecommunitybury.co.uk/

The Letter F will Float Your Boat: Judge Jonno presides over Aust Ferry Improvements 2019's approach to public consultation.

Stats of the Week: Jonno sheds light on 81% relating to Covid19.

Elt is impressed by the number 58, relating to a VERY young rising star in the world of Football.

Meldrew Moments: Incredibly, Jonno only has 3 grumpy topics for the week but limits it to a couple. He's ULTRA grumpy about the UK Government's Consultation on proposals for reform of the planning system in England, here > https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future He's also overwhelmed by local tourists and their approach (or lack of it!) to social distancing.

Elt cannot BELIEVE how YouGov launched a "fake news" Twitter Poll on the subject of ice lollies, and needed to have a Fab afterwards to cool off! #AMagnumisanICECREAM

Join Debbie Knight, Community Engagement Officer at Mackay Regional Council, and Lauren Mitchell, Engagement Manager at Bang the Table, to talk about the importance of branding and driving traffic to your engagement site.

Mackay has seen hundreds of thousands of visitors to their engagement site over the last decade. Even still, traffic has drastically increased in the past year due to strategic marketing and redesigning efforts. EngagementHQ enabled Mackay Council to customize its site while simultaneously providing tools that were used for infrastructure projects and a place to keep communities connected during COVID-19.

What they’ll cover:

-Internal adoption tactics -Shifting your Approach to Engagement during COVID-19 -Building a Community in the Online Space -Rebranding and marketing strategy tips -Benefits of EngagementHQ’s versatility -The importance of analyzing online stakeholder experiences on your site

Tune in as Debbie Knight, Community Engagement Officer at Mackay Regional Council, provides insight into managing a digital engagement platform.

Want more info? Read the case study: https://www.bangthetable.com/blog/a-decade-of-digital-engagement-mackay-regional-council/

Jonno's Twitter Poll - What Makes a Great Podcast?

In an all-time low, Jonno reveals the results of his latest Twitter Poll.

Special Guest - Caroline Drummond from Study Group

Jonno and Elt are super excited to welcome Caroline Drummond from Study Group onto the Podcast for a guest appearance. Caroline explains how Study Group approaches online learning, and in particular how their global students use EngagementHQ to build a real sense of 'student community' by using many of EngagementHQ's range of tools. The Art Club, in particular, has been a highlight using the Ideas Tool, encouraging students to upload images of impressive art they've done for others to view and comment on as part of their enrichment programme on their "Prepare for Success" course, preparing students to enrol on a University course with one of their many University partners.

Caroline outlines the challenges they faced, how their partnership with Bang The Table was integral to the success of their overall offering, (particularly the excellent support offered by the Bang The Table team) and challenges around participant single sign on, allowing students the ability to seamlessly access individual EngagementHQ tools/activities through their VLE (Moodle) without having to log in again.

Student generated content is of paramount importance, with peer learning and fun online activities central to Study Group's approach, with fantastic outcomes in abundance.

Stats of the Week

Jonno explains what the number 62% refers to in the context of societal divisions, taken from this article.

The number 7,000: Elt can't BELIEVE how many contributions Study Group students have made in EngagementHQ since launch.

Meldrew Moments

Caroline has absolutely no grumpiness to contribute, offering only huge positivity and enthusiasm around what she does and the Education sector.

Jonno is grumpy about the incessant barking of his ageing dog, and the early morning Seagull serenade he gets each day.

Elt is slightly grumpy about the possible "death of comedy" in the UK.

Video Conferencing Platforms - Which is Best? In a continuation of absolutely never ever mentioning online video conferencing platforms again, Jonno reveals the results of his "which platform is best?" Twitter poll.

Distributed Dialogue - What is That All About? Jonno sheds light on this emerging concept.

Judge Jonno - The Letter E This week, Elt researched approaches to public consultation and community engagement in Medieval times, which led him to Lausanne in Switzerland. Jonno presides over their "radically inclusive" approach to public consultation.

