Posted by Jay Dawkins | 22 June 2020
5 signs that virtual public meetings are here to stay

Mixed-mode surveying — using a variety of traditional and virtual tactics — is a proven public engagement best practice. Now, in light of COVID-19, government organizations have been put in the challenging position of “going completely virtual”. The biggest challenge? Taking in-person meetings online. Virtual public meetings created new virtual hurdles, with off-the-shelf solutions and...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 21 June 2020
Introducing Meeting Coach and simplified virtual meeting management

Virtual public meetings are not easy. There, we said it.  Despite any claim to the contrary from conferencing software companies, it's important to recognize that hosting virtual public meetings come with a learning curve for a number of reasons: You're trying to organize real-time interactions between dozens (if not hundreds) of people Attendees are joining...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 13 April 2020
States issue legal guidance for Virtual Public Meetings

A non-exhaustive sample of state guidance on virtual public meetings Below we've assembled policy guidance issued by a number of states on holding open public meetings during the COVID-19 crisis. While it is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list, it does provide illustrative examples of what constitutes legally-compliant virtual public meetings. In...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 06 April 2020
From the Success Team: Best practices for hosting a virtual public meeting

Nationwide, agencies are transitioning to virtual meetings and many are left with guesswork when it comes to implementing best practices. Online public meetings require the same attention to detail as in-person meetings, and it’s important to understand and manage the expectations for participating residents. Regardless of your meeting topic, there are some universal best practices that...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 03 April 2020
New solutions to address virtual public meeting challenges

In light of the recent FBI warning against publicly sharing video conference service links, we've received an influx of questions about hosting public meetings virtually. These concerns reflect the nature of our rapidly-changing environment. Just two weeks ago, most organizations were just beginning to discuss what to do about public meetings. Now an entire wave...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 19 March 2020
Announcing Virtual Meeting Tools: Integrated live stream, webinars, and screen sharing

In light of the coronavirus, government organizations are finding themselves in a new landscape when it comes to public engagement. Local, regional, and state governments face two major challenges: How can we keep key public processes in place if we can’t hold meetings?How can we communicate quickly and consistently with residents with pertinent information related...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 12 March 2020
Communication During Coronavirus: Webinars, Engagement Playbook & Turnkey Public Engagement Software

Public engagement efforts tend to follow a regular ebb and flow, but the arrival of COVID-19 is dramatically changing that. For organizations this crisis is unprecedented, and consistent communication with your community is critical. Starting today, PublicInput.com is throwing everything we’ve got at helping you prepare and respond to this challenge. Community Resources The PublicInput.com...

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Posted by Jay Dawkins | 02 March 2020
Unified Public Involvement: How DOTs are accelerating project development through better data management

How can we accelerate projects by making public involvement more efficient and more meaningful? A recent webinar featuring public involvement work from NCDOT and Utah DOT took a look at de-siloing data to overcome common public involvement hurdles that stall project development and delivery. Key topics included: Common delays originating from the public involvement processVirtual...

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