There is a long-standing debate among engagement practitioners about whether user registration (the process of requiring participants to create an account to leave feedback) should be optional or mandatory in public engagement processes. While mandatory registration has often been seen to be a barrier to participation, mandatory registration offers many benefits that should be considered.

In April 2022, we talked with Mark Chircop (Community Engagement Senior Advisor) from the City of Parramatta (Australia) about their implementation of mandatory registration on their engagement site Participate Parramatta. They share valuable first-hand insights into their experience and the challenges they faced.

In case you missed it, you can watch the video catch up.