A feedback portal that started with a bang!

The feedback portal had been in development and testing for a long time, but the timing of its launch was remarkable in light of the fact that on this day A storm broke out on the south-west corner with heavy snowfall and transport disruptions. . So, the feedback portal was certainly put to the test right from the start. It was literally raining or snowing with feedback in those first few days and weeks, and the vast majority of the feedback was about snow clearance. In the first month, over 600 pieces of feedback were received! And that record will probably be hard to beat.

It was therefore very useful in February to have a feedback portal that enabled residents to easily submit feedback regarding snow clearance, thereby easing the pressure on the phone, email and other channels for contacting the council. At the same time, this enabled staff to respond to a large volume of requests in a short space of time, thanks to the powerful back-end system provided by the new feedback portal.

Of course, not everyone was happy with the responses in those first few days, particularly not receiving personalised replies for each suggestion. However, the vast majority were understanding that the council's staff and contractors were undertaking a challenging project and were also learning to use the system. The winter was otherwise challenging in terms of the weather, and it can be said that the feedback portal contributed to easing the burden on staff and, most importantly, to providing the best possible information and service to residents.

The feedback is not all complaints; praise for staff or the town for a job well done is also received regularly. It is also pleasing to see praise for how well we respond to feedback and react quickly, which is always the aim but not always achieved.

It can be stated that the feedback channel has been completely transformed with the introduction of the feedback portal. Tips via telephone are decreasing, and the same applies to those received directly, sent via Facebook or by email. Residents of Hafnarfjörður have been quick to learn the best channel for tips and are also drawing their fellow citizens' attention to the feedback portal. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of promotion, but it can be said that the February storm played its part in publicising the portal. Using this channel yields better results and increases transparency than, for example, discussing matters in Facebook groups or in the swimming pool hot tubs.

How does the feedback portal work?

The feedback portal works in such a way that a resident goes to the link hfj.is/abending or clicks on the Feedback Portal on the homepage of hafnarfjordur.is. There, they enter their name, email address, the subject of the feedback, with the option to add a telephone number, a photograph and a location on a map. No further requirements are placed on the sender, who can complete a submission in 1-2 minutes and the system works very well on mobile phones. The sender receives an acknowledgement of receipt, a reference number for the submission, and a message that the matter will be processed within one working day. Staff categorise the tip and forward it to an internal responsible party or, in some cases, to partners such as the Environmental Health Service, the Highways Agency or HS Utilities.

The system has various settings in its back end. Firstly, a task is assigned to a specific area and a unit within it. The neighbourhood is also specified, and the status is automatically defined according to the system's processing status (received, in progress, or completed). The system offers standardised responses, which can be useful, for example, for bulk jobs such as snow clearance or a report about a bin that needs emptying, where a prompt response is always attempted. It is possible to forward to a specific organisation, either within the town or externally, if the task is for an outside party. Time limits are set for when a report must be responded to and closed. If these dates are missed, a notification is automatically generated that a complaint has exceeded its response time. Of the approximately 1,200 complaints received since the service began, over 1,150 have been closed.

Over 95% of the suggestions are about the environment, what could be improved, potholes, street sweeping, snow clearance, maintenance, rubbish bins and whatever else residents come across on a daily basis. Every single suggestion is welcomed and, collectively, these comments make a significant difference to the town, enabling us to respond more effectively to issues and to prioritise projects for the staff at the Environment and Planning Department.

Constant development – a project that never ends

The system, which has been developed by the company Um að gera ehf in collaboration with the City of Hafnarfjörður, Árborg and the City of Reykjavík, has performed well during its first six months. However, we are by no means finished with its development and are aware of certain glitches that will be worked on to improve it in the coming months. It also takes time to refine our own procedures, ensuring that everyone working with the system adheres to the established protocols and that our working methods are as consistent as possible. All of this takes time, but there is satisfaction with the system within the town, and we are convinced that the vast majority of residents welcome it.

Among the innovations planned for the system is specifically to request feedback from residents and to assess how well each suggestion has been handled. An analysis of statistics from the system is also in progress, which will better enable us to identify where improvements are most needed and the greatest pressure exists.

As was stated in Article about the first release of the feedback portal in March 2020 A 2019 administrative review then revealed the need for a more accessible feedback portal and a clearer internal process for handling feedback within the council. We believe we have truly succeeded in this, but the project never ends. A new version of the feedback portal was a big step forward, but we can always do better and will continue to listen to the voices of our residents.

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