How to... use izwe to Accompanying an Ongoing Stakeholder Forum

What? There's an identifiable subsection of the population, and you regularly hold an open meeting for them in order to share news, get their input and listen to their concerns (e.g. local area residents' forum, or LGBT forum)

Why have an online space?

  • You can allow those who can't make it to meetings to take part - help make sure you are not excluding valuable input
  • You can continue the conversation online, allow open discussion outside of meeting hours
  • It can also help publicise the group to a wider audience, especially when accompanied with social media promotion

Setting one up

It's very straightforward - just see our simple guide here

Then what?

  • Support your regular meetings by allowing people to contribute and discuss online

    See our easy process to follow here

  • Use the forums to discuss any issues too 'light' to make it into the agenda, or just to have ongoing conversations

    Just start a topic!

  • Do you need creative thinking around what to do or plan?

    Run a call for ideas!

  • Build community

    Invite members to ask questions and share relevant information in the forums

  • Share general information and news easily, (including relevant opportunities to have their say on other relevant spaces on izwe)

    See Using a Blog Post

  • Get quick opinion from members (and other users of the site)

    start a quick poll

  • Get feedback on resources/documents/posters from members

    upload the document/resource/poster using third-party hosting (e.g. www.scribd.com) to a call for ideas or a blog post, and invite peoples ideas/comments

  • Hold smaller discussions for working groups - perfect for keeping conversations going when it's hard to meet up regularly, and easier to make sense of than long email threads.

    Create their own 'groups' and align them to the parent group/community

Technical How Tos...
  • Set up a group
  • Run a call for ideas
  • Start a forum topic
See them in context...