Masaryk University 
Faculty of Economics and Administration
Brno, Czech Republic

THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC

Věra Foretová
Miroslav Foret

Brno, Czech Republic 1999

Introduction 
In the early 1990s, the authors undertook research on the public opinion of state and local administration in Brno and Břeclav. During the course of the project, a link between the level of information available on the councils’ activities and citizens’ satisfaction with the councils’ performance was noted. These results were published in under the title Komunikace s veřejností (Foret 1994) and provided the initial basis for a long-term project supported by a grant from the Open Society Fund in Prague. The project’s concept, resources and the results from research conducted in 1995 were subsequently published as Komunikující město (Foretová and Foret 1996). This research was extended and continued in 1995 and 1996 resulting in a publication entitled Communicating Town (Foretová, Foret and Gole 1998).

The main objectives of the Communicating Town project were to assist in improving communication and relationships between the Council and the public, to promote the development of civil society and to demonstrate to the public administration ways in which citizens could be involved in a range of communal issues, from long-term strategies for municipal development to problems concerning unemployment and support for local business.

The results presented in this publication cover a wide range of public issues related to communication. Public opinion on these issues was gathered in selected representative towns (categorized as small, medium and large) in 1997 and 1998.

Chapter 1

1.1 Principles of the Communicating Town Project
A town, village or region is a complex entity which provides various functions and services to its population’s different socioeconomic groups. Its performance can be efficient when coordinated in terms of action, finance and scheduling. This is the responsibility of the state and local governments, but it is impossible to achieve without the interest, involvement, respect and tolerance of people living in that particular area. A well-informed population is able to participate in the implementation of development plans, formulated and proposed by the municipal representative body. The results of the international Communicating Town project indicated that only those citizens with insight into the mechanisms of a town's functioning and development can cooperate effectively with the local government and share responsibility.

1.2 Information and Communication
Research conducted for the Communicating Town project clearly showed that the ability of the Czech population to communicate was suppressed under the previous totalitarian regime and that a democratic society cannot be established without the introduction of, and training in, creative communication skills. The development of democratic communication principles is, in effect, the search for optimal ways of providing objective information.

Municipal, clerical and executive staff should be aware that, although their decisions are backed by complex, up-to-date and objective information, this same information is not readily available to the general public. Moreover, a complete lack of, or poor access to, information will always result in indifference, disinterest or even aggression among citizens. A local government secretary in Třebíč confessed that her town administration learned a lesson in communication during a series of floods in 1997. While the council staff, having been informed that there was no immediate danger of flooding, celebrated the birthday of one of its members, families living near the local river spent the night evacuating their homes because information about the impending floods had not reached them.

Access to information and communication should not be limited to the local government’s working hours and should also follow rules of common sense and decency. Communication involves a desire for mutual understanding and fruitful discussion. To achieve this, certain agreed upon rules should be observed and respected, and, under such conditions, citizens will trust their local government and will be interested and involved in the development of their town or region. On nearly a daily basis, evidence arrives to support the underlying premise of one of the most common Socialist slogans, “he who is not with us is against us.” Such opinions are difficult to weed from people’s minds, even from among the intelligentsia, and such thinking often causes confrontation instead of creative dialogue.

Communication means that one is interested in his or her fellow citizens' views and in their responses to suggestions, activities or comments. At the political party level, leaders should be particularly interested in negative responses and should seek to find their origins.

Communication should examined from several angles. First, the cultural tradition of the region in question must be explored. Communication based on traditional culture is often emotional, conservative, “positively stimulating,” or even aggressive. In today's multicultural world, citizens are confused in this sphere and taking this confusion into account facilitates communication. Findings from the Communicating Town project have shown that the size of a town plays an important role in communication between the public sector and citizens. Citizens' participation and satisfaction is also related to their education; the higher the level, the better their understanding of the mechanisms of the state and local administration.

The second angle is technical (organizational). Its importance is related to the local administration’s concerns with delivering a particular piece of information to a target audience. Succeeding requires that the administration is very familiar with the target group, selects an appropriate communication strategy and means of communication, and actively encourages audience feedback. It is evident that, apart from legislative measures, there should be a system to facilitate mutual communication between the council and the public.

Public opinion surveys indicate that print media is regarded as the most convenient information channel. Accordingly, most local governments produce their own newsletters. Newsletters alone, however, do not resolve the problem of providing complete information to the public. Information transfer is a complex issue involving both the image and corporate culture of the local council. The municipal council of Svitavy, for example, wanted to inform their citizens about building activities in the town. The local newspaper published a complete account of the projects in two issues, including the council's objectives and ways in which citizens could apply to and participate in them. The papers were delivered, free of charge, to all town residents. In an opinion poll carried out later that same year, however, only 30% of the respondents said they had been informed about the council’s flat building policy. Evidently, the council's approach was insufficient. An adequate campaign should make citizens understand the importance of reading official newsletters and should also assist persons who might possibly have difficulties understanding a given issue.

During the course of the Communicating Town project, both councils and the public were informed about the “Telecities” program, Internet services and other technologies, aimed at improving municipal communications. During the public opinion survey carried out in Třebíč, the local government was interested in finding out how many citizens owned computers – only 20% of the respondents did, thereby indicating that this would not serve as a highly effective means for the town council to reach their constituency at present.

The results of public opinion polls, if used correctly, can be effective in facilitating communication. This requires accepting and carefully analyzing critical views and formulating strategies based on the results. Public opinion research should identify the level of information available on a given topic, and research findings should assist in clarifying the relevant issues and their manifestations.

The third issue connected to communication in the context of a town council’s relationship with the public is the need for a strategy (concepts). While the two previous approaches address the methodology of communication, the third deals with reasons for communication and concepts for achieving related objectives. To involve citizens in public life and solicit their input requires a professional background, good scheduling, realistic budgets and appropriate argumentation based on the assumption that these activities are presented to well-informed subjects.
 
Research conducted in the framework of the Communicating Town project has also shown that the presentation of long-term objectives and policies for municipal development is perceived by the public as a proposed master plan. If the council is not able to produce and approve a well-defined policy statement, complicated situations may arise and the administration may find it hard to explain the council’s decisions to citizens. The town’s proposed activities may be perceived as autocratic, rather than a mutually agreed upon, even if they lead to achievements in the town's common interest. If this happens, citizens are usually skeptical of related municipal budgets and of a given project's financial management.

