Challenge

 

The London Borough of Waltham Forest Councillors needed to gather opinions from all sections of society and give every resident an equal opportunity to have their say.

 

Solution

 

IML's Communicator keypads and Question Wizard software.

 

• IML's interactive keypads give all participants an equal opportunity to have their say by enabling them to submit anonymous feedback to questions.
• Feedback results can be displayed instantly, enabling participants and Councillors to see a diverse range of opinions.
• IML's keypads have also proven an effective method of gaining feedback and opinions from youths and other hard to reach sections of society.

 

Case study

 

Concerned that their existing methods of public consultation were failing to represent the views of the entire community, the London Borough of Waltham Forest approached IML for a solution.

 

"We needed an efficient way of re-engaging our community in the decision making process to give them more of a say, said Project Organiser, Claire Witney

 

"Our existing methods were time consuming. The time restrictions meant that we couldn't consult with residents on everything - such as how a £10,000 community grant should be spent. We also realised that our methods might be preventing people within the community having their say. We wanted to hear the voice of the entire community."

 

IML recommended their interactive keypad voting system. Voting is completely anonymous, allowing all members of the community to express their true opinions.

 

"The keypads tackle everything that disadvantages people when they walk into a public meeting", says Claire.

 

"They are very empowering to people. A keypad gives them confidence, as peer pressure is eliminated. We used to see people waiting for others to vote, before putting their hand up to vote themselves. Sometimes, if something is very controversial, meetings can get a bit heated and people may have felt too intimidated to cast a minority vote. Those excluded were often women and people from ethnic groups. Now we have put everybody on an equal footing.

 

"Paper based questionnaires are time consuming and people often didn’t have the time to fill them out. They also produced barriers for the partially sighted and those with literacy difficulties. Now, a presenter talks the audience through the questions and they vote with the keypads. Nobody is excluded and we get a wide range of views in a very short space of time."

 

IML’s Keypads have also solved the Council’s problem of time restrictions. Voting is rapid and all information is stored on file for later review. The feedback is instant and the outcomes of a vote are displayed on screen so that delegates can also benefit.

 

"We no longer have to walk around the room counting hands. Keypads have allowed a more sophisticated democracy."

 

"All votes used to be subject to human error. Often we would find ourselves doing a re-count.

 

"The results are fair and are there for everyone to see. The process has held our Councillors so much more accountable. They have to justify themselves if they make a decision that is against the majority vote of the community."

 

The keypads are also being used as a tool to inform residents. Often, Councils find it hard to engage people in issues and subjects that affect their community. The London Borough of Waltham Forest is tackling this using IML’s quiz software. For example, instead of telling residents about their community, the Council quiz them and get them to answer using their keypads.

 

Client testimonial

 

"The keypads have definitely improved events. They are now more fun.

 

"People love using the keypads. They get really excited about seeing how others have voted. The community really feels that we care about what they think and that their opinions really matter. The keypads have created a more positive feeling; there is camaraderie amongst the community when decisions are made, although there are opposing views. It is a uniting experience for them.

 

"I would recommend IML's keypads to Councils that are committed to listening and really want to connect with their community. They empower all people to have their say in a public forum and allow immediate public consultation. They have enhanced our decision making process and enabled us to do things that we didn’t have the time to do before. They are a massive benefit to the community."

 

Claire Witney, Project Organiser, London Borough of Waltham Forest.