We also discovered an interesting course on the subject, offered by the University of Bristol, here > http://www.bristol.ac.uk/english/study/part-time/elce-course/

New Project Launch in EngagementHQ: Highlight of the Week This week we're inspired by the All Age Carers - 2020-2025 Consultation, launched by Cheshire West & Chester Council. Working with the NHS CCG, the Council wants carers of all ages in Cheshire West and Chester to feel valued, empowered and have access to the right support at the right time. https://participatenow.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/all-age-carers-strategy-2020-2025-consultation Link

Stats of the Week The number 6: Elt can't BELIEVE how angry former Republic of Ireland and Manchester United football legend Roy Keane is.

Jonno highlights the number 13 billion, before quickly turning grumpy about it. He's even MORE grumpy about the number 13%, and conspiracy theories.

Meldrew moments Jonno is beyond unhappy with attitudes to mask wearing, and equally downbeat about ill-functioning democracy. The icing on his grumpy cake is the UNESCO online public consultation consisting of 190 questions in a survey.

Elt is really grumpy about The UK Consult not being shortlisted for the National Podcast of the Year Awards.

Lockdown Debate with Anna McKeon, Head of Engagement at Traverse, and Jonathan Bradley, Engagement Specialist and Practice Lead at Bang the Table.

When lockdown started in the UK, massive policy decisions were affecting millions of lives without the time or ability to properly engage with the public. Traverse utilised EngagementHQ to provide a space for people to talk about the crisis and host rapid online deliberation, useful for research purposes, policy and decision-makers in a range of context.   

What we’ll cover:

-How this completely digital consultation differed from previous consultations -Organisational adoption -Benefits found using the digital-first methodology -How they recruited and involved a demographically diverse public in the discussion -Participant reflections

Tune in as Anna McKeon, Head of Engagement at Traverse reflects on deliberative dialogue in the online space during #LockdownDebate.

Despite saying every single week that they will DEFINITELY not mention Zoom or any other video-conferencing platforms, Jonno & Elt open with a new Twitter poll, following hot on the heels of Marmite's crushing victory over Vegemite last week.

Coffee & a Cake Client Discussion: Jonno is delighted about the inaugural Bang The Table UK event which brought together existing and new Bang The Table clients from local government, the NHS, Environment Agency and Consultants to share experiences and approaches to online public consultation and engagement using EngagementHQ.

New Project Launches in EngagementHQ: Highlight of the Week This week we're inspired by the Sussex Health and Care Partnership project launch in EngagementHQ titled "Sussex Covid-19 BAME Disparity Response Programme" which will involve the community in improving healthcare services to protect BAME communities and address health inequalities. https://yoursaysussexhealthandcare.uk.engagementhq.com/sussex-covid-19-bame-disparity-response-programme?tool=story_telling_tool#tool_tab

Stats of the Week: The number 22 - Is Elt angling for his P45 again or is there an alternative story behind this stat that could save him?

Jonno reveals the results of the Vegemite vs Marmite Poll!

Meldrew Moments: Elt is grumpy about false advertising by a leading video-conferencing provider whilst Jonno is bemoaning "Method Madness".

Unofficial Battle for the Ashes The Ashes might not be officially being played this summer but Judge Jonno presided over an Ashes battle of his own on Twitter as he launched a controversial Vegemite Vs Marmite poll. What was the outcome?

New Project Launches in EngagementHQ: Highlights of the week

Dorset Coast Forum Projects https://www.dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/

One of the FIRST global EngagementHQ sites to pilot the new cutting edge Bang The Table Appearance Editor functionality.

Tower Hamlets Council: Liveable Streets Bow consultation https://talk.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lsbow

Elt & Jonno are super impressed by Tower Hamlets Council's approach to engaging the community and keeping them informed about a multi-million pound borough-wide street and public space improvement programme.

Stats of the Week

240% - the percentage increase in the sale of board games in March 2020, year on year, as a result of lockdown hitting the UK.

25,179 - the number of visits on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority - Your Voice EngagementHQ site. Who said online/digital wouldn't take off eh?

172 - the number of live discussion forums going on in the UK this week ALONE in EngagementHQ.

Meldrew moments Jonno is grumpy about the Government's "Build, Build, Build" approach, clearly lacking a strategy to consult with the public.