Another facet of communication has to do with ethics. What are the priorities of council members and municipal personnel? Are they working for the common good or do they simply enjoy the power associated with their office? Do their personal interests prevail over strategic decisions? The City Council in Hradec Králové issued a set of working regulations, which includes the following Code of Ethics for Personnel:

"We are here to serve and help the citizen. The citizen is not here for us, but we for him/her. Law and observation of the law by both the municipal authorities and citizens are as important as citizens. Our service, based on solid knowledge of the law, should not prevent citizens from achieving their intentions but, on the contrary, should help them to find ways to achieve their objectives in accordance with the law. No abstract “town” exists whose interests should be superior to the statutory rights of its citizens. If a citizen’s request cannot be fulfilled, they should be informed in time, in a polite manner, with an explanation and an apology. Obvious or hidden disregard for citizens must be consistently suppressed. The expression of our respect for them should be shown by our conduct, including our manner of dress. It is forbidden to accept any rewards or gifts for what is our duty. Even without these we are obliged to carry out the citizens’ applications in due time. No office facilities, including executive power, information, technical equipment and materials, may be used for the personal needs or benefits of the staff or their relatives. Our performance must be highly effective because the costs are born by taxpayers. Our aim is to make the citizens of Hradec Králové proud not only of their town but also of their local council, regardless of which political party is in office.”
	
1.3 Legislation
Communication is taken for granted as a form of common decency and is not addressed by the law. Citizens select their representatives in elections, and the representatives are expected to put the citizens’ proposals and views forward and thus influence further community development. Meetings of the representatives are open to the public and the minutes are available for public inspection. Public opinion surveys from recent years show, however, that citizens are not very interested in their representatives’ work and do not demand information on the activities of elected officials. This may indicate that citizens either do not believe in the functioning of a self-governing democracy or have not yet learned to make use of its advantages. Consequently, members of boards of representatives do not strive to make their actions transparent and political parties tend only to accuse and blame each other rather than to engage in rational discourse.

In 1989, when the authors’ first research on the relationship between citizens and state and local governments was initiated, both general distrust of the state administration as well as trust in and hope for local governments were found. This was in direct contrast with Europe's established democratic countries, which had functioning and reliable systems of state administration. In the mid-1990s, the situation changed, and findings from 1995 and 1996 show that local representatives were held in low esteem, and that there was minimal interest in their activities. Data from the Communicating Town project allowed a comparison between the years 1995 and 1997 and indicated that interest in the representative bodies’ work had decreased even more whereas appreciation of the state administration had grown. The importance of these findings is underscored by the fact that the assessments of councils’ performances were not based on citizens' personal experience but rather on what was reported about council activities. Most decision-making is the responsibility of the board of representatives at meetings that are not open to the public. If the board is not interested in coming forward and informing its constituents, citizens have no means of influencing its actions and decisions.

The Town Council or its board sets up principles for the conduct of the municipal authority. State law does not require the municipal authority to communicate with its voters. The council is not obliged to be a direct source of information, and citizens themselves must seek out official announcements on administrative procedures in order to learn if, by any chance, they are affected by them.

The 1996 and 1997 surveys, which also polled for opinions on the image of the state administration and local governments, showed that citizens expect a high level of professionalism from both the elected and the executive bodies. Yet citizens are not generally satisfied with their representatives with regards to openness, their ability to collaborate, and their respect for citizens’ needs.

The most common means of communicating to the public is through official announcements. These, however, are only one-sided exercises in communication. Official announcements generally set obligations for individual citizens and/or legal entities. They make sense only if the body (state parliament or town council) which has issued the new regulations can effectively demand their implementation. Otherwise, an undesirable impression may develop that regulations are legally binding only for citizens who are willing to obey and that those who break them are not subject to legal recourse. Therefore, the council should only issue decrees whose implementation can be guaranteed. It is then necessary to develop instruments which, although not backed by legislation (i.e. not involving a penalty), can achieve mutual consensus and demonstrate that the council is a democratic body. Such measures can involve, for instance, information and counseling services, providing an unambiguous interpretation of a given decree, etc.
	
These measures operate from the council to involved citizens. There are, however, citizens who are not vocal and have not found a representative willing to channel their problems to the council. These citizens may be able to voice their wishes in a referendum, but this is a very rare event. Feedback can, however, be obtained from public opinion polls, which can show the views of silent population groups. Opinion surveys allow municipal authorities to gauge the level of information in different spheres, to identify any potential problems in advance and to help explain and justify any decision or action made by the town council. At this point, real communication from the council to the public may begin and any interruption in the flow of information or interference with the implementation of strategic policies can thus be prevented or minimized.
	
1.4 Collaboration
As with towns, councils also have problems based on their size: the bigger the local government, the worse the communication among personnel, and the lower the amount of information possessed by their staff. The lack of respect and willingness to help, so frequently criticized by citizens, is usually due to a lack of cooperation and communication among the council’s departments and offices. In addition to the responsibilities of individual departments (culture, healthcare, education, etc.), there are activities that require inter-departmental cooperation (e.g., regional, economic and social development, external relations, planning, etc.). These activities cannot be carried out without communication and cooperation between multiple departments. Clerical and executive staff play the most important role with regards to these tasks, because they have access to the most relevant information, can ask for it, collect it, complete and sort it out. Consequently, they can provide the best arguments and explanations based on material they are competent to prepare.

1.5 Public Opinion Polls
As mentioned before, opinion surveys provide an opportunity for the silent majority among citizens to voice their views. If performed systematically, such surveys may become useful instruments for communication between the council and its constituents. However, ascertaining citizens' opinions does not mean the council intends to subordinate all its policies to public wishes. Familiarity with citizens’ views, which reflect their everyday experience, education and access to relevant information, provides the local administration with a basis for the informed explanation and advocacy of its plans, proposals and objectives.

Opinion polls facilitate:
•	the evaluation of the council’s performance on the basis of objective data assessment – if the appropriate questions are asked;
•	the involvement of different departments in a common task;
•	getting in touch with citizens;
•	making the council’s policies known;
•	ascertaining whether citizens understand these policies and to what extent they are informed about the relevant issues;
•	the comparison of results from different areas which permits differentiation between general and specific local features;
•	better relations with press reporters;
•	awareness that seemingly negative results can have positive impacts on the council’s activities;
•	the acquisition of knowledge and skills which may be used later in different aspects of communication and cooperation.

The use of standardized interviews makes it possible to get respondents involved in activities that facilitate communication with the town council. In the Communicating Town project, each questionnaire had two parts: the first sought opinions on questions asked by the council in the given town, and the second part was the same for all the towns involved, allowing for the comparison of findings and the formulation of general conclusions. The results were presented in the media. This research was similar to that carried out within the framework of the Eurobarometer project.
 
Chapter 2

2.1 Starting Points for Strategic Planning
The quality of the relationship between citizens, their representatives, and executives on the town council is related to the provision of information. That is to say, relationships depend on whether information is comprehensible and – more importantly – whether it is true, how it is collected, transferred and used in decision making processes. Poor communication may be a cause for the failure of a society to function by democratic principles by not facilitating the participation of citizens in public life.

Self-administration (local governments) was re-established in the Czech Republic in 1990. Towns and villages became self-governing entities with the right to control their communal affairs by means of elected and executive bodies. Their management is based on the corporate principle, which means that all community members are responsible for the functioning, economy and administrative quality of their town, village or region. To accomplish this, effective communication between the “managers,” those who are “managed” and the members of each sub-category is necessary (Foret 1994).

