The Future of Public Meetings
Hybrid Meetings: New Research Collected From City Clerks and City Managers
The pandemic thrust us into virtual meetings by necessity, but how is it impacting citizens and their local governments?
Rock Solid Technologies conducted a survey of City Clerks, City Managers, and other city officials to better understand the influence that this technology is having on citizens and governments. This eBook breaks down the significant findings.
How Do Residents View Virtual Public Meetings?
Do Virtual Meetings Improve Citizen Engagement?
What Digital Platforms Are Cities Using?
What Are The Biggest Technology Challenges?
About the Research
This survey of U.S. city clerks, city managers, and other city officials was conducted online by Rock Solid in June 2021. The survey's intent was to gauge the current practices of and impacts on local governments across cities of all sizes with respect to virtual and hybrid meetings.
What the Research Shows
How Has Civic Engagement Increased?
Since the start of the pandemic, people have become fairly agreeable to the idea of participating in virtual meetings. So much so, in fact, that 67.8% of survey respondents say they've seen a measurable upswing in resident participation at city meetings since offering an online platform for involvement.
How much of an upswing? More than a third of respondents report an impressive 10-25% rise. Around one fifth say they've seen between 26-49% increase. And another fifth say resident participation is up more than 50%.
According to government officials, what is the most challenging aspect of hybrid meetings?
What Are You Looking For From A Virtual Meeting Vendor?
In looking to move ahead with hybrid meetings, survey respondents outlined a very clear wish list from vendors when it comes to the virtual side of things. Top on their list was ease of use, followed by seamless integration with their existing agenda management solutions.