How can you ensure that a smart city project meets stakeholder needs?

Basically there are two types os stakeholders, internal and external, both have different interests in the project and based on the work the importance of that stakeholder will define. For example internal stakeholders are considered as primary stakeholders which are the employees or managers or BOD or shareholders while the external stakeholders are secondary which may or may not have that much influence in the project those are customers, suppliers, government bodies, and other communities.

City development in it self is a challenging task to take on. Adding the element of Smart City would present both challenges and opportunities. With the end user in mind the main stake holder to be in the middle of it all is City Operations. It is important to have operability and benefit analysis as the driving force for decision making on how high, far, and deep the provided solutions should reach.

Smart city projects require continuous stakeholder engagement. Initially, all stakeholders, including city officials, residents, businesses, and non-profits, should be identified. Their needs and expectations should be understood through surveys or interviews, and prioritized based on urgency, impact, feasibility, and alignment with project objectives. The project should be designed to address these needs, and stakeholders should be kept informed about the progress. Post-implementation, feedback should be gathered for continuous improvement. As stakeholder needs may evolve, ongoing communication is essential. This process ensures the project's success and relevance.

Start with examining the motivation. If a “smart” city approach prioritises technology ahead of place (as too many do) it will likely fail citizens and more-than-human life - including the ecological web we depend on - at the first hurdle. Putting place first and understanding it is the central stakeholder is at the kernel of any wise intervention.

Approaching the design process grounded in the principles of human-centric urban design holds significant potential for creating more smart, vibrant and inclusive environments. This is achievable when a stakeholder mapping and engagement strategy is detailed and steps out of the comfort zone of key players to include as many voices as possible. A methodology based on understanding the needs and behaviors of individuals within a given space, mapping, analysing, observing and questioning fosters prioritizing user experience. This effort, results in a design process that is a collaborative journey, ensuring that the end result aligns with the authentic needs and aspirations of the community.

Engaging stakeholders in a smart city project involves strategic and proactive collaboration and communication. This entails a clear stakeholder communication plan outlining how, when and what, regular updates through various channels, feedback mechanisms, such as surveys, focus groups, public forums, and collaborative workshops and sessions that involve stakeholders in decision-making processes, fostering ownership and promoting trust and transparency. Ensuring accessibility to all stakeholders considering communication preferences, being responsive to feedback and adjusting plans when necessary, while constantly informing on the project process, further foster the sense of inclusivity.

Firstly, smart City projects which heavily includes town planners should have clarity on the political agendas that go around and try to leak proof it through that aspect. Since the economy, funding and the sanctions and disbursement of funds all of it purely is driven by the micro political situation having an effect directly/indirectly on the smart City planning.

In many city projects, external stakeholders include the parliamentarians and the journalists. The two groups may have little or no stakes but exert high influence on the projects.

Engage stakeholders is an important as this step will build trust , confidence and gaining feedback and opinions. We can engage our stakeholders by communicating consult and empower them for smart cities and urban planning projects.

Engaging the stakeholders in decision-making can be achieved through regular consultations, workshops, and public forums is crucial for effective urban development. Incorporating feedback and suggestions addresses concerns, fosters ownership and inclusivity, and leads to sustainable and equitable growth for all.

I struggle between stakeholder engagement and the summary of their input. I have seen how their voice may be diluted through power points. My approach is to pay attention to the story being told and how is translated into policy. Oftentimes, individuals in key positions have made up system assumptions that negate the input from the community. Let's be willing to co-create and discover as a community, instead of us vs them.

Co-creation should not be just a token of formality. Whether all stakeholders benefit equally or not? It should not be like smart ones take the most and weaker benefit the least. If poor are not the beneficiaries of smart city and if they are sidelined by offering an accommodation, and corporations own and take all the benefits/profits that cannot be co-creation.

An important component during during the co-creating process is leveling up with the stakeholders, this makes them more comfortable and confident and allows them to proffer valuable solutions.

The co-creation process must start by defining the impact boundaries using the doughnut economy model by Kate Raworth and mapping the Sustainable Business Model in the canvas designed by Bocken et al. However, the effective implementation of co-creation requires continuous development and interaction from the different stakeholders for an extended period across distinct stages: planning the availability of the resources, defining the credits of each role/task and the co-creation of value into the mission approach. Sustainable Innovation Canvas is up to date the best framework for implementing co-creation projects—more details in the last chapter.

Co-creation is on the advanced level of the engagement spectrum. It is difficult to get to this level without some rapport with those you are creating with. This relationship building takes time and consistently showing up to work together. It takes clear, understandable information sharing to start the conversation. And then an acceptance your view may be incomplete or even wrong and receive feedback to make adjustments. And there must be a mindset that you are sharing a space of power and influence and recognition for on going accountability beyond the process of co-creation. Following these steps and goals and the intention to get different experiences, roles, and perspectives makes for a successful co-creation of smart city projects.

These are other essential steps to monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan: **Adaptability**: Be prepared to adapt plans based on stakeholder feedback and evolving needs. **Pilot Projects and Testing**: Implement pilot projects to test ideas in a real-world environment and refine them based on the results and stakeholder feedback. **Performance Metrics**: Establish clear metrics to measure the success of the project in meeting stakeholders' needs. **Ongoing Evaluation**: Continuously evaluate the project's impact and make adjustments as necessary to ensure it remains aligned with stakeholder needs. This requires early and ongoing collaboration with stakeholders groups.