Both groups should be well aware of the principles of collaboration in a representative democracy. They should agree on common goals, should respect each other and should “speak the same language.” The managed group, i.e., citizens, is responsible for electing those individuals who administer public affairs and, as members of their community, take part in the overall responsibility for their local management.

2.2 The Market-Based Environment
Citizens also have additional responsibilities. By paying taxes, they contribute to financing the community administration. They can, therefore, be considered employers of those who serve their needs and make decisions about the administration of public affairs. As town or village inhabitants, visitors or investors, they are also customers and consumers of the services provided by the council and the town itself. The quality of these services depends on the professional standard and competence of the town's clerical and executive staff and the self-government as a whole.

When discussing the marketing communication of the council with the public and strategic planning, the following concepts must be considered:
•	corporate identity;
•	corporate culture;
•	corporate image. 

These concepts have been developed in countries which have market-based economies and democratic political systems, and in which both economic and political institutions, have gone through an evolutionary process that has verified their relationship to both customers and citizens. In the Czech Republic, however, increasingly frequent references to such ideas make many people skeptical, because this does not correspond with their most recent life experiences. Czech institutions have developed in an environment in which it was unusual to resolve problems by mutual agreement. Czech citizens were used to yielding to power and pressure and were accustomed to a lack of transparency. Therefore, it may be valuable to analyze these issues in order to understand their effect on local conditions. 

The authors will base their analysis on the presumption that a good manager (the council) should be respected and should be able to stimulate public co-operation. This can be achieved only if the council is well organized, trusted, respected and reliable; thereby enabling both the managers and the managed group to identify with common objectives. Only such an environment can produce and fulfill the development plans of towns and villages. This is also the essence of reforms which the public administration must undergo before the Czech Republic will be ready to join the European Union.

2.3 The Council's Identity and Culture
The council’s identity and culture are perceived as part of its image. If a council seeks to change its image, then it is necessary to change its culture and identity. Image depends on the ability to communicate. Shared traditions, values and other qualities, combined with organizing abilities, should provide tools which can be very effective, if presented to the public properly.

2.3.1 The Council's Identity
Identity is a characteristic based on long-term experience and institutional traditions. It is based on knowledge of:
•	history and tradition;
•	mission;
•	objectives;
•	distinctive features;
•	strengths and weaknesses;
•	inherent values;
•	standards and principles of behavior;
•	means of internal and external communication.

If a group has an identity as a community, it is implied that the group is aware of its traditions and knows and can express its objectives and specific features. 

The main communication issues between the council (as a town-creating institution) and the public are as follows:

1.	The council should make it clear that it appreciates the history, traditions and cultural activities of the town, thus showing respect for the educated segment of the town's population and its natural environment.

2.	Emphasis should be placed upon the economic traditions of the town – their importance for the present and their prospects for the future.

3.	The intentions and objectives for further community development should be presented and explained in tandem with proposed development programs, and the means by which they will be implemented. The council should provide evidence that it takes a direct interest in all citizens who wish to participate in this process.

4.	The council should explain the consequences of its decisions and their impact on the everyday life of the town's population.

5.	The public should be made aware of the council’s activities in terms of how much time, effort and funding is spent for the benefit of citizens and community development.

6.	Rules and procedures established to assist the community administration should be explained in order to make policy transparent, and the introduction of new regulations, decrees or ideas should also be publicized.

7.	The council should provide opportunities for citizens to become involved, for opinions to be exchanged and for its functioning to be scrutinized by the public. Only well informed citizens who understand the community’s problems can share responsibility for its continuing development.

8.	The council should constantly monitor public opinion and attitudes, obtain direct feedback, and seek to learn whether its decisions were appreciated and correctly understood.

2.3.2 Council Culture
Corporate culture is defined as the basic, shared beliefs in an institution’s values. These qualities help the staff to define their working behavior. Corporate culture creates a special environment – a prerequisite for decision-making by senior management. It reflects the internal potential of human resources in the institution that can be relied upon by management for implementation of their objectives.
	
The authors’ research on the culture of councils was based on the:
•	extent to which personnel identify with their occupation and the institution;
•	proportion of individual and collective work;
•	respect shown by the management towards the staff;
•	methods of supervision;
•	staff tolerance of risk factors;
•	staff willingness to accept changes;
•	clarity and nature of organizational standards (including the relevant importance of the objectives themselves or the procedures employed to achieve them);
•	openness of external relations;
•	methods for selecting new employees;
•	attitudes of staff towards senior management (elected and executive bodies);
•	attitudes of the management and staff towards continuously improving a stable employment policy.
	
2.4 Interpretation of Findings
2.4.1 Status of Organizational Culture
The organizational culture of councils in the Czech Republic was found to be generally low. Employees had no standard or stable system of professional rules. This situation puts great demands on the management structure as managers cannot rely on their subordinates performing responsibly and have to spend a great part of their working time supervising or resolving ambiguities. Disharmony between work expectations and outcomes can produce a breakdown in communication. There is, however, considerable room for introducing an improved corporate culture, and employees will most likely not resent the introduction of new regulations.

2.4.2 Orientation of Corporate Culture
Most employees perceived the council as an institution open to the town's citizens. To a great extent they identify themselves directly with their profession, but their identification with the council as a whole is very low. This may, in fact, imply that the council management policy promotes conditions for staff members to perceive themselves as distant from the management structure.
	
The respondents agreed that their superiors, when delegating responsibilities, do not pay much attention to ability, competence or limitations. Only a small number of subordinates take part in task formulation. Supervision is the responsibility of senior management; self-control and incentive play a minor role. The staff tolerate and expect unplanned and chaotic changes. It appears that this is not a sign of worker adaptability to new circumstance, but rather an attitude of resignation and impotence, i.e., “nothing surprises us anymore.”
	
There was a slight predominance of intolerant attitudes towards risk factors, along with the opinion that it is necessary to stick to routine, standard procedures – even if this may not lead to the citizens’ satisfaction.

2.4.3 Inconsistency in Corporate Culture
Openness to external input and a high degree of identification of personnel with their professional activities are a prerequisite for the active and dynamic involvement of all employees in the institution’s performance. An impersonal style of management with poor delegation of responsibilities has the opposite effect. In the latter case, conflicts may become latent, unresolved and lead to a low incentive to work. 

2.4.4 Variability of Ideas and Expectations
Differences of opinion among individuals in different sections and departments of the council were examined during the course of this project. Responses to the following issues varied greatly:
•	evaluation of the extent to which the institution is open to the public (e.g., contradictory views were presented by the staff of the department of economic development, the department of town planning and architecture, and the department of internal administration);
•	the degree to which staff are identified with their professional qualifications (clear ideas of professional skills are – in departments employing specialists – closely identified with the content of their work (i.e., information systems and economics departments) while greater differences in identification with work content are found in typically clerical departments such as those of internal or general administration);
•	the degree of clarity of organizational rules and criteria (rules are perceived as unclear or incomprehensible by the staff of the Bursar’s Office and the Department of Economic Budgets, Fees and Investments, but as fairly unambiguous by the employees of the Department of Claims and Fines, Department of Population Registry, Department of Public Orders and the Section for Environmental Protection).

