Citizen Engagement platform

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/003635/I

Version Date: 16/09/2025

The Alliance ICT Department and the leadership team have provided the following information.

1) Do you use a Citizen Engagement platform?
Yes

2) If so, what tools do you use?
VISAV (internally named Dorset Alert)

3) How much do you spend annually on a Citizen Engagement tool?
£9068

4) Which month & year does your contract with your supplier end?
29/04/2026

A citizen engagement platform is a digital tool or system designed to facilitate communication, interaction, and participation between citizens and government or public institutions. Its goal is to make civic involvement easier, more transparent, and more effective.

These platforms can be used by governments, cities, or organisations to:
Collect feedback on policies, services, or community issues Conduct surveys and polls Enable reporting of local issues, like potholes or graffiti Share updates, news, and documents with the public Encourage participatory budgeting or co-creation of solutions

Examples include tools like Granicus (EngagementHQ), CitizenSpace, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics or Commonplace They can play a major role in increasing transparency, accountability, and trust in public decision-making.

Regarding surveys, we make use of Microsoft Forms which is part of the Microsoft 365 platform.