WDC Award Finalist: Mātai Manapori "TrackDem" - Making Council decisions open, transparent and accessible
Tracks
Web & Digital/Comms Room: Matiu
| Tuesday, November 19, 2024 |
| 12:05 PM - 12:35 PM |
| Breakout Room Matiu |
Overview
Kylie Buck + Sean Johnson, Wellington City Council
Speaker
Kylie Buck
Culture And Collaboration Lead
Wellington City Council
WDC Award Finalist: Mātai Manapori "TrackDem" - Making Council decisions open, transparent and accessible.
Abstract
Wellington City Council has revolutionised public access to council decisions with the launch of an innovative online tool. Responding to declining civic engagement and demands for transparency, this tool breaks away from the cumbersome PDF format, offering citizens and staff a streamlined, user-friendly platform built on structured data.
The new system, accessible via the council’s website, enables users to easily browse over 7,000 decisions linked to more than 1,000 reports from 350+ meetings since 2021. Residents can track decision progress, and staff can update actions in real-time, ensuring a transparent flow of information.
Built with scalability in mind, the platform is set to expand, incorporating features like elected member voting records, councillor overviews, and breakdowns of the in-meeting decision-making process.
Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, heralding this initiative as a major step forward in local government transparency.
The new system, accessible via the council’s website, enables users to easily browse over 7,000 decisions linked to more than 1,000 reports from 350+ meetings since 2021. Residents can track decision progress, and staff can update actions in real-time, ensuring a transparent flow of information.
Built with scalability in mind, the platform is set to expand, incorporating features like elected member voting records, councillor overviews, and breakdowns of the in-meeting decision-making process.
Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, heralding this initiative as a major step forward in local government transparency.
Project Description
Mātai Manapori (“TrackDem”) is a project aimed at transforming public access to council decisions, with a core focus on enhancing transparency and civic engagement.
Traditionally, the council's decisions were recorded and made available to the public in PDF format, a cumbersome process that limited accessibility and hindered public understanding. Recognizing the need for a more accessible and transparent system, the council developed Mātai Manapori - TrackDem, an innovative online platform that simplifies access to detailed council decisions and actions.
The platform was developed in response to declining participation in local elections, reduced trust in council decision-making, and public demand for a more transparent process. With over 7,000 decisions from more than 1,000 reports across 350+ council meetings dating back to 2021, Mātai Manapori allows citizens, staff, and elected officials to easily search, track, and monitor the progress of decisions. Unlike the traditional model that focused on meetings as a whole, TrackDem emphasizes individual decisions, making it easier for the public to engage with council activities at a granular level.
The platform enables citizens to:
- Search and track specific decisions without needing to sift through entire meeting records.
- View detailed decision histories, including amendments, votes, and progress on implementation.
- Check whether decisions have been implemented and view related actions in real-time.
For council staff, the tool provides a streamlined system for managing actions arising from decisions, offering updates, and reporting on progress. This significantly reduces the administrative burden of manually searching through PDFs to respond to public and internal queries. Staff can now focus on keeping the public informed, improving the efficiency and transparency of the council’s operations.
The underlying technology is built using a flexible, headless content management system (Directus), allowing for structured data storage and dynamic retrieval of information. This shift from static PDFs to dynamic data enhances accessibility and ensures long-term scalability. The platform is also designed to be easily replicated by other councils, allowing for potential nationwide or international adoption.
Enhancements to the platform in the future include features such as live meeting minutes, in-page voting for councillors, and comprehensive agenda management. These planned updates are aimed at further improving the decision-making process and making it more interactive and transparent for the public.
Since its launch in May 2024, Mātai Manapori has been widely praised by citizens, councillors, and the media. The tool is recognized as a major step forward in promoting democratic engagement and accountability in local government. By providing a clear and easily navigable interface, it bridges the gap between the council and the public, ensuring that citizens have the tools they need to stay informed about council activities.
In summary, Mātai Manapori represents a significant leap forward in government transparency. By making council decisions accessible in a user-friendly way, the project aims to rebuild trust in local governance and empower citizens to actively participate in the democratic process.
Traditionally, the council's decisions were recorded and made available to the public in PDF format, a cumbersome process that limited accessibility and hindered public understanding. Recognizing the need for a more accessible and transparent system, the council developed Mātai Manapori - TrackDem, an innovative online platform that simplifies access to detailed council decisions and actions.
The platform was developed in response to declining participation in local elections, reduced trust in council decision-making, and public demand for a more transparent process. With over 7,000 decisions from more than 1,000 reports across 350+ council meetings dating back to 2021, Mātai Manapori allows citizens, staff, and elected officials to easily search, track, and monitor the progress of decisions. Unlike the traditional model that focused on meetings as a whole, TrackDem emphasizes individual decisions, making it easier for the public to engage with council activities at a granular level.
The platform enables citizens to:
- Search and track specific decisions without needing to sift through entire meeting records.
- View detailed decision histories, including amendments, votes, and progress on implementation.
- Check whether decisions have been implemented and view related actions in real-time.
For council staff, the tool provides a streamlined system for managing actions arising from decisions, offering updates, and reporting on progress. This significantly reduces the administrative burden of manually searching through PDFs to respond to public and internal queries. Staff can now focus on keeping the public informed, improving the efficiency and transparency of the council’s operations.
The underlying technology is built using a flexible, headless content management system (Directus), allowing for structured data storage and dynamic retrieval of information. This shift from static PDFs to dynamic data enhances accessibility and ensures long-term scalability. The platform is also designed to be easily replicated by other councils, allowing for potential nationwide or international adoption.
Enhancements to the platform in the future include features such as live meeting minutes, in-page voting for councillors, and comprehensive agenda management. These planned updates are aimed at further improving the decision-making process and making it more interactive and transparent for the public.
Since its launch in May 2024, Mātai Manapori has been widely praised by citizens, councillors, and the media. The tool is recognized as a major step forward in promoting democratic engagement and accountability in local government. By providing a clear and easily navigable interface, it bridges the gap between the council and the public, ensuring that citizens have the tools they need to stay informed about council activities.
In summary, Mātai Manapori represents a significant leap forward in government transparency. By making council decisions accessible in a user-friendly way, the project aims to rebuild trust in local governance and empower citizens to actively participate in the democratic process.
Biography
Kylie Buck has a passion for the people behind the technology and making sure that we always put people at the heart of what we do. Since joining the Wellington City Council in 2018, Kylie has delivered in a variety of roles across customer experience. In her current role she champions collaboration and culture in the ICT and Customer Experience areas. Alongside the Council Decisions project she works on enhancing the team's operational rhythms, facilitating workshops, and conducting targeted micro-investigations.
Sean Johnson is the Democracy Team Leader at Wellington City Council. His work is at the intersection of the political and non-political sides of Council, ensuring that Council’s decision-making processes and elections are run efficiently and lawfully. A self-described “local government nerd”, Sean started as a member of Wellington’s Youth Council in 2013 and joined the Democracy Services team in 2019. A highlight of Sean’s work has been leading operational delivery of the 2022 Wellington City elections – working to successfully bring customer-centric design to the return of voting documents. A digital native, Sean champions the use of technology to make important information about Council decisions more open, accessible, and transparent – and make our jobs easier at the same time!
