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"We’re really happy with our choice."
– Sarah Coyte, Community Engagement Lead, Lambeth Council
Lambeth's approach to community engagement had evolved organically over time. Different departments had independently adopted various tools that served immediate needs but created longer-term coordination challenges. The council's small central engagement team, comprising just two people, struggled to maintain oversight while supporting colleagues across various departments.
Lambeth Council's Community Engagement Lead, Sarah Coyte, expressed that collecting data in two separate ways was not only confusing for residents but also impractical for end-of-year analysis. The data would be scattered across different platforms and this approach was not cost-effective.
Beyond the platform fragmentation, internal processes for requesting consultation support had also broken down, creating administrative hurdles. Sarah: “We used to have a Microsoft Form to request help with consultations. That disappeared somehow, and we never properly replaced it. It created a gap in our workflow.”
When Lambeth’s team decided to centralise their engagement tools, they initiated a formal procurement process. Three platforms submitted proposals, but Go Vocal emerged as the preferred choice.
"Go Vocal had the edge – not just because of the features, but also because of the people behind it, and the belief that if we asked for something, it would happen. You made us feel supported from the start."
Beyond strong human support and the ability to centralise their efforts, Lambeth's team was drawn to Go Vocal's intuitive interface and wide set of features. Sarah:
"We love the timeline view and the ability to phase projects. We were also intrigued by Go Vocal's wide set of flexible engagement tools beyond basic surveys, the strong visual mapping capabilities, and the AI-powered analysis. We also appreciated that you were open about the tools that were yet to be launched – that gave us a good sense of what was possible.”
"We love the AI summaries. Of course you check them, but they give you such a head start."
In a particularly savvy move, they included a "superuser" of their former engagement platform on the procurement panel who ultimately became an internal champion for Go Vocal. "That was really helpful," Sarah noted. "She was one of our old provider’s biggest fans and yet, she scored Go Vocal highest."
Plus, being able to speak with neighbouring councils already using Go Vocal, particularly Southwark, reinforced their confidence in the platform's suitability.
While still early in their journey, Lambeth is already experiencing clear benefits. Recognising organisational constraints, Lambeth chose a deliberately gradual implementation approach:
Sarah: "We purposefully didn't do a big fanfare. Gradual was the right approach given staff absences and timing constraints. We are using our existing 20,000-person mailing list to promote new Go Vocal projects, ensuring continuity with our audience.”
And this approach has proven successful, with over 10,000 people already participating and nearly 70,000 people visiting the platform to stay up to date.
The unified platform now houses all engagement activities in one place, creating a more cohesive approach. Teams are exploring beyond basic surveys to embrace more diverse engagement methods, expanding their toolkit.
In addition to streamlining their external engagement, Lambeth has found Go Vocal to be a surprisingly valuable tool for internal projects and gathering staff feedback, showcasing the platform's versatility. Sarah: "We've used Go Vocal more for inward-facing projects than we expected. It turns out it's a great tool for that too."
They created a community of practice for Go Vocal project managers, providing a supportive network for knowledge sharing and troubleshooting. Sarah: "Some colleagues don't even think of themselves as engagement professionals. But through this process, we're building a broader understanding of what engagement means."
Lambeth is now exploring how to further leverage Go Vocal's capabilities. As they continue building their expertise, the team recognises they've only begun to tap into the platform's potential: "We're doing things we hadn't considered before and we haven't even scratched the surface. There's so much more we could do – but our confidence is growing."
When asked directly about their satisfaction with the switch to Go Vocal, Sarah is clear that it was the right decision for Lambeth Council:
"In comparison with what we were being offered and what we thought we would get from other providers, I would say yeah, definitely – the level of responsiveness is good, the platform is evolving all the time, and we like that we can have a dialogue about that."
While acknowledging the learning curve that comes with any new platform, Sarah affirms their confidence in the decision: "We are confident that it was the right thing to do. For sure."
See how Go Vocal can help you move from scattered tools to smarter community engagement. Book a demo today!
Sören is a fervent tech enthusiast with a profound interest in politics and democratic innovation.He aims to share stories that inspire and drive impactful community engagement.
After seven years of using the same systems, the London Borough of Southwark conducted a technical audit to see if their digital engagement was at the cutting edge. After a detailed procurement process, Go Vocal came out on top. With benefits like AI analysis, built-in reporting, and all the tools for the job in one place, the intuitive platform has improved their efficiency almost twofold.
When the London Borough of Lambeth reviewed its community engagement practices, they identified a critical challenge: fragmentation. Teams across the council were using multiple tools without a central system to coordinate efforts or share insights. After carefully evaluating their options, Lambeth switched to Go Vocal, a decision that has already proven beneficial for their small but dedicated team.
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