Using technology for enhanced public communication

Laura S. Cabiness, P.E.

Director, Department of Public Service City of Charleston, South Carolina Member, APWA Engineering and Technology Committee

echnology related to communication is moving ahead with blazing speed. It wasn’t long ago that public engagement required expensive mailings, costly ads to notify the public, and press releases in which we hoped the information was interesting enough to have the local media disseminate the information. Certainly these outlets still have their place but new electronic media offers new possibilities to provide information, receive feedback, and engage a greater audience with minimal cost and significant control by creating your own message. A well-informed public can be an asset. A constituency without sufficient information will try to fill that knowledge void with information from their own resources, often with disastrous results. Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter have gained widespread momentum and are crossing generational age groups. This and more options such as web page publishing and e-mail distribution lists make regular communication with the public more extensive and affordable than before.

By now most everyone is familiar with the major social media outlets. Many people have used them in their personal lives to communicate with family and reconnect with classmates and friends from long ago. These same outlets can be used to promote public projects, solicit feedback, and provide current updates on project progress, impacts to the public and other information that can help the public cope with the difficulties faced by the construction of major projects. In 2011 the City of Charleston, South Carolina, began construction on the first phase of a drainage improvement project along a six-lane urban highway that currently serves more than 60,000 vehicles per day. Due to the high traffic volume during peak hours the majority of the work was restricted to nighttime hours, but a portion of the work involved construction of a median wall in the center of the roadway which was just not practical during nighttime hours alone. The City had to claim the two center lanes for a six-month period in order to get the median constructed, reducing the lanes’ capacity by 33% while this construction was taking place. This meant that the public had to be advised that there would be delays while travelling on this road during peak hours and that alternate routes should be considered. Through multiple outlets the City provided information on the lane closures and alternate routes. When the time came for the lane closures the lane reduction resulted in only minor increases to travel time and these diminished as new traffic patterns became established. A well-informed public was able to adjust to the impact of construction.

From the onset of the project the contractor prepared a “two week look ahead.” Minor edits are made to prepare the message to be posted from the City. It is distributed to an e-mail list developed at public meetings.

An added benefit of the Facebook page is that the updates are presented in a timeline format that creates a chronology of the updates and makes it available to the public.

The information is also posted on a project website and a Facebook page was created specifically for the project where the information is also posted. An added benefit of the Facebook page is that the updates are presented in a timeline format that creates a chronology of the updates and makes it available to the public.

Since the construction of this highly visible project began in Charleston and electronic media became the primary means of communication, there have been some lessons learned and tips developed that might help others that are beginning to use electronic dissemination of information in the same way:

• Not everyone has the talent for writing. Tap the best writer in the organization to be your editor, not necessarily a person with a technical background. After all, most of the audience is probably not technically oriented either.

• Create an e-mail address specifically for the project. This e-mail address can be monitored by the project manager for timely responses and it also ensures that project-related e-mails don’t overwhelm the project manager’s other responsibilities.

• Create the project updates one time for multiple outlets and make minor edits to make them relevant to the particular format.

For example, Twitter posts must be less than 140 characters. A

Twitter post might provide a link to a project web page where the full project update is available for those that are interested in the detail.

• A Facebook page has the option of allowing viewers to post comments on the wall. This feature can be turned off allowing the page owner to determine what gets posted preventing misinformation from becoming a problem.

• Employ multiple formats to reach the largest interested audience but keep it manageable for your organization. If too much time is being devoted to preparing and posting updates, reduce the number of posts. Instead of every week make it every other week or once a month. The important thing here is to provide information that is meaningful for the audience and that the updates are provided on a regular schedule.

• Ensure that the project web and e-mail addresses are made prominently available to the public. Strong use of these resources will minimize the effort on the agency’s part to get the message out. Citizens have become accustomed to being able to acquire information about any subject quickly and reliably. Likewise the public wants to be able to provide input and shape projects for the desired outcome. Technology and social media are propelling opportunities for mass communication and feedback and our savvy constituents have reasonably grown to expect to be “in the know” with real-time information available at their convenience. Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and project-specific websites provide an opportunity for a public works agency to communicate with its constituency on many levels. The nature of your message and your audience will determine the best outlets for your agency.

Your Vote in APWA Does Count

As an APWA member, you will have the opportunity to vote for members of the APWA Board of Directors between July 6 and August 3, 2012:

• APWA president-elect;

• At-large director in the functional areas of Engineering & Technology,

Environmental Management, Public Works Management/Leadership, and Transportation; and

• Regions III, IV, VII and IX Regional Directors (by APWA members in those respective regions)

The ballot will be available for online voting between July 6 and August 3, 2012 on the “Members Only” section of the APWA website. There will also be a voting icon on the home page of our website. If you do not have access to a computer at home or work, you may access the APWA website at your local public library or other public access points. If you are not able to vote online, you may request a paper ballot from Cindy Long at (800) 848-APWA, ext. 5220. Additional reminders of the voting process will be sent through the infoNOW Communities; via e-mail to every member for whom we have an e-mail address; and in future issues of the APWA Reporter.

If you have questions, please contact Cindy Long at clong@apwa.net or (800) 848-APWA (2792), extension 5220.

Laura Cabiness can be reached at (843) 724-3754 or cabinessl@charleston-sc.gov.