Guess the Grumpy? Elt challenges Jonno to guess the nominated Mr Grumpy this week with a terrible attempt at a Northern accent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk87a7r0V60

Shoutout to Ella! Ella Pairman, our Senior Specialist, Graphic Design & Branding, publishes 8 Steps to a Well Designed Site to make it easy for EngagementHQ visitors to access the information they are looking for. https://www.bangthetable.com/blog/8-steps-to-a-well-designed-site/

In an exclusive first for the UK Consult weekly podcast, Jonno and Elt invite the owner of Fan Insights UK, Kevin Rye, on to talk about the crossover between football fan engagement and broader leadership and building trust approaches taken by the football world.

Kevin outlines best practice fan engagement and his work with clubs across the UK to identify with fans as stakeholders and parallels between the leadership shown by certain clubs and local government approaches.

Failure to listen is identified as a key theme more broadly in public consultation approaches and methodology and Fans' Parliaments go some way to addressing this in the sporting world.

Tune in as Judge Jonno presides over Elt's research into Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) approach to community engagement.

With football back in action but no fans in the stands, Jonathan Bradley and Elton Daddow discuss this new normal in sports and how fan engagement can benefit clubs during this time of change.

Last week, Judge Jonno challenged Elt to take a deep dive into birdwatching engagement and share his findings. Find out what Judge Jonno thinks about one organisation’s multimedia approach for bird enthusiasts sharing bird sound bites to identify, comment and engage together in an online forum.

Project Launch of the Week in EngagementHQ:

Your Say South Essex 2050 - Work Advance Consultancy working with the Association of South Essex Local Authorities to engage the communities in South Essex on a range of pertinent issues as they develop a vision and plan working together across government, businesses, residents and the voluntary sector. https://www.yoursayse2050.co.uk/

Stats of the week: Trust in local government and the number 36.

Tune in to find out why June 2020 provides such an important statistic for trust in local government and hear how one organisation successfully launched 36 digital engagement projects in a week with successful participation.

Join Elton Daddow and Jonathan Bradley as they explore Airport Engagement, digital consultations with impressive returns, and find out what’s coming soon to EngagementHQ!

Airport Engagement: Judge Jonno presides over an approach to community engagement and public consultation taken by a UK Airport.

EngagementHQ UK Project Launch of the Week:  Only a week after launching their Safe Streets for Walking and Cycling project, West Yorkshire Combined Authority has received nearly 1000 public contributions on their interactive mapping engagement tool, Places. https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/safestreets/maps/safestreets

Stat of the Week: "In 2020, 3.5 billion people don't have access to the internet!" The internet has been a lifeline for millions of people during the coronavirus crisis. This startling statistic brings to light the need for more awareness of this digital divide. World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee brings this topic to the UN. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/120620/world-wide-web-inventor-tim-berners-lee-wants-everyone-to-have-interne.html

Meldrew Moment: A rough end to 'Social Distancing' for Elt in East Sussex

Tune in next week and find out what Elt discovers about Birdwatching Engagement. It should be a hoot!

How does organisational leadership effect community participation, fan outreach, and the success of local projects and sports clubs?

With football season kicking off soon, we explore how Fan Engagement is different than general sales and marketing, and what that means for sports organisations. Learn how positive and bold approaches from leadership within the organisation lead to less commercialised outreach, and puts more emphasis on involving fans in improving the program, as well as its impact on community.

We also discuss barriers of change and the unique opportunity we have right now to create a better public consultation experience for our communities. As lockdown has changed the way we communicate with each other, a hot topic recently is the idea and genuine experience of Zoom fatigue. As Councils move their public meetings online, we share reasons why effective public consultation is not a Zoom meeting.

Projects to Watch: See how these two Councils are conducting effective and inclusive community engagement with the use of digital tools on EngagementHQ.

