American City & County survey highlights civic engagement priorities in public sector

In today’s frenetic social media-driven environment, engaging with constituents can be a balancing act—too much interaction and they might tune you out or unsubscribe; too little civic engagement might cause them to disengage with messaging.

A survey conducted by American City & County (AC&C) quantifies in data the ways communities are walking this delicate line—leveraging technology and more personal means to connect with constituents.

More than 75 percent of the roughly 100 public sector respondents said they use social media the most often—among all other methods like a dedicated community liaison and online message boards—to maintain regular and open communication with their constituents. 

This isn’t a surprise, given the gradual uptick of social media by local governments over since the internet boomed into everyday life. 

“A major transformation has been underway for over two decades in terms of how governments provide e-government services and information online,” reads the abstract published last month in the science journal Government Information Quarterly “Two decades of e-government diffusion among local governments in the United States.” Based on data collected by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), “from 2014 to 2019 the trend was clear: more cities offered more e-government services more consistently.”

E-government services encompass informational, interactive, multimedia and financial services, and social media, used by local governments.

But while digital engagement has risen to the forefront of communication strategies within the public sector, face-to-face interactions still play a vital role.  According to AC&C’s civic engagement survey, the same percentage (about 75 percent) of respondents reported frequent interaction with constituents via regularly scheduled meetings, and a little more than half said they relied heavily on newsletters.

The concerns public administrators said they’re hearing most frequently center around public safety, with 49 percent reporting either constant or frequent engagement about the issue. Following that up, 42 percent said they often or frequently heard concerns about the economy. And in a possible sign that communities are shifting focus from two years of pandemic-related hardship, concerns about COVID-19 restrictions were among the least talked about issues faced by communities, according to respondents.

Practically speaking, the results highlight how communities across the United States are taking creative steps to informally engage with residents—from “coffee with a cop” to picnic fundraisers with first responders, and community gardens: 58 percent said they make it a point to dedicate public facilities; 56 percent of respondents reported regularly hosting open houses; 53 percent put on charitable events; and 48 percent held parades.

Given the friction that’s increased over the last few years between communities and law enforcement organizations,

Among the various ways public safety organizations specifically interact with the public informally (nearly 50 percent said their communities promote such interactions), respondents listed community dog or bicycle programs, national nights out, youth and safety programs, child car seat fittings and dropping by businesses, among others.

To that end, less than half of towns represented in the survey have a dedicated community liaison (39 percent). Those organizations without one have assigned the duty to the mayor or city administrator, the selectboard, a contracted public relations firm or department heads.