These findings warrant further analysis as the differences may be influenced by a number of other factors such as management style, department size, type of activity, etc. Nevertheless, even the initial data obtained in the research project can provide basic clues for understanding corporate culture.
	
2.5 A New Approach
In view of the fact that the research described above was very time consuming, a simpler methodology was developed and opinions on the following selected issues were solicited:
•	evaluation of senior staff;
•	satisfaction with the availability of information; 
•	assessment of cooperation with other departments and the degree of work efficiency of other colleagues;
•	evaluation of the importance of personal image, willingness to meet citizens’ demands and readiness to upgrade one’s own professional qualifications;
•	cooperation with the representative body;
•	improvements already achieved and still to be made in a given town or village.

The results are as follows:

The senior management of the municipal council are, in the majority of cases, favorably appraised and thus enjoy a great deal of natural authority. Although staff respect their managers’ authority, they feel underrated. This implies that appreciation and positive motivation of the employees should receive more attention in the years to come. Financial reward may not always be the most important factor; rather, managers should seek to express appreciation and cultivate an atmosphere of cooperation and personal responsibility.

Nearly half of all respondents have the impression that they are not sufficiently informed about the council’s activities. Providing timely and accurate information on employee’s working activities should be one of the priorities of any municipal council. It is necessary to seek means for the optimal delivery of such information and for verifying that the information was correctly understood.

Some employees of the municipal councils think that the professional potential of the council staff is under-utilized. This doubt about the full involvement of some employees may also be associated with insufficient information on their actual competencies and responsibilities. An increase in the exchange of this sort of information within the council may remove or prevent distrust and promote a creative working atmosphere.

Almost all personnel are aware of the importance of cultivating a corporate image and culture with regards to public appraisal of council activities. They are prepared to respect these concepts.

Willingness to continue education is high among the municipal staff, although some of them would only pursue further studies if they could do so during working hours and would subsequently be offered a higher salary.

In the future it will be important to define the concept of an “obliging approach to citizens” and gradually remove barriers the public may encounter when communicating with the council.

Employee contact and cooperation with politicians (members of the board of representatives and city council) was seen to be a matter of minor importance. However, about three-quarters of all respondents felt at least an occasional need for such interaction. Municipal clerical staff could only give a superficial evaluation of elected representatives, and representatives’ authority is mostly based on their professional qualification and social status. This finding can be interpreted as follows: representatives are elected because they are well-known and respected personalities, not because they have provided evidence that their election programs will bring concrete benefits to the town and its population.

It is clear that municipal personnel, like the citizens themselves, do not understand the principles governing a democratic society. It will, therefore, be necessary to cultivate better interrelationships between representatives and the administrative staff of the council.

Respondents appreciated the care given to historical buildings and monuments, public buildings (schools, libraries, etc.), the overall appearance of the town and the provision of new housing facilities. The most frequently reported problems were those which more closely affected each and every citizen (e.g., road quality and maintenance, and the state of public spaces in terms of cleanliness and order).

The questionnaire was perceived by the majority of municipal personnel as a concrete step towards improving the situation in the council.

2.6 The Council's Image
A good image can come about only if the council’s actions are predictable, if both the staff and the public know what they can expect, and if both groups can identify with the council’s program and goals. Under such conditions, the council can count on being supported by the citizens in its efforts to implement strategic plans for village, town or regional development.

Corporate image is not invariable or permanent. It is the result of the continuous exchange of opinions, cooperation and common goals. Although the council exists in a given space and time, its image is constantly evolving. Both identity and culture respond to changing conditions. Maintaining a good image requires occasionally adjusting goals, target groups, and communication channels.

2.6.1 The Council’s Image as Perceived by Citizens 
The councils’ image was examined from several angles. Citizens of villages and towns were asked about their satisfaction with the work of their council as a whole and their experience with the municipal staff, the board of representatives and the mayor. Their views on the level of information available about the council’s activities were also solicited. The purpose of this exercise was to determine whether the individual respondents had any direct personal experience with the municipal administration, such as submitting an application or a request.

The results have shown that:
•	the higher the degree of information available, the greater the satisfaction with council activities;
•	town size is indirectly proportional to the amount of information available and to the degree of satisfaction with the council;
•	the demand for information about, and satisfaction with, the council’s activities increases with the level of citizens' education;
•	the highest satisfaction and most information are associated with the post of mayor, less with the municipal administration and least of all with the council and board – this ordering is clear proof of the effect of communication; mayors are reported in the press, appear on TV and speak on the radio. Their identity, therefore, is distinct and clearly presented;
•	in villages and towns where the council strives to improve communication with the public, the level of satisfaction of citizens and their interest in council activities increases;
•	personal experience with council services was reported by approximately 43% of all respondents (34% reported occasional experience, 9% reported frequent experience). It appears that satisfaction with the council depends more on the degree of information available on it than on personal experience with its services. What is reported is more important than how well, in fact, the services operate.

In assessing the image of the council in terms of corporate culture, citizens were surveyed on their opinions about:
•	competence and professional performance;
•	willingness to help and open behavior in relation to citizens;
•	financial competence and property management (buildings and building sites); 
•	respect for the needs and wishes of citizens;
•	whether municipal institutions could be trusted or not (Foretová and Foret 1996).

1.	The highest ratings were obtained for the professional conduct and open behavior of the municipal administration. Apparently, citizens have no doubts about its professional standards.

2.	Negative responses such as “I don’t know,” “I can’t tell,” or “I’m not interested” were most frequent in the evaluation of elected bodies (42%) and less frequent in relation to the function of the mayor (30%).

3.	Satisfaction with the council is most often associated with the impression that the representatives have good standards, are open and willing to help, and respect the needs and wishes of their constituents. The least satisfaction with council work was found in relation to economic issues. Citizens usually do not understand such issues and therefore failed to express an opinion.

4.	Satisfaction with administrative performance is most frequently related to the amount of information available to citizens and also to what extent their needs are respected. Citizens are satisfied with the work of representatives, provided representatives are helpful and open, and with the mayor if he/she displays high professional standards.

2.7 Public Opinion Polls
Compared with foreign countries, public opinion research in the Czech Republic is a neglected communication tool, particularly at the village and town levels. In the Communicating Town project, a public opinion survey provided a starting point for further activities. The project engaged secondary school and university students in all research locations. The students carried out guided interviews, which allowed a wide population sample to participate in a discussion on relevant issues. Some findings were presented in newspapers, thus enabling the public to learn that their councils were interested in them and the quality of their lives.

