Derbyshire Police have recently used their system for the 2008/09 Budget Consultation.
Challenge
To be able to report on how they are doing financially and on their performance. To get a response to specific questions and give the audience an opportunity to have their say.
Solution
Four consultation events to be held across the county using voting technology at each meeting to ensure every member in the audience who wished to do so have their views recorded. After all the presentations the key question of “what weekly increase in police precent would you be prepared to pay in 2008/09?” was asked.
Results
The four meetings had an attendance in excess of 500. Accurate data gathered and the results instantly available. The audiences responses also stored in the software’s database allowing further analysis and a permanent record of public consultation. The keypads gave the audience an equal chance to participate and it was concluded that the evenings had been enlightening and informative. Previously the response of the audience had been limited to a show of hands which gives a general feeling of each meeting but is nowhere near as accurate as the Votech system.
The aggregate results of the key question as to how much extra in council tax precept would you be willing pay was an overwhelming 83.7% who were prepared to pay between 5%, (12 pence and 15% 36 pence per week). 35.8% were happy with 5%, 31.1% with 10% and 16.8% with 15%.
Two of the attendees wrote to the Derbyshire Times: “We were very pleased that the audience had an opportunity to vote on certain aspects of the police budget through the use of hand held voting consoles, an excellent idea which made everybody inclusive in the auditorium”.
Additional uses/benefits The system has also been used for internal consultation at four Special Constabulary seminars and will have been used at eleven Chief Constable’s briefing events. The major advantage here is that staff can vote on issues whilst remaining anonymous which increases the quality of the feedback. If we relied on a show of hands some may not feel free to answer sensitive questions openly or genuinely, and again the recording process would be less than perfect.