Virtual Wards

#askWCC - virtual wardsTaking ward meetings to the people

www.our10yearplan.co.nz

Virtual Wards

Virtual Wards

Empty forums are terrible

Virtual Wards

Go where your audience is

Two virtual wards – at the times our social media channels are busiest.

Two platforms – Facebook and Twitter.

Questions on Twitter used #askWCC hashtag.

Questions on Facebook used the standard commenting function.

Aggregated on Storify.

Central base of operations in the City Council buildings.

Virtual Wards

How they worked

Virtual Wards

Facebook worked best

Virtual Wards

The ‘operations’ room

Virtual Wards

So how did we go?

Virtual Wards

Real-life ward meeting7 ward and stakeholder meetings over one month.

24 residents attended each meeting on average.

Tea and biscuits.

Facebook

5,700 people saw a link to the Virtual Ward event.

294 separate users viewed Facebook event page.

87 engaged with the Virtual Ward event page.

Twitter

9,800 impressions were seen in people’s Twitter feeds.

233 engagements with WCC’s tweets.

Virtual Wards

Virtual ward meeting

Virtual Wards

Wellingtonians loved it

Virtual Wards

Councillors loved itWe showed that we were prepared to try something innovative to engage with younger and more tech-savvy Wellingtonians.

– Councillor Sarah Free

I loved the idea of a virtual ward and congratulate staff for coming up with this innovative idea… It is critical that central and local government are open to different ways of doing things to serve the people who elect them.

– Councillor Iona Pannett

Virtual Wards

Love democracy, hate pants

Virtual Wards

Thank youany questions?