Webinar: Learn how this Norwegian city improved citizen dialogue and engagement dramatically while saving money
Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) is an “accidental professional association” that began in Portland, Oregon in 2012 with a 16 member dinner group. Today, ELGL has grown to over 4800 members from all 50 states plus Canada, UK, Israel, and Australia.
We’re proud to have partnered with ELGL.org in hosting this webinar.
See full webinar from June 10, 2021 in the below video
The Norwegian city Sandefjord realized that current channels for resident communication, primarily city websites and social media, were insufficient and ineffective in providing residents with relevant local information and ensuring they received needed content.
Sondre Andersen, the city's Head of IT & SmartCity, wanted to create a communication platform where the city government could reach the citizens - but also provide a platform to facilitate collaboration between city government, voluntary organizations, local businesses and residents.
Sondre and his colleagues see remarkable results:
Penetration: One year after launch, 24,000 Sandefjord residents had downloaded the citizen app, 45 percent of total resident population.
Usage: Between 2,500 and 8,000 daily users, with more than 20,000 using the app on a monthly basis.
Engagement: 15%-30% open and response rates for targeted content such as push notifications.
Cost savings: Over $100,000 annual savings in advertising, citizen surveys, engagement and support for other digital products.
The Webinar
Date: June 10, 2021
Time:
USA PT - 9 am
USA ET - Noon
Nordic time (CEST+2) - 6 pm (18:00)
More info & registrations on ELGL.org
Meet Sondre Andersen and representatives from the project group, in a discussion covering important issues all cities need to consider:
In a world full of content, how is the city going to reach the individual?
Facebook and a few other global players cannot alone solve citizens’ needs for participation.
Strong and safe communities will need volunteerism and local commitment and engagement also in the future.
When the municipality invites teams, clubs and associations to the new citizen service, it helps solve the rapidly growing digital invisibility problem.
How can any city - small, mid-size or big - achieve the same results as Sandefjord, through personalization, users receiving content based on interests & neighborhoods, one single, comprehensive platform, targeted and relevant push notifications, and visualization of relevant smart sensor data such as swimming temperatures and snow plowing updates
Speakers
Sondre Andersen
Head of IT & SmartCity, City of Sandefjord
Morten Holst
Chief Innovation Office, Innocode
Steinar Bjornsen
CEO Innocode Inc
