South Gippsland Shire Council 2015/2016 Budgeting: Digital Engagement Driving Satisfaction

A Case Study for the LGPro Web Network Special Interest Group

• Purpose • Outcomes• Process• Take-Aways

PURPOSE: Why we did it

Wonder what goes on in there....?

Wonder what goes on out

there....?

Purpose: Increase council and community understanding of the budget issues and challenges

X

XGood Engagement

Good Policy

Purpose: Increase community involvement

Outcomes: The Results

Outcomes: Marginal increase in participation

2014

2015

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Ratepayers Involved in Budgeting

Year

Outcomes: Critics became champions

I came along very negative, but I’ve learned more about issues I was not aware of. Here I was trapped in a room and I’ve come back better educated than I otherwise would have appreciated.

– Dr. Neil Shaw

Outcomes: Reputation with local media improved

Outcomes: Budget submissions more informed & favourable

Outcomes: Shareable video resulting in faster and deeper buy-in to the process

Process: How we did it

Process: Get council on-board

● Process: Taking a punt with OurSay (online and offline aspects)

Process: Set up an OurSay page

Process: Co-design the outcomes, promotion of the forum

Process: Monitor and manage engagement

Process: Respond to priorities in a workshop and on-video

OpinionIssuesOptionsDecision

Learnings for Council

• Budget: it draws people in• Leverage OurSay to turn internal and

external cynics into engagement champions

• We needed to shift as we go to appease certain leaders (trial and error)

• Great opportunity to get the local media on-side

Learnings for OurSay

• Better analytics about where people are from (are they rate-payers?)

• Winning vs. supported ideas• To survey or not to survey? • Each council is different

Key Take-aways

• Have a strong partnership with the supplier (in this case OurSay)

• Be prepared to learn as you go• Take the community on the journey

from opinion through to decision-making