Why you need Govstack Citizen Portal
Digital transformation is gaining momentum across all sectors, public and private. Citizens across the globe are increasingly adopting technology as the preferred way to communicate with their governments.
Governments, in turn, are leveraging technology to engage with their residents and to maintain a higher level of transparency and accountability. They are turning to citizen access portals to keep their community connected and informed.
In this blog post, we explore the benefits of using a citizen engagement tool. What makes for a superior tool. And how the Govstack Citizen Portal stacks up.
First, let us consider the characteristics of a good citizen engagement portal.
Convenience
A citizen portal provides a convenient way for residents to connect with their government. Residents access them anytime, from anywhere, and on multiple devices, eliminating the need for visiting government offices or attending public meetings. Instead, they can connect on their terms and on their schedules.
Two-way communication
A satisfied citizen is one who is given a forum to voice their opinions and concerns. A citizen portal provides that forum. Through it, a citizen can submit their feedback, make a complaint, and provide suggestions directly to their government. It offers the added advantage of a faster response time and more effective resolutions to a resident's concerns. It also affords them the ability to track the progress of their requests to ensure that their issues are being addressed.
Transparency
One of the hallmarks of an effective government is the degree of transparency it provides for its residents. By giving residents access to government budgets, policies, and reports, a citizen portal encourages them to hold their governments accountable. It also makes it easy to share information on activities and initiatives and solicit feedback to make informed policy decisions.
Engagement
An engaged citizen will have a more favorable view of their government and their community. A citizen portal helps to foster community engagement. It gives residents up-to-date information on events, public forums, volunteer opportunities, and other community initiatives. It can help to create a strong community that is attractive to potential residents.
Cost
An in-person interaction with a resident cost the government forty times more than an online interaction. It reduces the number of staff needed to fulfill requests. It automates certain processes and moves services online for easier access by residents. The savings that result can then diverted to improve government services and the lives of residents.
The Govstack Citizen Portal advantage
The Govstack Citizen Portal is a secure, personalized, centralized portal offering the benefits listed above and several additional ones. It provides single-sign-on (SSO) for all Govstack Platform services. It brings the services of City Hall directly to the resident, thus making it easy for them to find and access the information that is most important to them. From here residents can:
- Apply for permits
- View events and news
- Obtain marriage and pet licenses
- Pay utility bills
- View garbage and recycling notifications
- View road closure updates
- Register for programs
- Pay for taxes and licenses
- Receive real-time updates on everything happening across the city
In addition to the above functionalities, Govstack Citizen Portal also provides a secure environment that is compliant with WCAG 2.0 standards and is hosted in the world-class, secure MS Azure cloud. It offers peace of mind to both government and residents.
In conclusion, a citizen portal is an invaluable asset for a public sector organization. It provides your citizens with a convenient, accessible, and efficient way to engage with their government and it ensure that their voices are heard. It promotes transparency and accountability. It fosters community engagement. It helps reduce operating costs.
As governments continue to leverage technology to improve citizen engagement, citizen portals will become increasingly more important in furthering that connection. They will also have a significant impact on the democratic process itself.
If you are interested in finding out more about the benefits of adding a citizen engagement portal to your website and would like to learn how the Govstack Citizen Portal can help your municipality achieve a stronger connection with your community, let’s get started.