Comments on: The Birmingham Consultation Database http://podnosh.com/blog/2009/10/27/the-birmingham-consultation-database/ Social media, active citizens, government, neighbourhoods and more. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:26:58 +0000 http://podnosh.com/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Sue Smith, Be Birmingham http://podnosh.com/blog/2009/10/27/the-birmingham-consultation-database/comment-page-1/#comment-1839 Sue Smith, Be Birmingham Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:34:01 +0000 http://podnosh.com/?p=1979#comment-1839 Thanks for your interest in the Be Heard database. To clarify, it is a storehouse of information about consultation exercises in the city and what has happened as a result. In itself, Be Heard is not meant to be a portal or a means of carrying out online consultation. However, if this e-consultation is part of the overall consultation arrangements, the Be Heard database can direct potential participants to it. The e-consultation arrangements may be located on the Be Birmingham, Birmingham City Council or other partner websites. You may be interested in the "alert" facility which will tell you when new consultation details on topics or areas you are interested in are added onto the database. Thanks for your interest in the Be Heard database. To clarify, it is a storehouse of information about consultation exercises in the city and what has happened as a result.

In itself, Be Heard is not meant to be a portal or a means of carrying out online consultation. However, if this e-consultation is part of the overall consultation arrangements, the Be Heard database can direct potential participants to it. The e-consultation arrangements may be located on the Be Birmingham, Birmingham City Council or other partner websites.

You may be interested in the “alert” facility which will tell you when new consultation details on topics or areas you are interested in are added onto the database.

]]> By: dp http://podnosh.com/blog/2009/10/27/the-birmingham-consultation-database/comment-page-1/#comment-1838 dp Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:24:10 +0000 http://podnosh.com/?p=1979#comment-1838 Addendum - my own request for clarification needs clarification... The consultation database seems to be a repository of past and future consultation info - as distinct from any consultation itself. Perhaps it's still early days for the BCC online consultation portal, but I'm thinking there should be a web-place for doing consultations, and that the info on Be Heard should include pointers to those webspaces. That's true in the case of the Big City Plan: it links to the 'found' web portal (and reveals a certain typo). That's good then, but I'm still thinking there needs to be a clear link to the BCC consultation portal - even if it's not online - so that we understand the distinction between the repository of info and the places that info is collected. Addendum – my own request for clarification needs clarification…

The consultation database seems to be a repository of past and future consultation info – as distinct from any consultation itself. Perhaps it’s still early days for the BCC online consultation portal, but I’m thinking there should be a web-place for doing consultations, and that the info on Be Heard should include pointers to those webspaces.

That’s true in the case of the Big City Plan: it links to the ‘found’ web portal (and reveals a certain typo).

That’s good then, but I’m still thinking there needs to be a clear link to the BCC consultation portal – even if it’s not online – so that we understand the distinction between the repository of info and the places that info is collected.

]]> By: dp http://podnosh.com/blog/2009/10/27/the-birmingham-consultation-database/comment-page-1/#comment-1837 dp Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:02:58 +0000 http://podnosh.com/?p=1979#comment-1837 Hang on a mo'... I'm wondering just what this Be Birmingham Database is about. Is it meant to run Council consultations, be a combination of BCC and other consultations (like the NHS), or something separate from the Council? In any case, what's it to do with me and my interests? I see the intro is: "this is where you can find out what local people think about life in the city. Be Heard brings together views, comments and opinions collected through public consultation undertaken by Birmingham City Council and all of the organisations making up Be Birmingham". Does that mean this is meant to be the Council's consultation portal? Or is it just aggregating material colleced by the Council? If the former, I'm getting confused about which portal is which, and meant to do what. Is it the <a href="http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Policy-and-Delivery%2FPageLayout&cid=1223092613354&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FWrapper" rel="nofollow">'lost'</a> portal on the BCC website, a <a href="http://consult.birmingham.gov.uk/portal/" rel="nofollow">'found'</a> portal elsewhere, or now this? If it's just an aggregator, could that be set out more explicitly, with a link to wherever I should be going if I'm looking for Council consultations? Hang on a mo’…

I’m wondering just what this Be Birmingham Database is about. Is it meant to run Council consultations, be a combination of BCC and other consultations (like the NHS), or something separate from the Council? In any case, what’s it to do with me and my interests?

I see the intro is: “this is where you can find out what local people think about life in the city. Be Heard brings together views, comments and opinions collected through public consultation undertaken by Birmingham City Council and all of the organisations making up Be Birmingham”.

Does that mean this is meant to be the Council’s consultation portal? Or is it just aggregating material colleced by the Council?

If the former, I’m getting confused about which portal is which, and meant to do what. Is it the ‘lost’ portal on the BCC website, a ‘found’ portal elsewhere, or now this?

If it’s just an aggregator, could that be set out more explicitly, with a link to wherever I should be going if I’m looking for Council consultations?

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