The research consisted of two parts. In the first part, a village or a town responded to questions concerning problems specific to their town, while the second part of the research included issues common to all communities involved in the project in order to provide comparative data. This helped to disclose general rules relating to the selected topic. In this respect, the Communicating Town project can be compared with the Eurobarometer project as carried out in European Union member-states and the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
	
The fact that citizens are asked their opinions does not mean that all the council’s activities and decision-making will reflect these views. The objective of polling is to monitor the degree of information on and awareness of a given issue, and to facilitate the possibility of preventing any problem that might arise or to explain and justify the proposed solution. Polling, therefore, can help identify any interruptions in the flow of information to the public and can prevent the necessity to postpone decisions that are important for the further development of a town or village.

Public opinion polls may reveal differences between information possessed by the elected or executive bodies and that available to the average citizen. Repeated opinion research may help to monitor the proximity or distance between the views of these two parties. Opinion polls also assist the municipal council in learning about the views of the silent majority in contrast to citizens who have the tendency to lodge frequent complaints with the town hall staff. The polls provide an opportunity for the council to ascertain whether the opinions of the silent majority are less aggressive and contradictory than those held by groups or individuals pursuing only their own particular interests.

2.7.1 Utilizing the Results of Public Opinion Polls
One of the most important functions of conducting public opinion polls is, of course, gathering feedback, which makes researchers and officials aware of the respondents’ assessment of a given situation and offers suggestions for the resolution of the problem at hand. This may be used during the initial analysis of a situation in order to obtain primary information, or in the evaluation of the results ensuing from the implementation of particular series of steps or measures. In both instances, data obtained is essential for further activities and tasks.

In addition, an opinion survey both encourages citizens to realize the complexity of given issues and allows respondents to appreciate that their opinions are valued and valid and will be used in appropriate situations. Opinion polls demonstrate the intention to prevent potential complaints and conflicts. Appreciation of a constituency’s views is best documented by the fact that the contractors have spent considerable efforts and financial resources in order to acquire deeper insight into these groups' opinions.

Public opinion polls and marketing surveys provide positive direct communication with citizens – or customers. A broad sample of the population has a chance to express their opinions in a democratic and free manner. The wording of questions and design of possible answers offered lead both the researchers and the respondents to a deeper understanding of a complexity of problems and a range of possibilities for their resolution. There is rarely only one correct solution; more often than not, there are several options, some of which may be less acceptable for one or more of the parties involved.

These opinion surveys also provide an important instrument for cooperation with the mass media. Their published results are acceptable to the public, and public opinion researchers can recruit press reporters to focus on issues considered important, to publicize preferable solutions or to provide a more detailed explanation of “hot issues.”

2.7.2 Reliability of Public Opinion Polls and Marketing Surveys 
First, it is necessary to decide which issue should be investigated and why, i.e., to define the research subject. Such research is usually justified by the necessity to resolve a current critical situation. On the other hand, a community with the prosperity of future generations in mind may want to deal with issues of future development in relation to protecting the environment.

Second, the choice of respondents is important and is determined by the type of opinion the investigator seeks to target. If, for instance, the development of tourism is the object of an opinion poll, views on safety or crime in the town can be collected from visitors or tourists. If, on the other hand, the issue involves improving living conditions and community satisfaction, residents of the town will be approached.

Third, it is important to define the purpose for which the results will be used. In communication with citizens or the press (such as on issues concerning the town’s public relations), a simple questionnaire or public inquiry will be sufficient, and the target sample does not need to be too large. If, however, the findings are intended to serve as a basis for important action or decision-making, the selection of the target groups and the method of data collection should be made with great care. The purpose of the research should determine how information is gathered, its statistical evaluation, the interpretation of results, and proposals for further action.

Fourth, the contractor should make the results of opinion surveys available to other parties and to benefit the public. Important conclusions should be presented to city representatives and to citizens, newspapers or other stakeholders. Even if no practical application is likely to ensue, it is useful to publish the survey results and, perhaps, explain circumstances which may have prevented their being used. The possibility that the findings will be unpopular or criticized in terms of reliability, representativeness, choice of questions, etc. must be accepted; despite its obvious positive contributions, public opinion research also has its limitations.

It can hardly be expected that one opinion poll will provide a solution to complex problems. A series of systematic public opinion research may be required to gradually reveal, define, and analyze the problem at various levels (village, town, city or regional). If this research also produces critical views, there is no point in overlooking or hiding them. On the contrary, these opinions should be analyzed in a broader context, and their causes should be identified.

The objective of opinion research should be to disclose the degree to which citizens are informed about various problems, and to present research findings in a manner which assists in defining and understanding issues currently under discussion.

Some councils, particularly in small towns and villages, are capable of collecting data themselves. However, even in the case of internal surveys conducted by the staff of a local council, external expert assistance is recommended, particularly for evaluating statistics and interpreting the poll’s findings. Local governments usually do not possess the specialized software for such analysis, and it is always more acceptable to the public if conclusions leading to important decisions are supported by an independent expert organization.

2.8 Corruption
The research carried out in 1998 in selected Czech and Slovak towns also included several questions concerning corruption. The authors inquired as to whether corruption was considered a widespread phenomenon with adverse affects on the community, and also who were perceived to be the individuals or groups involved. Approximately 45% of the respondents believed corruption to have a significant impact on their village or town, and almost 40% considered corruption to be a widespread phenomenon.

As the size of the town increased, a larger number of citizens were suspicious of corruption in their council administration. Corruption has become a part of the council image. However, the nature of corruption, its roots and means for fighting it, are not widely recognized by the average citizen. Based on respondents' comments and informal discussions with council representatives, the current understanding of corruption appears to be rather vague.

Statewide research does not usually include opinions on the legal aspects of public administration. Legislation, for instance, does not draw a clear line between tax evasion and a criminal offense in terms of accepting a financial gift. Reasons for and the consequences of corruption have not yet been seriously analyzed. It is one thing to tip a hairdresser, but it is a different matter when a municipal clerk requires “assistance” in order to carry out a legitimate function of his job. A clerk might, perhaps, seek a bribe for supplying a piece of information on routine administrative matters. Accepting money for awarding a state contract is a much more serious offense. In such cases, where does one draw the dividing line between corruption and accepting a bonus?

The research has shown that if corruption is to be prevented, structural weak points in state administration that allow for the proliferation of a culture of corruption must first be identified.

2.9 Uniform Visual Style
A uniform visual style is part of a corporate identity and indicates a high standard of corporate culture, representing both the council and the town. A visual style is based on the development and firm acceptance of a uniform design manual which covers several aspects of municipal branding: the use of specific colors, the town insignia and other symbols for various occasions, the style of municipal correspondence and publications, the design and color of municipal police cars, the uniform appearance of municipal transportation stops, etc.

A design manual includes descriptions of the town insignia and the town emblem or logos for various institutions associated with the local government. A uniform visual style is also closely related to the development of a strong orientation system in the council buildings or a town information system. The use of town symbols not only facilitates physical orientation, but also represents the identity and image of a town and its council and serves as a unifying element helping citizens to deal with common problems.

A uniform visual style usually stems from local traditions and is, at the same time, a message for future generations. By using simple symbols, the uniform visual style promotes citizens' identity and gathers them into a community.