Tower Hamlets is including residents in discussions around the safest and most effective ways to begin reopening public areas in their community. Over 1400 contributions have been made to the Places tool on Let’s Talk Tower Hamlets. Community members are dropping pins on the interactive map, as well as sharing Ideas where walking, cycling and social distancing can be made easier in their area. https://talk.towerhamlets.gov.uk/streetspace

In BeFirst London - It's Time To Lift The Curfew project, Council has drawn up exciting new plans to give Barking’s 500 year old Curfew Tower a makeover. They are engaging residents around plans of decluttering the approach to the tower, radically improving the landscaping, and introducing displays that explain its historical importance. Visit their project to see how BeFirst London is using digital engagement tools and multimedia assets to educate, inform, and work with their community on the redevelopment of this historical site. https://yourcall.befirst.london/curfew-tower?tool=survey_tool#tool_tab

Tune in to this week’s episode of THE UK CONSULT podcast for a deeper dive with Elton Daddow and Jonathan Bradley, and find out what’s made Jonathan grumpy this week.

Hardwired engagement is being woven into new industries and organisations to create a cohesive environment. We explore how organisations and healthcare programs are using employee and patient engagement to hardwire staff into their organisational culture and keeping people engaged in company mission and vision.

With sustainability and wildlife conservation becoming a major topic in the 21st century, we are seeing the importance and impact community engagement has on conservation initiatives. A study in Tanzania found positive ecological outcomes when analysing areas where local community are more involved.

Another emerging concept coming out of digital engagement is the idea and strategy of “on your couch engagement.” Technology has enhanced engagement by providing convenience and ease of participation for the public. Participants can view multimedia content to help them understand and engage on topics that interest and affect them. This convenience drives higher participation numbers and improves the quality of peoples answers.

Tune in for ideas on how to design your online engagement initiatives to coincide with this idea of “on your couch engagement.”

Projects to watch:

Southend on Sea Borough Council has launched with a new project called Good Neighbours, a place where people are inspired by good news stories and community supporting each other. See how they are using online engagement to spread the good news. https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/goodneighbours

NHS South Central & West Commissioning Support Unit. 1300 skilled professionals are providing expert support for over 80 NHS customers on a national, regional, and local level. Leading on the care and digital transformation, care analytics, and organizational development programs. See how they have used online engagement to create a safe space for staff to engage, support, and work together. https://jointheconversation.scwcsu.nhs.uk/nhs-south-central-west-csu

Explore examples demonstrating the importance of organisations continuing, or getting back into, conversations and consultations with community and stakeholders in the online space. How do you manage deliberative workshops online? How do you do in-depth face to face meetings with stakeholders online?

From fan engagement to resident consultation, organisations across the country are seeing the value of continuous conversations and involvement from their stakeholders. Housing associations are harnessing the power of digital engagement to maintain connectedness with their residents and keep them involved in ongoing decision making during this period of uncertainty. Barking and Dagenham Council have utilised online engagement in the launch of their Be First project, an inspiring and creative competition for children to create art in response to the changes taking place around them. This project has provided families an innovative way to get involved in activities together and create community cohesion outside of the typical dry consultation we often see. See the Be First Project > https://yourcall.befirst.london/gascoigne-yourplace-competition

As we ask more and more people to provide input and connect together in the online space, privacy and security standards are more important than ever before. Participants need to feel confident they are contributing in a safe space where personal information is secure and comments are moderated for protection against harassment and inappropriate messages.

Tune in to learn how communities and organisations across the UK are building cohesive environments with online communities.

The concept of #NotAnotherSurvey has taken hold in the UK as industries and organisations are utilising technology that can take engagement and consultation to the next level by gathering more meaningful feedback with digital tools designed for open and creative public input.

With a number of buzzwords and new terms circulating the industry, we dive into a few that seem to be making an impact and changing the current tide of online consultation. 

-'Rapid Online Deliberation': In-depth and deep engagement online over a short period of time, due to quick decisions needing to be made by local leaders around COVID-19. We have seen deliberative opinion polls created to analyse how attitudes change over the duration of a consultation, executed by launching surveys at the beginning and end of a project.  

-Building 'Online Communities' has been a common theme this week, predominantly in the education sector, as students and teachers have moved to online classrooms and need a way to maintain a sense of community while lesson structures change.

-Many professional bodies who previously spent a lot of face to face time at events have been discussing 'Member Engagement' and replicating these events in a safe and moderated online space with the help of digital engagement platforms.

-Explore the difference between 'Synchronous' and 'Asynchronous' digital consultation, as well as the creative shift we expect to see between the two, as this new normal of virtual interactions set in.

