There are oodles of reasons to use technology when engaging the public. It can be convenient. It can be efficient. It can save money. And, sometimes, it's really fun. At the same time, it's not for everyone, and it's certainly not for every situation.
When considering technology, the first step our organization takes is to consider our purpose. Are we trying to inform and educate? Do we need to seek input and advice? Is our goal to facilitate dialogue and deliberation?
We've put together a quick list of technology options for each category. It's not meant to be exhaustive or very explanatory - I'm pretty sure no one reads long blog entries, so even though I'd love to wax poetic about keypad/electronic polling and SurveyMonkey, I won't.
But, if you've got ideas about other options the rest of us can explore, please add them in the comments. Or, if you'd like more information on any one technology (explanation or example of practical application), please leave a comment to that effect, too!
Credit for the diagram: Matt McKinney, University of Montana, and Joe McMahon of Collaborative Processes.
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