#Japan #Hino City #Liquitous #Väki Insight

Liquitous Launches Väki Readiness in Hino City

In a pioneering step towards citizen engagement, Liquitous, a company based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, has partnered with Hino City to enhance participatory initiatives between citizens and the administration. This collaboration aims to assess the state of citizen participation and co-creation through the use of Väki Insight’s groundbreaking organizational analysis product called "Readiness." This initiative is unprecedented on a global scale, marking a significant milestone in how local governments engage with their citizens.

Overview of the Initiative

The agreement, established in fiscal year 7, has set a plan in motion for Hino City to implement Väki Readiness throughout its departments. This involves a comprehensive survey encompassing all employees and structured dialogues with department heads and executives, allowing for a well-rounded approach at multiple levels of the organization. The aim is to objectively evaluate the current state of the organization and its readiness to implement effective changes.

Implementation Steps

The implementation of Väki Readiness will be carried out in several distinct phases:

1. All-Employee Survey: A quantitative assessment targeting all staff to measure the organization's readiness for citizen participation and co-creation. This survey will reveal the overall mindset of the organization regarding these initiatives.

2. Role-Specific Discussions: Based on survey findings, forums will be created to facilitate discussions, allowing employees to understand awareness gaps across different roles and departments. This data-driven dialogue will help unify the organization's understanding of challenges.

3. Action Plan Development: From the identified challenges, actionable plans will be crafted to optimize internal processes related to citizen participation, ultimately accelerating co-creation between citizens and the administration.

About Väki Readiness

Väki Readiness is an innovative organizational analysis tool developed from over 25 years of research on citizen-administration co-creation at the University of Helsinki. Offered by the Finnish startup Väki Insight, this tool evaluates the organization using twelve academic-based indicators, enabling a multifaceted assessment of its state. Through this quantitative approach, traditional qualitative discussions around citizen participation are transformed into evidence-based evaluations.

The goal is to establish a sustainable co-creation framework that doesn't rely on a few enthusiastic individuals or departments. Instead, it fosters an inclusive environment for meaningful citizen engagement across the entire organization.

Hino City’s Commitment

Hino City has long been committed to enhancing citizen involvement, as evidenced by the introduction of the participatory consensus platform, Liqlid. However, to maximize the potential of such tools, it's crucial to cultivate the right mindset and organizational structure for sustained citizen engagement.

The city's vision, encapsulated in the "Hino Regional Future Vision 2030," emphasizes creating a better living environment. This vision underlines the importance of social development through collaboration with citizens, especially as Liquitous continues to develop tools that facilitate effective communication between the government and the public.

Leveraging insights obtained from the Väki Readiness analysis, Hino aims to strengthen its co-creation system, ensuring that every citizen feels valued and can contribute to the city's development.

Message from Liquitous CEO

Takuya Kurimoto, CEO of Liquitous, expressed the company's enthusiasm in fostering collaborations in Hino City. Since fiscal year 5, Liquitous has been utilizing its online platform, Liqlid, to advance the Regional Co-Creation Platform. He noted that Hino's proactive approach to adapting its procedures for public commentary and citizen engagement distinguishes it among municipalities nationwide.

Kurimoto emphasized the necessity of not just implementing the Regional Co-Creation Platform as a tool, but also addressing the disparities in understanding among staff. The recent Väki Readiness implementation acts as a diagnostic tool to visualize these differences, aiming to cultivate an organizational mindset conducive to citizen engagement.

Implementation Under the BSTI Framework

The Väki Readiness project is being executed under the framework of the Be Smart Tokyo Inclusive (BSTI) initiative. This program aims to enhance the quality of life in Tokyo by promoting the development of smart services throughout the city. Collaborating with TIS Inc., a provider of inclusive digital services, Liquitous is focusing on creating an environment where all citizens can benefit from smart technologies and services.

About Liquitous

Liquitous is dedicated to fostering a society where each individual can express their influence in decision-making processes. By developing the Liqlid platform, Liquitous enhances inclusion, transparency, and responsiveness in policy formation. The company collaborates with various municipalities across Japan, providing services that support community involvement and smart city initiatives, aiming to create a more inclusive future for all.

For more information on Liquitous, visit their official website at Liquitous or follow them on social media platforms for updates.