About Unify

Unify is one of the world’s leading communications software and services brands, providing integrated communications and collaboration solutions worldwide. Our customers range in size from 5 employees to 500,000+ employees. Our solutions unify multiple voice, video and data networks, connected devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to collaborate effectively and efficiently – anytime, anywhere. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, improves employee satisfaction and enhances business performance. Unify has a strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security. Our OpenScape and Circuit communications solutions provide a seamless and efficient collaboration experience – on any device. Together, the group’s global team of UCC experts and service professionals set the standard for a rich communications and collaboration experience that empowers teams to deliver better results. Unify is an Atos company.

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REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY

ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

ARE YOU COMMITTED TO LOCAL ENGAGEMENT?

Make sure you’re committed to local engagement to deliver more relevant local services, a better citizen experience, and a more transparent democratic process.

Discover the importance of resident empowerment and how it can help you deliver more sustainable services during austerity. Download your report

The Local Authority Of The Future: Where The Citizen Comes First

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The Local Authority Of The Future Where The Citizen Comes FirstTransforming local public services using a digital-first, citizen-centric approach to governance

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“We are sticking to the task. But that doesn’t just mean making difficult decisions on public spending. It also means something more profound. It means building a leaner, more efficient state. We need to do more with less. Not just now, but permanently.”

“It is important to engage with and support our local community which can help us identify priorities and understand how we can best deliver our strategy. The future role of our local authority will ensure we deliver better outcomes for our residents and businesses by working with partners to achieve greater local control of decisions on issues that matter locally.”

Former Prime Minister David Cameron on the deficit:

Nicola Beach, chief executive, Braintree District Council

Apart from local authorities’ statutory duty to work with their local community there are several other good reasons to build a strong engagement strategy that cuts across the culture of the organisation – from the chief executive and local councillors to senior managers and frontline staff.

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This allows local authorities to streamline their services and work more effectively.

This can help you respond more appropriately to people’s needs delivering a better, more customer-focussed experience.

This helps people to help themselves and builds relationships.

This can cut costs and lead to a smaller state.

...will increase residents’ satisfaction with the council and keep them on your side.

A transparent approach to the decisions local councillors make on residents’ behalf can improve democratic process and build trust in a local authority. It can also keep the elected members closer to the voting public.

HELP PEOPLE TAKE MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LIVES

HAVING A BIGGER SAY, SEEING THINGS GET DONE AND BEING IN THE KNOW…

GIVE PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT LOCAL DECISIONS MORE EASILY

LOCALLY BASED PLANNING

GET TO KNOW YOUR CITIZENS BETTER

PROMOTE RESIDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

This can help you react to problems more quickly and deliver a better citizen experience.

At Newcastle City Council, people can raise issues through an online ‘your views matter’ form that links to an interactive ward website so residents can raise queries and track responses.

ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO REPORT CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS

Rushcliffe Borough Council worked with organisations providing information and communications technology training to residents, so they could claim universal

credit via the council’s user-friendly website. The website was backed by a campaign

Don’t Stand in Line, Get On-line.

Keep your residents up to date by setting up a webcast so they can watch

meetings online as they happen.

Sunderland City Council helped local voluntary groups set up desktop video-conferencing systems so they could connect with refugees for free over the internet. Asylum seekers could get quick cheap access to translators and a number of schools used the system to link up with counterparts in the US.