Community engagement would be much easier than it is if barriers to community engagement did not exist. So, what are some of the main barriers and how to deal with them effectively?
What are the main barriers to community engagement?
Many organizations around the world are trying to answer the question: how to make their community more engaged? Statistically, about 10% of public sector organizations are estimated to do well with citizen engagement, whereas private sector organizations are not considered to perform really well. Why is that?
- It is crucial to managing expectations when launching a community engagement project. Approximately 1/3 of organizations fear they won't be able to meet the community's expectations.
- It is difficult to reach enough people to take part in a project.
- Many organizations are afraid of the participation costs when in reality, a lack of participation is more expensive.
- A stunning 3/4 of organizations are lacking smart solutions.
Digital tools prove helpful
As we can see, the public sector’s biggest obstacle to doing more is a lack of the necessary skills and tools. Thus, there is a big room for improvement when it comes to digital tools. If we want to move past the barriers to community engagement, we need data-driven solutions that allow people to participate online.
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