Tune in to hear how these ideas are leading to positive and impactful changes in the digital consultation world.

The District Council of Yankalilla in South Australia gathered public input as they began planning for the community's future. Using a variety of community engagement methods and one central digital engagement platform, elected officials were able to make more informed decisions by including voices from across the community.

What we'll learn from Yankalilla: -Growth of internal buy-in and how elected members became more invested in community engagement -Engaging with youth -How utilising an external engagement facilitator affected the process and benefited community, council, and the engagement team -Making direct mail, social, traditional in-person, and digital engagement work together -How times and locations of community meetings helped drive higher attendance -Building trust and transparency

We engage communities for better decision-making, however, along the way it is important to realise, this engagement also builds community and resilience. In this podcast, you’ll hear about friendships being forged and common ground discovered among Yankalilla neighbours during this engagement process.

As part of their new training course, Smart Engagement Techniques for the 2020s, Nick Duffin from The Consultation Institute (TCI) has invited Jonathan Bradley, Practice Lead at Bang the Table UK and TCI Fellow, to answer questions and provide insight into best practice digital inclusion and online participation. This podcast is a recording of Jonathan’s candid response.

Tune into this podcast for answers to the following questions;

What is 'digital inclusion'?
Why is digital inclusion so important?
Where can we emulate offline qualitative events online? And how?
What are the most effective ways of involving people online?
What online facilities will young people, the elderly, and the vulnerable use?
Are there software packages that incorporate all these things?
What should we be looking for in online solutions?

With a real desire to enrich their engagement, Coventry City Council wanted to move on from black-box Survey feedback to a more open way of communicating with their community. They wanted something which allowed a multimedia approach to inform the public with useful documents, photos, and videos. Let’s Talk Coventry became their convenient location where all of their consultations and engagement could live.

When discussing Coventry’s project around a new rough sleeping policy, “We have built up a wonderful Q&A where the general public have been asking us tough and searching questions, as well they should. What we have been able to do with that is demonstrate good faith and a willingness to do what we can by answering them in a public way and that is one of the best things I love about the Q&A tool.” James Sampson-Foster, Analyst Engagement Insight Team, Coventry City Council, “The feedback we have received from the public is fantastic. People are reading our strategies that we put up … And they are reading them line by line. They are giving us intelligent, well-considered feedback.”

What we’ll cover:  -Managing risk and finding the opportunity within -How moderation in online engagement opens the door to more meaningful feedback -Homelessness and scarcity of housing -Engagement Platform vs. Social Media -Introducing online engagement to your organization and community -Internal Buy-In

“It’s the role of government to do what we cannot or should not do alone.” Nick Kittle, Cartegraph.

Casey Earp, Bang the Table, and Nick Kittle, Cartegraph, discuss the 5 tenets of High Performance Government and the most efficient and effective ways organizations can positively impact their community. The concept of High Performance Government is the commitment that we make to continue to better ourselves as a government to the people we serve.

The 5 tenants of High Performance Government: 1. Building Effective and Innovative Teams 2. Building Efficient Processes 3. Creating Measurable, Actionable Results 4. Doing this all in a way that is clear and accountable to our residents 5. Engaging our Community

“We feel that these 5 tenants are the things that allow governments to really elevate and deliver services to citizens in the best way possible.” - Nick Kittle, Cartegraph.

What we’ll discuss: -Building a culture of transparency -Establishing Pilot Programs -Productivity & Time Management -Rethinking how we are committing our resources -Closing the loop -When to engage -Successful implementation post-training -Embedding community engagement into organizational culture -Tips for growing your database and audience -How to make a difference as an individual

When the City of Marion wanted to gather ideas from their community, the first suggestion was a survey. However, because EngagementHQ can collect participant information (name, suburb, etc) when the resident signs up, it made more sense and provided more meaningful feedback for the City to use the Ideation tool in this instance as they were gathering ideas around one topic. Once they begin gathering ideas, they can then talk to the particpant(s) and expand on the idea making the process much more efficient than a broad question and answer survey.

