There has been a significant increase in reports and engagement on the MobiSAM Facebook page during the first month of 2017.
There has been a significant increase in reports and engagement on the MobiSAM Facebook page during the first month of 2017.
A 140% increase to a total of 355 page views over the last 28 day period and a 10% increase to 815 post engagements have indicated a rise in the levels of trust that residents of Makana have put in MobiSAM.
This increased number of people sending information to us, which in turn we send to the Municipal Communications Office, has arguably enabled Makana to address issues more effectively which in the past may have gone unattended.
MobiSAM has been working alongside Makana Municipality since mid-2016 in a second attempt (phase 2.0) to increase the level of communication between residents of Makana, and the Municipality itself; especially the Communications Office.
Therefore, MobiSAM chiefly operates as a tool, providing a channel to lodge reports regarding general service delivery issues that affect you (as residents), on a daily basis.
Seeking to bridge this ‘communicative divide’ between Makana and the people that rely on the delivery of quality basic services as residents and citizens of this country, MobiSAM has been developing a digital application aimed at residents/consumers, and those who are responsible for service delivery.
Therefore, what drives MobiSAM as a tool is the level of use and engagement that it enjoys from residents from across Makana.
With these levels increasing as indicated by our social media statistics, it has become apparent to us that many residents feel the need not only to lodge reports, but to list longer and more intricate posts that detail issues that may have been neglected for up to a year.
Looking to launch the application in early March 2017, we are hopeful that the increase in use and reports via our existing social media account will grow and migrate to the App platform which is currently under development.
In the meantime, while fielding an increasing amount of reports of burst and leaking pipes across Makana, we would like to make a couple of requests to residents wishing to compile a report.
Please list all of the following to assist us in getting the correct info to the maintenance teams dispatched by the Makana Municipality Communications Office:
• Street and physical address
• An indication of the severity of the issue , for example, is it a burst pipe that’s flooding the road; or a steady trickle?
• An estimation of the time when the particular issue arose or when you became aware of it
• A photograph that can be uploaded with the post if possible.
By providing the above information, you are actively assisting MobiSAM in relaying the details to the necessary departments that are responsible for addressing each problem.
At the same time, this information is logged which further serves as a record of complaints which allow for more effective management, with unresolved cases providing concrete evidence that can be used to hold local government officials to account.
Over time, this process will allow for ‘evidence based’ action regarding budgeting and planning on the side of local government for the sustainable delivery of services to the various communities that call Makana home.
But this hinges on your engagement with MobiSAM via any one of the channels which are available to you.
– Hancu Louw is MobiSAM’s Communication and Citizen Engagement Officer