Use urban informatics tools. "Urban informatics refers to the study of people creating, applying and using information and communication technology and data in the context of cities and urban environments. It sits at the conjunction of urban science, geomatics, and informatics, with an ultimate goal of creating more smart and sustainable cities." Tools list CitiStat and CompStat -contributes benchmarks and data relevant to a community's success, with department-specific meetings are held at the unit level, with each unit in every 8+ weeks for their turn on the “hot seat” when presenting to municipal leadership. Cities like Buffalo, Baltimore, and New York City all use variations of CitiStat, as does New Jersey and Washington State.

There are two primary levels of monitoring the progress of a co-creation-based project: the progress of activities executed and the project's impact. While the first can be done by embedding a scrum-like system into the Sustainable Innovation Canvas, the project's impact requires the action of some stakeholders in reporting and others in evaluating. Sustainable Innovation Canvas clearly defines these roles: the government must evaluate the impact of the tasks delivered by the Business stakeholders to ensure an all-inclusive solution while avoiding greed from ruling the project, while Academia must assess the impact analysis of the actions driven by citizens.

Achieving your objectives, meeting your stakeholder needs, and delivering value for your smart city can be vastly divergent outcomes. When this happens - as it most probably will from time to time - ensure you have a matrix and approach of deciding which of the above serves the project goals the most. The clearer this matrix, easier it will be to make the necessary trade-offs when required.

Monitoring the progress of the project and post project completion is more essential to map if project is efficient and is contributing to the need of all stakeholders. Surveys, trackers and other key indicators can be the medium to monitor the success scale of the project.

In my exprerience stakeholders must be engaged not only during the project implementation stage, but also in the preparatory- pe project stage. Together with deep analysis, a feasibility study must be done. Including that, defining the needs of stakeholders and implementing them in to project breef is crucial. In practice, you might appear in such situations when stakeholders start questioning the whole project or its goals as you might have missed some important aspects, and it is too late (or too expensive) to change the scope of the project in later stages.

Also, implementing pilot projects to test the feasibility and acceptance of smart city solutions on a smaller scale before scaling can be done. This allows for learning from real-world experiences without committing extensive resources upfront. There are tools such as Digital Twins that sensitize the actual phenomena through virtual platforms.

Assessing the project's impact through surveys and charting the Living and Happiness Index of the city after project completion are essential steps. If any discrepancies are identified, it is crucial to implement appropriate mitigation plans.

Indeed, evaluating the implementation of a smart city project can be a complex matter that needs to be simplified for the understanding of stakeholders and for proper accountability. The key is to combine performance indicators in a straightforward and clear manner with scalable tools to gauge stakeholders' perceptions, satisfaction surveys, and comparisons with best practices, among other possibilities. This approach makes it easier to communicate the progress and impact of the project to all interested parties and ensures transparency in the evaluation process

The culmination, to me, isn't merely the completion of a project; it's about the impact left behind. Evaluation becomes a reflective process, assessing not just the quantitative metrics but the qualitative changes in the lives of stakeholders. It's about understanding the stories behind the data, a narrative of transformation. In my perspective, weaving these steps into the fabric of a smart city project is more than a strategic approach; it's a personal commitment. It's about recognizing that a successful smart city isn't just a technological marvel but a living testament to the harmonious collaboration of stakeholder needs, creating a truly intelligent urban landscape.

Smart city projects are great complements to working and often successfully managed city functions. They are great showcases for innovation and can contribute to improving customer experience. Smart city projects are underpinned by working city functions, organisation and systems. These preconditions do not always exist where smart city projects are being delivered. Consider robustly which 'piece of the puzzle' your project is and which interfaces it will have to lock into to be useful and sustainable for the overall picture.

La première étape selon mon expérience est de faire un bon diagnostic du territoire: - données du terrain: naturelles, topographiques, climatiques.. - données démographiques : à quantifier et qualifier - études de marché et de programmation - définition de vocations - attentes des acteurs et du ma?tre d'ouvrage - définition des ambitions du projet et de la vision générale - partage des résultats avec les acteurs et recueil des retours..

# 7 KEEP THE STAKEHOLDER INFORMED OF THE PROGRESS! PUBLISH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING PICTURES. OPEN THE PROJECT TO TOURS, EMPHASIZING THOSE IDEAS THAT CAME FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS.

When using urban informatics tools, reach out to cities that have already implemented tools like CitiStat or Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) tools like Atlanta; Buffalo; Chattanooga; Cleveland; Pittsburgh; Providence, RI; San Francisco; Somerville, MA; St. Louis; Syracuse; Washington, D.C. You can learn from their successes and missteps.

One thing I have found helpful is reviewing past planning work. Often times these past projects can be expanded on or updated to show long-term support for a project. Review of existing and past Master Plans should be undertaken before engaging the community. Utilizing the same or similar questions can demonstrate a desire for a project for many decades. Then engaging not only the external (public), but also the the internal (staff and policy makers) from an educated position will not only help you make a more informed decision when that time comes, but also give solid data to refute individuals or entities that oppose a project with widespread support.