2.10 Museums
One of the important state- or town-based institutions is the museum. It also plays a role in identifying citizens with their cities or towns. Museums are not just collections of items marked by inventory numbers, but are, in fact, important tools in municipal marketing regardless of who is responsible for their establishment.

Unfortunately, in the Czech Republic, the involvement of museums in informational, educational and public-awareness activities has been reduced. In open, democratic societies, museums have been used to consolidate and reaffirm experience, not only historical, but also sociological, economic, etc.

Since the 1950s, experts have become aware of the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to presenting an issue and the need to comprehend issues and events in their historical context. With this in mind, the Communicating Town project included collaboration with some selected museums. Examples of museums that help to shape the identity of a company or a town are the Škoda car company museum in Mladá Boleslav or the Museum of Beer in Plzeň (Foretová, Foret and Gole 1998).
	
Chapter 3

3.1 Principles for Communication between the Council and the Public
The economic and business development of any town, improvement of its infrastructure, increasing the quality of everyday life for its residents while strengthening democracy and developing a civil society are goals directly related to the ability to communicate. If any town, city or region wishes to achieve these objectives, a strategy must be set up and priorities defined. It must be clear what needs to be done immediately and what can be dealt with at a later stage, what funds are presently available and what additional resources must be sought and from where. These issues should be discussed among town representatives, clerical and executive staff, entrepreneurs, specialists and the public.

Each community member should take their share of responsibility for the harmonious development of their town or village and should also be willing to devote adequate time and energy to these ends. To be able to cooperate necessitates understanding the interrelation of issues and problems in a given area and a willingness to compromise when necessary.

Problems become greater and communication more difficult as towns increase in size. The council in a large town deals with a broad range of social and demographic population groups with different abilities to receive and understand information. It should, therefore, use all available means of communication and develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing the public. Its concepts and plans for town development must be clearly formulated and explained, and the council may even need to make their citizens accept steps which have no obvious relation to everyday life. Municipal personnel should be able to communicate with each other in a clear and creative manner and should observe ethical rules. It cannot be expected that the staff’s conduct will change spontaneously. This will require consistently cultivating relevant skills in council representatives, employees and politicians through the creation of supportive conditions.

Marketing has not been a traditional activity in community administration. If used, it is carried out without co-ordination, without a clear definition of goals or target audience. Philip Kotler defines marketing a town as a set of activities designed to create, maintain or change the knowledge of and attitudes and behavior towards certain places (Kotler 1995). The objective of community marketing is to bring new citizens, visitors or investors into the town, region or state. The definition does not, however, take the citizens, entrepreneurs or institutions already in the town into consideration.

The harmonious development of a town is based on a plan, concept or strategy. The council must have both short and long term goals and implement them under generally accepted rules using relevant instruments. The latter are defined by law (e.g., the city master plan) or are developed by the council (e.g., a system of public transport service or a general plan for supplying energy).

The council’s method of presenting these instruments to relevant segments of the public or target groups is very important and may considerably affect the life of a town and the relationship of a town’s population to the local council. It is, therefore, necessary to identify potential implementation problems and to strive for efficiency.

3.2 Starting Points and Objectives of Communication Strategy
Development strategies and instruments for their implementation have evolved to facilitate the co-ordination and management of town life, i.e., to ensure that the town is citizen-friendly, supports prospective investors, has a good tourism policy, shows positive economic performance and respects the environment.

When formulating a communication strategy, a council must carefully consider the following:
•	goal formulation must be based on selecting variables related to specific local features in accordance with the law. This should be emphasized when the goals are presented to citizens;
•	technical data for decision making is usually provided by experts for each of the fields considered (e.g., master plan, energy supply estimates, etc.), and it is essential that the board of representatives fully understand them before taking any executive action;
•	an important part of a council’s strategy is to inform citizens of major plans well in advance, allowing for discussion of their advantages and disadvantages and for making citizens recognize that the plans will be beneficial to both the town’s development and their own lives;
•	the implementation of means to administer a community should follow clearly defined rules so that there is no room for corruption or trickery. The citizen should be made aware of possible risks of misinterpreting regulations and should be advised how to avoid these dangers.

Communication with citizens should not be restricted to the mere provision of information. Information which will be presented should be systematically collected and processed to clearly explain plans and to engage the citizens. This procedure should lead to coordinating and controlling town activities and should elicit feedback from the population.

3.2.1 Common Mistakes
Communication between the council and the public fails if:
•	internal co-operation is not functioning, i.e., there is poor communication between the elected and executive bodies or among the municipal departments;
•	the generally poor legal awareness of citizens is not taken into account;
•	if responses to criticism are inadequate, e.g., emotional rather than action-oriented;
•	communication strategies do not exist and there is no interest in developing them;
•	the existence of different target groups is not taken into account;
•	explanatory or communication instruments are not applied well in advance;
•	information provided is not concise and comprehensible;
•	feedback is not sought;
•	council staff do not realize that they have much more information than the average citizen;
•	citizens are not given an opportunity to recognize how much effort, time and care have been spent dealing with the issues of their everyday lives.

3.3 Target groups
An important step in marketing communication is the selection of target groups. This is related to the targeted objectives of the local council. The groups likely to be approached are:

Clerical and executive staff who have to be familiar with general council policy even if each has his/her specific task. They should know the major goals, decisions and conclusions that affect the performance of their community, and the rules by which these are implemented.

Members of the board of representatives who are the decision-makers in community development concepts and strategies. Their action is based on the needs, preferences and opinions of their voters, and they should be able to advocate policies in relation to the general strategy for community development.

Investors, large companies, coming into a town with investment plans should be informed of the council’s development strategies, its environmental protection activities and its policy ensuring the town’s economic performance. Municipal representatives who are truly interested in investors should demonstrate their interest and willingness to compete with other towns.

Additional groups which must be considered include: Administrators and owners of housing estates, housing associations and real estates that reconstruct or build housing facilities; small investors, builders of family dwellings or landowners; designers and design studios who/which provide services to both small and large investors.

All citizens who, at the same time, may be members of the above groups or informed voters. They should understand council strategies guiding communal development including attracting investors, creating new jobs, and effectively managing energy, gas and water distribution and sewage systems.

3.3.1 Target Group Selection	
When discussing communication in this context, the general definition of a target group is not sufficient. To specify a target group means to be able to fully characterize it and define it in terms of the specific issue with which the communication is concerned. An “investor,” for instance, might be a company with as many as 300 or as few as 3 employees. It might be a producer or a trading company, prosperous or near bankruptcy. Lastly, when evaluating the results of communication with a selected target group, attention should also be paid to assessing the efficiency of this process.

3.4 Instruments of Communication
The selection of communication instruments is based on information available on target groups. Choice is limited mainly by available funds, but other factors, such as the speed of communication from the council to its constituents, may also play a role.

The most effective instrument is direct communication (face to face). This includes personal meetings, workshops, seminars, dealing with specialists, etc. This manner of communicating is highly effective but time consuming, and only reaches a limited number of persons. A broader public can be approached at a press conferences or at various cultural and social events, particularly if these are covered by the mass media.