“EngagementHQ has really helped us at the end of a project to close the loop and provide feedback to those that have been involved. Once you close a project you can still update the page.” - Andrew Coulson, City of Marion

As organisations become more sophisticated, we are seeing more of a staged approach to engagement within their communities, providing more opportunity for “Early Engagement.” In this podcast, we will take a deeper dive into the various stages of engagement that can ultimately give you more actionable feedback along your project's journey.

What we’ll discuss: -Identify the Purpose & Defining your Method -Working with Project Management teams -Stages of Engagement -Timing -Gaining Organizational Buy-In -Tips for Comment Analysis Tagging -Closing the Loop -Tool Selection -Incorporating IAP2 Spectrum into your plan and presenting to the community

“At the end, the biggest learning was that they [the community] just wanted to know what happened to the information they provided and how the decision was made after they were engaged… people feeling valued and heard.” - Patrice Pearson, City of Marion.

How does Community Engagement compare across US and UK markets and what can they learn from each other?

Bang the Table Engagement Practice Leads, Amanda Nagl USA, and Jonathan Bradley UK, dive into the similarities and differences the United States and United Kingdom markets experience when it comes to community engagement practices and results. One has laws protecting the fairness and execution of proper engagement across the country while the other creates policy at a localized level.

Tune into this podcast to hear what practices work in varying areas across the world and take away new best practice techniques for your community.

Young Americans have the most to gain or lose when it comes to the fiscal decisions being made today in Congress. America’s debt is around $22 trillion and climbing. This unprecedented debt level threatens the economy young people will inherit, their future earning power, and the vital public and private investments that are key to building a future full of opportunity.

Tune into this podcast with Hilary Allen, Up to Us Spokesperson, to hear how she and the Up to Us program are educating and engaging college students on campuses across the US.

An important part of engagement is closing the loop of communication which speaks to the transparency and trust that it creates with your audience. With their Talking Power Newsletter integration, SA Power Networks is able to close the loop and inform the workshop participants and reference group members when post workshop reports have been added to the Talking Power platform.

"Looking after around 860,000 customers across the state, we needed a way to touch those people and connect with them, and this provided us with an opportunity to do so." - Jessica Vonthehoff, Manager Stakeholder Engagement & Communications, SA Power Networks

SA Power Networks set up a series of reference groups and specialist groups focused on different areas of planning. The creation of a private page for these groups, including unique logins, allowed them to engage more deeply and add value to their interactions. A few of these specialised groups included; -Solar battery technology integrations -Arborists managing vegetation around power lines -Business group

How is Talking Power managing stakeholder expectations and response time in our "instant-gratification" focused world? How did the IAP2 Spectrum help them adapt and manage expectations around influence and engagement? How did they select the most effective tools for their project needs and time limitations?

Tune into this podcast to find out how Talking Power's audience feels about the engagement process, progress, and successes SA Power Networks have undertaken.

Stéphanie Beauregard, Experte de la pratique à Bang the Table, et Nicole Melanson, Gestionnaire, Communications et services bilingues, à la Ville de Moncton, discutent comment une plateforme d’engagement numérique a permis de créer une expérience de participation citoyenne intéressante dans une communauté bilingue.

Jasons Moncton, le site d’engagement numérique de la Ville de Moncton, a pour objectif de: Faciliter les conversation dans une communauté bilingue Sensibiliser la communauté à propos des dossiers municipaux Améliorer l’engagement citoyens dans un espace sécuritaire et respectueux en ligne Accéder à des données et analyser ces dernières pour informer les décisions prises par les décideurs à la Ville Augmenter la portée des événements publics Offrir des options à la communauté afin de participer au moment qui leur convient Présenter les projets et l’information dans un format intéressant visuellement

“La collecte de données a été beaucoup plus facile pour nous avec EngagementHQ et également plus cohérente...c’est de l’information à laquelle nous n’avions pas accès auparavant” - Nicole Melanson, Gestionnaire, Communications et services bilingues, à la Ville de Moncton.

Découvrez comment Jasons Moncton rationalise la collecte de données à l’interne, tout en communiquant clairement avec un public bilingue.

Stéphanie Beaureguard, Practice Lead at Bang the Table, and Nicole Melanson, Manager, Communications and Bilingual Services at the City of Moncton, sit down to discuss how a digital engagement platform has made public participation across a multilingual community a seamless endeavor.

