2024 was a landmark year for democracy, with a record number of elections held worldwide. While national and global politics continue to see growing polarization and division, local governments are charting a different path, embodying a politics of collaboration and progress.
This bifurcation underscores a critical shift: the future of policy and decision-making is increasingly being shaped at the local level. Last year demonstrated how local governments are reshaping governance beyond the ballot boxes, involving people in policy and decision-making through engagement projects.
For us, 2024 is the year we empowered nearly 450,000 community members to participate in projects across Go Vocal platforms. I’m immensely proud to be able to say that we also were able to welcome one of the biggest dialogues the citizen engagement space has seen to date: the UK’s NHS involving more than 100,000 community members in their 10-year strategy, proving our ability to deliver online participation at a scale not seen before.
2024 was also the year that a number of capital cities joined Go Vocal: Oslo, Vilnius, and our first African capital city, Cape Town (which will launch in 2025). Cities of all sizes and on all continents are striving for more inclusive, participatory, and responsive decision-making, and we’re proud to partner with them on that journey.
On the one hand, we see growing adoption of digital tools, increased maturity, and strong cultures of participation, as evidenced by a growing user base of monthly active public servants, more projects, and higher engagement rates.
Yet, our research also shows that we're not there yet. Residents remain skeptical. Closing the feedback loop, ensuring representative participation, and providing a simple and easy-to-use experience continue to be the essentials for winning over the public's trust.
This makes the work we do at Go Vocal more vital than ever. We give it our all every day to turn democracy into an everyday practice – one where every voice matters and engagement drives tangible change.
While the challenges of 2024 remind us there's significant work ahead, our impact surveys show we're making measurable progress. This report captures our journey in 2024, sharing both our achievements and lessons learned, while setting ambitious goals for 2025.I invite you to explore our year in engagement and join us in building a more inclusive, participatory, and responsive future.
Enjoy the read,
Wietse
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