In 2019, Amstelveen introduced its Go Vocal engagement platform, marking the beginning of a significant transition for the municipality. At that time, there was no dedicated engagement manager or established policy in place. 

An interim consultant was brought in to launch the online platform. Just before his departure, Sharon Snoek, the senior communications advisor for participation, stepped in with a crucial mission: to develop a participation vision that incorporated online engagement and weave it into a comprehensive strategy.

Understanding the status quo

Sharon's initial challenge was to familiarize herself with the organization and its existing offline participation initiatives. She dedicated considerable time to building relationships with colleagues from various departments, aiming to understand their needs through hands-on experience.

Sharon explained, “I got to work analyzing what factors contribute to a successful participation approach and what doesn’t. Sometimes, I would receive a direct question about participation and dive right in. Other times, I would hear about a vague survey through informal channels and think, 'Why wasn’t this coordinated with me?' This process helped me gradually clarify the workflows and policies.”

Promoting internal adoption with a digital showroom: the participation garage

Anticipating a new local law mandating greater community engagement in urban development projects, the demand for participation guidance soared. To meet this increased need, Sharon's team welcomed a new member, marking a significant milestone in their efforts.

Sharon: "We recognized the need to enhance internal awareness of participation and the potential of the Go Vocal platform. Through brainstorming sessions, we sought creative ways to inform and inspire our colleagues about the platform. This led to the concept of the participation garage."

The participation garage serves as a digital showcase on the participation platform, offering colleagues:

  • Information about the participation team, including the roles and responsibilities of Sharon and her colleagues.
  • A comprehensive overview of the Go Vocal platform's features.
  • A questionnaire for new participation projects to help interested colleagues gather initial information.
  • A list of training sessions and workshops offered by both the municipality and Go Vocal.
  • Inspiring examples of successful participation projects.

"After adding the participation garage on the platform, we launched an internal campaign to promote it and encourage colleagues to register," Sharon added. "This significantly boosted awareness and engagement with the platform."

The participation garage has proven to be a valuable tool for fostering internal adoption and raising awareness about participation. Multiple local governments in the US have adopted this approach to strengthen their own internal culture of engagement.

Sophie Zinn, Government Success Manager US

Trainings make engagement tangible

Recognizing that awareness alone wasn't enough, Sharon and her team also developed trainings. They adopted a two-pronged approach: general training sessions on engagement principles and tailored workshops for specific teams.

"Beyond basic training, we target teams that would benefit most from practical sessions. For example, we organized workshops for colleagues working on urban development. We've even joined their team meetings to reach more people and maximize impact."

During these sessions, Sharon and her team not only discuss policy but also inspire colleagues with concrete examples and interactive case studies. "This approach introduces the platform and demonstrates how to involve residents. We've found it very effective in motivating our colleagues," Sharon said.

Go Vocal also organizes inspiration sessions at customer sites to onboard new employees and showcase new features. Sharon added, "These sessions are always valuable. We always learn something for our own projects.”

Clear roles for efficient collaboration

Internal adoption of your participation platform is essential, but clear roles and responsibilities are equally important. This prevents misunderstandings, streamlines processes, and ensures a consistent approach to projects. Here's how Amstelveen does it:

  • Sharon and her colleagues help define the process: "We always start with a kickoff meeting, either in person or online, to establish the groundwork. We then help determine the scope of engagement, the goals, the target audience, and the best ways to reach them."
  • Once the project is planned, the engagement team sets it up on the platform.
  • Throughout the project, Sharon and her team also monitor progress. Sharon notes, "While not always strictly necessary, guidance is often beneficial."
  • The project managers are responsible for providing residents with information, responding to their input, analyzing contributions, and ultimately providing feedback on the results and how their input will inform decision-making.

The result: a widely supported culture of engagement

Over the past five years, Sharon and her team have shaped Amstelveen's engagement strategy. What started as an individual role without clear responsibilities has evolved into a robust strategy, driven by a dedicated team and embraced by the entire organization.

Sharon shared, "Next year, we plan to measure the impact of our efforts of the past few years. While participation is still a learning process, I'm confident that our approach has improved the culture of engagement. This translates into successful projects with great outcomes."

Thanks to the Go Vocal platform and a focus on internal adoption, Amstelveen has successfully integrated digital engagement into its overall strategy. The participation garage and targeted training sessions have empowered teams to take ownership of their projects, leading to more effective, equitable, and inclusive engagement.

Ready to elevate your engagement projects with Go Vocal? Book a call with our experts today to explore our powerful platform's features.

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