Civican opens its doors to its citizens regarding the definition of its programs
Civican is, mainly, a participative center, where anyone, regardless if they are a CAN customer or not, can attend courses, lectures, activities or participate in the events social organizations schedule there.
Now, the center is expanding its presence on the Internet and social networks, it opens up to conversation and interaction with its users, it opens up new channels of participation and, essentially, it enables them to intervene in its scheduling process. Furthermore, Civican undertakes the commitment to reply back to all suggestions and requests within 72 hours.
Civican invites people to contact the center in order to express their suggestions and recommendations. The center estimates that, in the next quarter, 35% of events scheduled will be motivated by the expectations of the users. In order to attain this, Civican is expanding its feedback channels. In addition to those which it already uses, such as surveys at courses and activities, the suggestion box or personal appointments with the center’s professionals, now it will communicate through Twitter (@civicanBC), telephone (948 07 43 43), via text messaging and from a new website, currently under construction, which will be launched in the upcoming months. Civican estimates that, in 4Q 2010, it will attend to around 1,600 proposals.
Once they have been received, Civican professionals will assess the suggestions based on how they fit in regarding the center’s philosophy and its schedule and spaces; on Civican’s technical needs and resources; on the level of success the activity had if it was held in the past; and on its economic feasibility, since Civican activities are made possible thanks to CAN customers who choose their social project in the You Choose, You Decide section.
This year, socially-minded organizations (NGOs, foundations and associations which are a part of the Civican Social Community) have already taken part in the center’s schedule of events and, to date, 452 activities, such as conferences, film showings, concerts and exhibits, have taken place. They have also organized 32 topic-specific courses, such as swimming and cooking lessons for people with disabilities, art and singing workshops at cultural organizations, and so forth.