Indirect communication is most commonly mediated by the local press and radio broadcasting. The former may include a council bulletin or circular, a local cultural review, a building association newsletter or a regional newspaper. Local newspapers are favored by Czech citizens because the population still holds the “printed word” in great respect, and printed information can be stored and referred to later. This category also includes leaflets, brochures and flyers – means which are commonly used abroad. These are available at the council’s information center, planning department or other, similar, offices. Citizens who are interested usually know where to look for them.

Additional means of communicating with the public include: noticeboards displayed in the town hall, high-rise buildings or in selected places of the town; exhibitions on council strategies (these, however, are not yet common in the Czech Republic); competitions for school children or quizzes in a local newspaper; and, if well propagated, donations, grants, various allowance or investments.

3.4.1 Mistakes in Selecting Instruments
When formulating a communication strategy, councils must be aware of several potential problems, including:
•	a single article or advertisement in a local newspaper is of no value. Several instruments that are complementary and provide a synergetic effect should be used;
•	bad timing can be avoided by working out an appropriate schedule;
•	communication without the prospect of a long-term relationship between the council and the public does not bring any benefit.

3.5 Communication Content 
The most important items to be communicated by the council to the public are as follows:
•	essential information on the development strategies for the community;
•	essential information on the local government and the state and municipal administration performance;
•	information on economic management;
•	information on services provided by the council;
•	information to promote corporate identity;
•	information increasing mutual understanding and respect.

3.5.1 Mistakes in Content 
Programs and goals of the council must be presented in a brief form but must include relevant instruments and modes of communication to the public. Even an excellent information leaflet issued by the council cannot substitute for the incompetence or indifference of municipal personnel, their lack of knowledge of contact persons, telephone numbers, working hours or the constitution of the board of representatives. Information is useless if not presented in a broader context and a comprehensible form. Lastly, it is essential that information provided by the council is credible. Communication aims at improving the relationship between the council and the public and this must constantly be kept in mind.

3.6 Efficiency of Communication and Feedback
Feedback can be sought by monitoring the following:
•	selected decision making processes;
•	creation of indices and time series for comparing data over several years;
•	collection of statistical data.

The success of any campaign to disseminate information may be monitored through public opinion polls and opinion surveys of municipal clerical and executive staff and the board of representatives. The system of monitoring statistical data as well as the level of information among the council staff should be continually updated, completed and improved on the basis of the findings. Lastly, communication to the public or marketing town communication is a continuous process that overlaps any one term of office for the elected representatives.

Chapter 4

4.1 The Communicating Town Project: Research Findings from 1997 and 1998
In 1997, a total of 15 extensive research programs were carried out in the Czech Republic within the framework of the Communicating Town project. Fourteen dealt with citizens' opinions on life in their towns, and one addressed public opinion on the town of Liberec's municipal zoning plan. The towns studied fell into three categories:
•	small towns with populations of approximately 3,000 inhabitants (Lázně Bohdaneč in the Eastern Bohemia region, Loštice in the Northern Moravia region).
•	medium sized towns with populations over 10,000 inhabitants (Rokycany – 15,000; Šternberk – 15,000; Svitavy – 17,000; Třebíč – 40,000).
•	larger towns with populations over 100,000 inhabitants (Hradec Králové – 100,000; Liberec – 100,000; Plzeň – 175,000; Ostrava – 330,000).

Data was collected using a system of standardized interviews with groups ranging from 300 to 500 people. This number depended on the size of the town, and persons interviewed were chosen randomly from among the town's residents who were over 18 years of age. More than 3,500 public records were statistically evaluated.
	
In 1998, research was carried out in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics at Matěj Bela University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. It consisted of eight large programs that studied and compared citizens’ opinions on council performance in both Czech and Slovak towns. These fell into three categories: 
•	small towns (Kremnica with a population of 6,000 and Nová Baňa with a population of 9,000); 
•	medium sized towns (Frenštát pod Radhoštěm – 12,000; Kutná Hora – 22,000; Košice-ahanovce – 22,000; Pezinok – 22,000; Trenčín – 59,000);
•	larger towns (represented by the Slovak town of Prešov with 93,000 inhabitants).

Data collection and analysis techniques, as well as selection and size of respondent samples, remained the same as in 1997. Again a fair number – more than 2,700 – public records were statistically evaluated. The 1997 findings are discussed in sections two through six of this chapter, and a comparison of findings from the Czech and the Slovak Republics will be presented in section seven.

4.2 Working, Business and Living Conditions
4.2.1 Jobs and Businesses
Job opportunities were reported to be poor by 49% of respondents, as average by 28% of respondents, and as good by only 13% of the respondents. The remaining 21% had no opinion. This view was strongly related to the town's size and reported as good by 6%, 8% and 18% and as bad by 42%, 29% and 21% of the respondents in small, medium and large towns, respectively.

Conditions for establishing and running private enterprises were perceived in a similar way; however, 29% of the respondents had no opinion on the matter. Overall, conditions were regarded as average by 34% of the citizens interviewed. In relation to town size, conditions were reported as good by 10%, 18% and 24% of the respondents from small, medium and large towns, respectively. From this data it was concluded that people were generally dissatisfied with job possibilities and had little interest in opportunities to engage in private entrepreneurship.

4.2.2 Living Conditions
The majority of respondents (57%) believed their living conditions to be average, 26% considered them good and 16% bad. Only 1% of the respondents did not express an opinion.

The standard of living was perceived by 28% of the project participants as better, by 40% as unchanged and by 28% as worse than in 1990. This response was not related to the size of the town in which the respondents lived, but rather to their education levels. Where citizens had higher levels of education, the evaluation of their lifestyle was higher. On the whole, 17% of the respondents with elementary education or apprentice training, 29% of participants with secondary education, and 46% of university graduates thought their standard of living was good (similarly, 17%, 33% and 47% of the respondents in the respective categories considered their living conditions to be better than in 1990).

Thus, town size has an impact on the creation of job opportunities and on chances for private business; the disadvantages of small towns are apparent. Living standards and socioeconomic conditions are related to the level of education.

4.3 Evaluation of the Local Government
It was of interest to find out how citizens evaluate various aspects of the performance of the three components of their municipal council:
1.	council administration, i.e., clerical and executive staff;
2.	elected representatives and the board;
3.	mayor.

In relation to each council component, opinions were sought concerning respondents’ satisfaction with the particular group's work, on the amount of information available on its activities, and personal experience, if any, when dealing with it and the overall council image. The overall council image was evaluated on the basis of the following characteristics:
•	professional standards (standard);
•	willingness to help and open behavior (openness);
•	financial competence and the ability to manage public property (competence);
•	respect for citizens’ needs and wishes (respect);
•	credibility (credibility).

Citizens' satisfaction with each of the council levels was related to the criteria defined above, i.e., the five characteristics previously mentioned and with information levels (information) and personal experience (experience) with the council administration. These were assessed by means of the Cramer coefficient V (gains values between 0 and 1). The results presented in the tables below are based on the average values from all towns in which this survey was conducted.

