Citizen engagement software connects government agencies with their citizens to share important information, solicit feedback, and provide transparency into decisions and operations. These tools allow citizens to stay engaged in ongoing community improvement efforts, legislative decisions, and available resources. Whereas online community management software collects employee and consumer feedback, citizen engagement products are designed to promote citizen participation in government decision making and improve awareness of events and resources within municipalities or cities. Most tools allow government agencies to improve website design and content management so citizens can easily access information on any device. Public officials can also broadcast events such as digital town halls, committee meetings, or budget hearings.
Internally, these solutions compile relevant sentiment and demographic data from citizen feedback, allowing government agencies to gauge public support for projects and initiatives. They often also provide administrative support by automating payment and fee collection for various government services, allowing citizens to request documents or pay bills on their own. Some products can also connect a government agency’s social media platforms, ensuring all relevant information is shared to each channel at the same time.
To qualify for inclusion in the Citizen Engagement category, a product must:
- Integrate forms and other media directly to government websites
- Manage multichannel communications and digital content related to government projects and initiatives
- Collect and store citizen feedback