Let’s Chat Moncton set out to launch new public participation initiatives in 2019 with a number of strategic objectives;

-Facilitation of public conversations across a multilingual community. -Build awareness around municipal issues. -Enhance civic engagement in a more focused way in a safe and respected space. -Access and analyze data for more in-depth information for City decision-makers. -Supplement open house events -Offer alternate options for public attendance and input on their own time -Package projects and information in a more visually interesting way.

“EngagementHQ made gathering data much easier for us but also much more cohesive.. these are things that we definitely were not able to do before.” - Nicole Melanson, Manager, Communications and Bilingual Services at the City of Moncton.

Find out how Let’s Chat Moncton is internally streamlining project information gathering while communicating clearly to a multilingual public.

Stéphanie Beaureguard, Practice Lead at Bang the Table, and Geoff Wilson, Director of Community Engagement and Health Board Support at Nova Scotia Health Authority, come together to discuss how patient and public engagement in the health sector can be transformed by offering a dedicated portal for digital engagement.

This episode examines the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s engagement site Engage4Health, which launched in 2015, and discusses their evolving strategy and experience with patient engagement over the years. In Engage4Health’s first year, they engaged with roughly 1,000 people in 42 face-to-face meetings and received over 9,000 contacts of informed and engaged visitors in their online portal.

"It was really crucial that the engagement team had the ability to create and shape and respond to online interactions without needing to be dependent on our IT department for support. I think the ease of use of EngagementHQ [and ability to] get the project up and running really quickly was a key factor in our decision to use this particular platform." - Geoff Wilson, Director of Community Engagement and Health Board Support at Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Tune in to learn more about developing an online engagement strategy in the health sector.

Getting your community engaged in your online platform can seem daunting, but with a few simple process guidelines, the participation process begins to flow seamlessly. Amanda Nagl, US Practice Lead at Bang the Table, and Sandrine Thibault, Director at Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative, apply these commandments directly to planning practice for better-designed projects and a more informed community who provides usable feedback.

Don’t use jargon.
Provide options for visual feedback—images and videos.
Capture the past lest it halt your project and the project after that.
Use a variety of tools; chosen for solid, defensible reasons.
Use mapping tools for spatial sake and spatial sake alone.
Phase the project in a meaningful way; honor the phases before it.
Work in bite-size, digestible chunks.
Collect demographic data along with project feedback.
Use social media wisely.
Always close the feedback loop.

The Golden Rule of Engagement… Listen to the podcast to find out!

Dan Popping, Engagement Manager with Bang the Table, explores the importance of having an overarching Engagement Framework for your organisation alongside Jane Pole-Bell from the City of Mandurah in Western Australia.

But, what is an Engagement Framework and how can it help gain momentum and support my organisation's public participation efforts?

In this podcast, we dive into the five key components of an Engagement Framework: 1. Governance 2. Capability and Support 3. Process 4. A Central Portal 5. Continuos Improvement

"Our framework and strategy follow the IAP2 process, so we have leveraged the framework that already exists and the best practice already out there," Jane Pole-Bell, Corporate Communications Manager, City of Mandurah.

Working in a partnership of councils, Debbie Goodland, Community Engagement Manager at Cambridgeshire Partnership, discusses the importance of giving each council the ability to track their consultation. EngagementHQ provides this function, as well as "making the process an interactive and enjoyable experience for the public," Debbie notes.

With a primary focus on Transport Infrastructure, tune into this podcast to hear how Cambridgeshire Partnership begins their Digital Engagement program with the use of the Places Tool for mapping and quickly realizes the opportunity and benefits of expanding their digital toolbox.

With the start of their downtown planning project, the City of Kamloops decided it was time to invest in more strategic communications and engagement. By offering residents the opportunity to learn and participate in online discussions, surveys, and forums, Kamloops was able to educate the community and allow equal participation for residents who could not attend a face-to-face council meeting.

Tune into this Podcast to hear how the City of Kamloops promotes and manages "Let's Talk Kamloops", how they determine what projects they put online, and how they gained internal participation and excitement in the program.

