How do you balance online and offline methods of community consultation in your projects?

1 Know your purpose

Before you decide on the methods of community consultation, you need to clarify your purpose. What are you trying to achieve with your consultation? Do you want to inform, consult, involve, collaborate, or empower your stakeholders? Different levels of participation require different types of methods, and you should align your methods with your desired outcomes. For example, if you want to inform your stakeholders about a project, you might use online methods such as newsletters, websites, or social media posts. If you want to collaborate with your stakeholders on a solution, you might use offline methods such as workshops, focus groups, or co-design sessions.

2 Know your audience

Another factor that influences your choice of methods is your audience. Who are your stakeholders and what are their characteristics, preferences, and needs? How do they access information and communicate with you? How diverse and inclusive is your audience? You should conduct a stakeholder analysis to identify your target groups and their interests, expectations, and barriers. Based on your analysis, you can select the methods that best suit your audience and ensure that they are accessible, convenient, and respectful. For example, if your audience is mainly young people who use smartphones and social media, you might use online methods such as surveys, polls, or forums. If your audience is mainly older people who prefer face-to-face interaction and personal contact, you might use offline methods such as interviews, meetings, or drop-in sessions.

3 Know your resources

A third factor that affects your choice of methods is your resources. How much time, money, and staff do you have for your consultation? How complex and sensitive is your project? How much feedback and data do you need to collect and analyze? You should plan your consultation budget and timeline carefully and realistically, and choose the methods that fit your constraints and expectations. You should also consider the quality and quantity of the feedback and data that you will get from each method, and how useful and reliable they are for your project. For example, if you have limited resources and a simple project, you might use online methods such as email, webinars, or podcasts. If you have more resources and a complex project, you might use offline methods such as workshops, focus groups, or co-design sessions.