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Anonymous electronic voting tested for gathering feedback on ‘difficult questions’

Posted On 25/03/2010

A novel approach to test opinion was tried at the 4NW Leaders Board to help officers gauge views on potentially conflicting priorities within the RS2010 regional development strategy.

Balancing priorities 

Within the developing RS2010 document are a number of competing priorities that illustrate the complexity of the work being undertaken and the need to agree a balanced regional agenda and set of strategy commitments.

The meeting was presented with the background to a number of economic issues where a view will need to be taken on balancing priorities in order to inform future decision making. Using hand held electronic key pads, members, and others present at the meeting, were given the chance to vote on how to proportion the region's attitude to these questions.

For example: Should we be pursuing a strategy of creating jobs in local communities or allowing jobs to be created anywhere in the region and linking unemployed people to those jobs?

This exercise was designed to provide an indicative straw poll to assist officers in redesigning Part 1 of RS2010 and may well be used in other forums as part of the on-going consultation process. The revised Part 1 along with Part 2 will be subject to further discussion and formal approval at the RLB meeting on Friday 2 July.