Sprint One Complete - Connecting with Local Officials

Over the past two weeks, we completed Agora’s first outreach sprint.

Our objective was simple: begin speaking directly with local elected officials to better understand how they currently receive input from the people they represent between elections.

We focused on arranging research conversations and contacted around forty city council members across the United States.

The results were encouraging. Several council members agreed to participate, while others introduced us to staff responsible for community engagement or constituent services. Those introductions are particularly valuable, as these teams often work closest to the day-to-day process of public participation.

Perhaps the most important outcome was not any single conversation, but the beginning of a research network. One introduction led to another, gradually expanding the number of people willing to share how engagement works inside local government.

This sprint also reinforced the importance of staying focused on our core research question. Before evaluating potential solutions, we first need to understand how elected officials currently gather, interpret, and act on signals from their constituents. That understanding will shape the next stage of our research.

Sprint One is complete. Sprint Two begins this week.