Step 9: Close the loop
“The story of cities is the story of democracy. . . . Urban life entails common living; common living means common willing and common law making, and these define the essence of political democracy.”
- Benjamin Barber, If Mayors Ruled the World
Summary:
- At this step in the process, the local authority – having had some time to deliver on commitments and implement its response – provides an (incremental or final) update to the public on the status of its response to public priorities. For example, local authorities should evaluate their progress after six months and again after a full year has elapsed. Feel free to leverage moments in the calendar to evaluate your progress (before summer holidays or at the end of the calendar year). Be proactive with updates: Do not wait a year or for election campaigning to begin – voters notice when officials provide updates that aren’t tied to ongoing campaigns.
- Open data and transparency standards relevant to local authorities are summarized.