The City of Kingston’s new public engagement hub has elevated awareness in the community and seen 6,000 registered participants engaging in discussions around local projects and priorities.

Tune into this podcast and hear Debbi Miller, Manager of Communications and Public Engagement, revealing how a centralized engagement hub and consistency across internal and external strategies have helped City and community engage better.

The City of Fayetteville, AR recently launched their online community engagement site, Speak up Fayetteville. They've found great success driving participation right out of the gate, driving over 2,700 visitors to the site in the first 30 days.

So how did they do it?

Tune into this podcast as Linda Deberry, Program Manager at the City of Fayetteville, reveals how a centralized engagement tool, a strategic overlapping of projects timed to cross-pollinate participation, and an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ internal approach contributed to its successful launch.

In this episode we talk with Community Engagement Advisor, Hayley Boyd from the Town of Victoria Park in Western Australia about how joining forces with their councillors has help to doubled their registrations, participation and online engagement rates.

People everywhere are busy, and it's no different in Parker, Colorado. As part of an initiative to increase the level of community engagement and participation in local issues, Parker officials sought to provide new and innovative ways for their residents to get involved and provide feedback. The town knew that to increase engagement they needed to think outside the box and offer tools that work for Parker's growing community.

In Parker's 2017 citizen survey, the town heard overwhelming resident support for the development of an online community engagement tool. Ninety percent of survey respondents said they were likely to engage in local issues if they could do so online, at a time that was convenient for their schedule.

This support, combined with Parker's drive to increase engagement, led Town officials to create their new engagement portal, Let's Talk Parker, using the EngagementHQ platform. With the goal of gaining ideas, feedback and community support, Parker launched some very creative projects, including Fact or Fiction, My Mainstreet, and even a mapping tool for the community to report traffic issues to the Police Department.

Tune in to this podcast to hear about Parker's journey into online engagement, how Let's Talk Parker is helping cultivate a more informed and engaged community, and the positive impact it's having on town decisions and direction.

Find out how Brisbane South Primary Health Care Network utilised online engagement to develop a Health Needs Assessment.

City of Lakewood has recognized for some time that the traditional model of public meetings fell far short of their responsibility to connect with a representative public. So, when Bang the Table came along with EngagementHQ in late 2016, Lakewood jumped at the chance to join a worldwide community of online engagement.

Hear how Lakewood used EngagementHQ for an extensive nine-month outreach and engagement effort culminating in the delivery of their Lakewood Masterplan.

Resilience has many definitions but all include some reference to an ability to bounce back—be it from something predictable or not, natural or man-made, for better or for worse. Regardless of the subject or application, resilience is about the capacity for, and adjustment to, change. Urban resilience is about a city’s ability to bounce back from change whether the change is anticipated or when city officials and residents are surprised by it.

Hear how City of Boulder used community engagement to build a resilient city strategy.

Barwon Water, based in Geelong, one hour South West of Melbourne, is Victoria’s largest regional urban water corporation, and provides water and sewerage services across 8,100 square kilometres to more than 298,000 customers.

Hear about their approach to engaging communities on water pricing and sustainable water delivery.

In 2016, Richmond School District 38 concluded a 2 year online community engagement project focusing on school closures.

Neighbourhood decline had led to underutilized schools and the Richmond School District 38 had to look at the possibility of school closures and engage their community on this difficult issue.

Hear how Richmond School District used EngagementHQ to engage their communities, keeping them informed and up to date on the changes in the district.

The U.S. Census Bureau determined that Austin was the second-fastest growing U.S. city from 2010-2015 and judging from the construction cranes dotting the city skyline, change is the new norm in the city’s downtown core. The Downtown Austin Alliance is made up of downtown property owners, individuals and businesses devoted to preserving and enhancing the value and vitality of the area. Hear how Austin Alliance worked with EngagementHQ to engage with their community.

Figuring out the best way to get residents involved and participating in local government has been a hot topic in cities across the country. Matthew Crozier from Bang the Table has been doing engagement work around the world and came on GovLove to discuss best practices, how cities can do better and more. Originally featured on Govlove - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/124-citizen-engagement-matthew-crozier-bang-table/id993270804?i=1000385253417&mt=2