2: Citizen Engagement
Actively engage citizens, service users and other stakeholders in defining outcomes and designing services. Other Information:
Engage. Listen. Respond. People want a greater say on issues that matter to them. They want a chance to put their ideas and
opinions forward and to know that their government is listening and responding. They want to play a part in deciding, or at
least influencing, government priorities and help plan and design services that meet their specific needs and preferences.
Governments must respond to these demands by actively engaging citizens, customers and other stakeholders to better understand
their wants and needs. This is critical if governments truly intend to provide an excellent customer experience and build
services that are customer-centric and outcomes-focused. Governments must also explore new means of reaching out to educate
and inform citizens of their rights and obligations, as well as encourage them to participate in decision making. Only with
these fundamentals in place can they begin to build a more positive trust-based relationship, through which people’s real
needs are met. Although many governments have been slow off the mark, we have also found evidence that some governments are
responding and finding new ways—with their citizens, community groups, businesses and other stakeholders—to deliberate upon
and jointly develop policies and services to address pressing social, economic and community issues as well as promote greater
levels of public participation.
Objective(s):
|
