OpenIris vs Traditional Participation Methods
Town halls, surveys, and online platforms are the standard for civic participation. But they reach only 2-5% of residents on average. OpenIris makes participation accessible to everyone — through a natural conversation, in any language, at any time.
| Feature | Traditional methods | OpenIris |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 2-5% of residents | Unlimited — anyone with a phone or internet |
| Languages | 1-2 languages (manually translated) | 46 languages automatically supported |
| Scalability | Limited by staff and budget | Thousands of conversations simultaneously |
| Availability | Office hours / scheduled event | 24/7 available |
| Interaction type | Rigid questionnaires or brief public comments | Natural conversations with follow-up questions |
| Data processing | Manual analysis of open-ended responses | Automatic structuring and summarization |
| Anonymity | Often not possible at physical meetings | Fully anonymous participation possible |
| Accessibility | Requires physical presence or digital skills | Phone call, text, or app — low barrier |
| Cost per response | High (staff, venue, processing) | Low — scales without extra cost |
| Turnaround time | Weeks to months | Results in real-time |
| Inclusivity | "Usual suspects" — same group every time | Also reaches youth, migrants, working families |
Why not just use a survey?
Surveys work for closed questions, but miss the nuance. A resident who checks "dissatisfied" tells you nothing about why, or what could be better. A conversation does. OpenIris combines the reach of a survey with the depth of a personal interview — automatically, in 46 languages, 24/7.
How does OpenIris compare to other platforms?
Participation platforms like Citizenlab and Consul are valuable for online discussions and voting, but require residents to visit a platform, register, and write in the national language. OpenIris works differently: residents don't need to download anything, can call or chat, and are automatically served in their own language.
Convinced? Schedule a demo.
See for yourself how OpenIris works and how many more residents you can reach.
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