There is no one-size-fits-all solution for public engagement, especially online public engagement. Different issues and target audiences require different methods of engagement. Here are 7 online consultation tools to include in your community engagement toolkit.

1. 7 ESSENTIAL FEATURES
FOR YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT

2. Introduction
There’s no “one size fits all” solution for
online public consultation.
Offering a wide variety of online engagement tools allows people to
participate as much or as little as they like.

3. 1. Library of Resources
Use a library of resources to include information
that answer the following questions:
● What is the project being proposed?
● What are the benefits, costs, and/or consequences?
● How will key stakeholders be impacted?
● Why is their feedback important and how will it be used to
impact the final decision?
Include photographs, diagrams, graphs/charts, videos,
documents, or Web links to additional articles or pages.
People cannot be expected to provide informed and
reasonable feedback if they are ill-informed about the issue.

4. 2. Quick Poll
Benefits:
● Easy, low-effort way to
participate and facilitate
● Visualize results instantly
● Provides a snapshot of views
● Use maps to make it more
interactive
A low-effort option for people who want to engage, but
don’t have the time or ability to participate in-depth.

5. 3. Survey
A few points on best practice:
● Avoid loaded or leading questions
● Avoid non-specific questions
● Clear question wording
● Don’t force respondents to answer
● Make sure response options are exhaustive
The most efficient and cost-effective way to gather
aggregate, large-scale data about a population of interest.
Pro tip: After the survey is completed, demonstrate additional transparency by publishing the results to show how
participant feedback was taken into account during the public input process.

6. 4. Discussion Forum / Board
Benefits:
● Survey and poll results often don’t paint the full
picture. Find out the “why” and “how”.
● Encourages collaboration between participants
● Moves towards constructive engagement
● Demonstrates openness and transparency
Take a more in-depth look at the causes or reasoning
behind participants’ responses.
Learn more about Authenticated Anonymity to find out how you can create a troll-
free discussion environment.

7. 5. Map-Based Commenting
Benefits:
● Visual representation of spatial feedback
● More interactive
● Easier than asking participants to describe a
location or address
The digital equivalent of putting Post-It notes on a map.
Example: The Town of Wolfville asked
residents to indicate on the map locations
where they would like to see more public art.

8. 6. Social Media Integration
5 Social Media Tips:
● Provide authentic content
● Start conversations and build community
● Go where your target demographic
congregate
● Innovate and try new things
● Be honest about the limitations of social
media
Make it easy for participants to share the link to your consultation page by integrating social media share
buttons.
How can people participate in your consultation if they
don’t know about it?

9. 7. Participant Notification
● PlaceSpeak is the only public consultation platform that
allows organizations to tap into existing users in the
area.
● Notify your participants throughout the process of new
updates.
● “Close the loop” on your public consultation — notify
participants of the final decision and let them know how
their feedback made an impact on the outcome.
Build strong relationships by selecting a platform that
has the ability to notify participants on an ongoing basis.

10. http://blog.placespeak.com
For the latest news and updates on public
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