Could new digital platforms and gamification change engagement in Australia?

Could new digital platforms and gamification change engagement in Australia?

As part of our commitment to be at the forefront of new engagement methods and tools, KJA recently invited Savannah de Savary, CEO of Built-ID to discuss the role that technology will play in shaping the future of community engagement.

In late 2018, London-based Savannah and her team launched the GiveMyView platform which has made a splash among local government policy-makers and property developers in the UK.

GiveMyView is a digital platform designed to increase engagement with groups that sit outside of the ‘vocal minority’ that tend to be over-represented in public consultation exercises.

With a well-designed interface, geofencing and a gamification element that allows residents to allocate funds for local charities by participating in a consultation program, the platform has generated significant levels of engagement from young people and hard-to-reach groups in the community.

KJA was pleased to introduce GiveMyView and Savannah to a number of clients and colleagues specialising in community engagement in New South Wales and Victoria, as well as peak bodies such as the Committee for Sydney.

During her time in Australia, Savannah also gave an interview with Emma de Jager from the Fifth Estate about

the gamification about the community engagement process.

Here is what KJA concluded from the meetings:

1.     Developers in the UK are increasingly looking to use digital tools to engage with communities during the

consultation programs associated with Development Applications. In the Australian context, developer uptake of

these tools could result in better project outcomes at every level.  

2.     While the gamut of more traditional ‘human touch’ engagement methods – information sessions, workshops, info lines, door-knocking – will continue to be essential to engagement programs, excellent digital platforms will become an important component, particularly for reaching those who historically do not get involved.

3.     Practitioners are hungry for ways to reach greater numbers of and more varied groups of stakeholders, generally in the belief that feedback should be more representative of affected communities, and less polarised.

GiveMyView has a short but impressive track record in achieving this.

The KJA team consistently looks to partner with innovators in the market that can help us bring new approaches to help our clients achieve their objectives. Watch this space over the coming months!