IAP2 Spectrum on Auckland City Council’s People’s Panel
The People’s Panel was created by the Auckland City Council for the purposes of research and consultation, for residents of Auckland aged 15 and older to give feedback through the online survey. The purpose of the panel is to collect data through the online survey and engagement to enable better decision making by the Council. The online survey questions through the platform are completed by registered members and the results displayed on the Council’s website, this includes information such as the methodology used to obtain the results, background information on the survey, what the results will be used for and actual questions that were asked and the duration of the survey. The effectiveness of the People’s Panel online platform is evaluated against the IAP2 framework and more closely the IAP2 spectrum below from the lowest end of the spectrum that has the lease public impact (Inform) to the highest end of the spectrum (Empower) that should have the highest public impact from public participation and engagement
Inform
The public is informed through the Auckland City Council website and through newsletters that are sent out via the site to the registered members of the People’s Panel and depending on the content, the newsletters are also sent to targeted groups. Dissemination of information and survey forms is between the Council and the Panel members. In order to be a panel member and take part in the surveys or have your say one has to sign up to have be privy to the surveys and information. The members of the panel are kept informed through the platform. The platform serves its purpose to inform but only to members and only members have access to the survey. Citizens who do not have access to the internet or are not members do not have access that therefore are not informed.
Consult
Through the panel, the public (members of the panel) provide feedback through the online surveys that are used by the Council for analysis and to guide in decision making. The Council through the platform sends out survey questions to the panel members who complete and submit within a given timeframe, the results of the survey are then sent back to the panelists who completed the survey and further advised of the reports from the survey. Consultation ends at the survey question and is based on question asked by the Council.
Involve
The platform works directly with panel members via the online survey to ensure that their views and concerns are captured by the Council. The surveys maybe completed by the panel members but the results are not only shared with the members but with the wider public on the Council website. The results are posted on the website, it give the background and states what the results will be used for and that’s about it, no links or advise on further engagement. The involvement is limited to the members of the site and those who have not signed up cannot complete the surveys. The surveys re also only online and means that those who are not tech savvy may not be take part. the techniques used for participation are limited to the website and and the online survey questions and nothing beyond that so how can the public be really involved?
Collaborate
Under the IAP2 spectrum collaboration should be about partnering with the public that includes the development of alternatives and identification of preferred solution. The public is consulted directly for advice and ideas in formulating solutions, where their views are incorporated to form a decision.
There is really no collaboration between the Council and the public via the People’s Panel platform. The only feedback or advice from the public is through the survey forms. There are no further consultation and or engagement. There needs to forums or avenues to further discuss issues identified in the surveys?
Empower
To empower is to give the power back to the public to make the decision and the Council to implement, but that may not be the case through the People’s Panel platform. The platform is only used to gauge the feedback from the public (members of the platform) through the online survey. The platform does not empower public participation. The level of public impact from public participation increases from the Inform stage to Empower. Empowerment is the final stage of the spectrum that shows that the level of public impact is greatest where the public is empowered with the right information through building networks and communication and are therefore capable to make decisions.
The Auckland City Council’s People’s Panel platform does inform and consult, but involvement that is selective and based on membership and lack collaborations and empowerment. The level of impact from the public participation is average because online survey and the website are the only techniques used to communicate. How can an online participation and engagement platform be fully participatory and engaging when only members can answer a set of questions identified and stated on the survey form? There are no further engagement and consultation after the survey so apart from the display of results and what it will be used for. The answers collected from the questions on the online survey may not entirely be representative of everyone living in Auckland. This maybe because digital divide is real and exists in places like Auckland as well, and this maybe people whose views and opinions may matter the most. The platform also has targeted survey based on the personal information provided but again are these views representative of everyone living in Auckland and those who will be affected by the Councils decision? This is not representative of the IAP2 first core value that those who will be impacted need to be involved. The Council’s thinking is right but the technique to execute this thinking is not representative.
Reference
Auckland City Council. 2019. Have your say through the People’s Panel? Retrieved from: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/have-your-say-through-peoples-panel/Pages/default.aspx
International Association of Public Participation. 2017. Core Values. Retrieved from: file:///F:/eGov%20503/Blog/2017_core_values-24x36_iap2_.pdf
International Association of Public Participation. 2004. Foundations of Public Participation. Retrieved from: file:///F:/eGov%20503/Blog/IAP2-Public-Participation-Spectrum-LGNSW-Amalgamation-Toolkit.pdf
