Online ‘Citizens Forum’ To Provide Feedback
[Updated] Minister for the Cabinet Office with Responsibility for Government Reform Lovitta Foggo is holding a press conference this afternoon [Oct 25]. We will have additional coverage later on and in the meantime the live video is below.
Update: As a super simplified initial summary, the Minister announced the “official launch of the Bermuda Government’s citizens forum, an online platform which is designed to be Government’s consultation hub, where Bermudians can discuss and comment on the Government’s proposed policies and initiatives.”
Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the 9-minute replay is below
Update 3.35pm: A Government spokesperson said, “Today the Minister for the Cabinet Office with Responsibility for Government Reform, Lovitta Foggo advised that it has launched the Bermuda Government’s Citizens Forum.
“This online platform is designed to be Government’s consultation hub where residents can discuss and comment on the Government’s proposed policies and initiatives.
“The Bermuda Citizens Forum will be located at www.gov.bm.
Minister Foggo said, “One of the fundamental aims of this Government is to ensure that the people of Bermuda have their say on the matters that affect them. It’s been said that a healthy, functioning democracy is one that provides its people with an opportunity to freely voice their opinion, and one that holds elected officials accountable for delivering on their promises.
“Prior to becoming Government, we all witnessed numerous instances where government policies and resultant Bills in some cases were not put forward for public consultation as frequently as perhaps they should have been. It was a policy development process that repeatedly did not take into account the views of the people.
“So, it was the goal of this government to create a mechanism whereby the people of Bermuda could have their say in matters of importance to them. Stakeholder consultation is an invaluable component not only in ensuring a strong democracy but in the policy development process. The launch of the Bermuda Government’s Citizens Forum is a demonstration of our promise to the people of Bermuda to provide a forum where they can stay informed on public policy development and share their ideas and feedback.”
Minister Foggo continued, “Input from the wider community is critical for an accurate assessment of the feasibility of policy proposals and will help identify which aspects of a policy will be most strongly supported or opposed.
“Public feedback is a necessary part of the process and may lead to the refinement of policy options. This Government committed to good governance and good government. The introduction of the Citizens Forum is a tangible example of good government – one that is applying best practice to public policy development.”
“The Minister explained that with Citizens Forum [also known as the Bermuda version of DemocracyOS], anyone who wants to participate in the conversation or have their say on substantive public policy matters will be invited to do so.
“Navigating the site will be simple and easy, according to the Minister.
- When users access the site, they will view the home page which will have any proposed policies for consultation with a brief explanation listed.
- Users can scroll the list where there are multiple policies featured and “Discover more” by clicking the link.
- Before sharing their views however new users must “Create and Account” and can do so by either using an e-mail address or by simply linking it to their Facebook or Google profile.
“Once a user has completed the account creation process, they can navigate the site to see which government policies or proposals are at the consultation stage of the policy development process and require their views. The site will also indicate the date and time of related consultation events, such as Town Hall Meetings or other forums.
Minister Foggo concluded, “You will already know that our Government has had an incredibly busy first year introducing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and initiatives aimed at supporting Bermudians. We have always maintained that our people should have their say in how these programmes, policies, legislation and initiatives affect them.
“And to date the public has been invited through other forums and mechanisms to have a voice. With the launch of the Bermuda Government’s Citizens Forum we have delivered on our promise to produce a digital tool to engage our community so that they have a role in shaping our democracy.”
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Good to know that this is what $156k PA is paying for !!
I will be asking when do we get to find out about Bi Partisan immigration reform. When is the consultation on the legislation?
“You will already know that our Government has had an incredibly busy first year introducing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and initiatives aimed at supporting Bermudians.”
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…really?!? nice try. you have done nothing for us!
These guys love a press conference.
“This online platform is designed to be Government’s consultation hub where residents can discuss and comment on the Government’s proposed policies and initiatives.”
Excellent! Now I can get the answers the politicians refuse to tell each other in parliament!