4.3.1 Council Administration
Satisfaction
More respondents were satisfied than dissatisfied (47% against 29%) with the performance of their council administration, but 24% of them did not express an opinion. Satisfaction was indirectly related to town size. In small towns, 83% of the respondents were satisfied while in medium and big towns this was only 45% and 41%, respectively.

Information Level
The percent of respondents (43%) who felt insufficiently informed about council activities was larger than that of the citizens (34%) who believed they had enough information. It is, therefore, in the interest of municipal authorities to increase the level of information they provide as information flows are closely related to the citizens’ evaluation of municipal performance. From the group of sufficiently informed respondents, 69% were satisfied with their council administration’s performance, while only 40% of the less well informed groups were satisfied. 

The quantity of information received was indirectly related to town size but directly related to education levels. In small, medium and large towns, 57%, 33% and 31% of all respondents, respectively, believed they were sufficiently informed. In groups of respondents with basic (including apprentice) education, secondary school education or university education, 29%, 36% and 46%, respectively, thought they were sufficiently informed about their councils’ activities.

Personal Experience
Less than half of all respondents (43%) had approached the council with a request or application in any one given year. Out of this group, 9% visited city offices repeatedly while 34% only dropped by occasionally. Their personal experience, however, had less effect on their evaluation of the municipal council’s performance than the level of relevant information available. In this assessment, public awareness of the council’s performance was more important than direct experience with its municipal services.

From those who came into contact with the municipal authority, more (33%) were satisfied than dissatisfied (14%). Satisfaction was more often associated with occasional visits (in 73%) rather than more frequent ones (67%). There was more satisfaction with municipal services in small towns (51%) than in medium (36%) or large (28%) towns.

Image
In order to assess the council's image, respondents were asked their opinions on the previously defined characteristics of the staff. The results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Image of the Council based on staff’s characteristics					
					
	Above average	Average	Below average	No opinion	
Standard	13 %	46 %	7 %	34 %	
Openness	13 %	41 %	13 %	33 %	
Competence	10 %	32 %	16 %	42 %	
Respect	10 %	37 %	19 %	34 %	
Credibility	10 %	39 %	19 %	32 %	

This evaluation was also influenced by town size -- as towns grew bigger, opinions were less favorable. The degree of open behavior and willingness to help, for instance, was regarded as above average by 36% of the respondents in small towns, but only by 14% and 9% in medium and large towns, respectively.

Public satisfaction with the council administration in relation to the defined characteristics of the clerical and executive staff is expressed by means of the Cramer V coefficient in Table 2.

Table 2: Satisfaction with the council  administration based on selected characteristics

	Value of coefficient V	
Information	0,37	
Experience 	0,17	
Standard 	0,28	
Openness	0,3	
Competence 	0,25	
Respect	0,31	
Average	0,28	

4.3.2 Elected Representatives and the Board
Satisfaction
More respondents were satisfied (33%) than dissatisfied (24%) with the performance of their elected representatives and the board. This assessment, however, was lower than that of the council administration. It was surprising that nearly half (43%) of all respondents did not express an opinion. As town size decreased, citizens' satisfaction increased: 31% of them, respectively, were satisfied with their elected representatives in medium and large towns and 52% in small towns.

Information Level
Enough information on the elected representatives and the board was reported by 44% and not enough by 26% of the respondents. This was worse than in the case of the council, and there were also more respondents who had no opinion or were not interested. Information levels are directly related to citizens’ satisfaction with their municipal authorities – the better the flow of information, the greater the public's satisfaction. Out of the citizens who described themselves as well-informed, 67% were satisfied in contrast with only 28% of respondents from the poorly informed category.

The overall level of information was influenced by town-size and citizens’ education. Respondents with a low level of education felt they were poorly informed (2%), those with secondary and university education reported that they had enough information (25% and 36%, respectively).

Image
The results of the evaluation of the image of elected representatives, based on their members’ characteristics, are shown in Table 3. 

Table 3: Image of  elected representatives and the board					
					
	Above average	Average	Below average	No opinion	
Standard	9 %	43 %	7 %	41 %	
Openness	9 %	34 %	13 %	44 %	
Competence	9 %	31 %	16 %	44 %	
Respect	8 %	35 %	17 %	40 %	
Credibility	7 %	36 %	16 %	41 %	

Many of the respondents either could not give an opinion, or they regarded their representatives’ qualities as average. In comparison with the image of the council staff, this level of the council scored low.

Public satisfaction with elected bodies in relation to the selected characteristics of their representatives is expressed by means of the Cramer V coefficient in Table 4. The coefficient values for the selected criteria are higher than those for the evaluation of the council staff.

Table 4: Satisfaction with elected bodies based on selected characteristics

	Value of coefficient V	
Information	0,29	
Standard 	0,36	
Openness	0,38	
Competence 	0,32	
Respect	0,35	
Credibility 	0,31	
Average 	0,34	

It appears that citizens appreciate the openness and willingness of elected representatives more than their professional standards and respect for citizen’s needs. The least important aspect, in contrast to the municipal staff, was found to be the level of information available on the activities of the representatives and the board.

4.3.3 The Mayor
Satisfaction
The mayor’s performance was reported as satisfactory by 53% and unsatisfactory by 25% of all respondents; 22% were not able to give an opinion. Satisfaction was again related to town size, with 85% of citizens being satisfied in small towns, and 54% and 47% in medium and large towns, respectively.

Information Level
Citizens who were well informed about the activities of their mayor were more satisfied with his/her performance in office than those who lacked this information (80% as opposed to 45%). 46% of all respondents felt they were sufficiently informed while 34% did not.

Education levels and the size of the town in which respondents lived were related to the level of information citizens had about their mayor. In small, medium and large towns, the proportions of sufficiently-informed citizens were 57%, 33% and 31%, respectively. When related to education, the values were 27%, 38% and 44% for subjects with basic, secondary and university education, respectively.

Image
The evaluation of the mayor by means of the selected criteria is shown in Table 5. From the three levels of municipal authorities, the mayor gained the highest appraisal. His/her most highly appreciated characteristic was professionalism.

Table 5: Image of the Mayor					
					
	Above average	Average	Below average	No opinion	
Standard	32 %	37 %	8 %	23 %	
Openness	25 %	33 %	11 %	31 %	
Competence	17 %	32 %	14 %	37 %	
Respect	19 %	36 %	15 %	30 %	
Credibility	24 %	35 %	13 %	29 %	

Town size plays a role in the results of a mayors’ evaluation. The larger the town, the lower the score. For instance, the mayor’s respect for citizens’ wishes and needs was assessed as “above average” by 54%, 18% and 14% of the respondents from small, medium and large towns, respectively.

Citizens’ satisfaction with their mayor’s performance in office in relation to the selected characteristics is expressed by the Cramer V coefficient in Table 6. The most important factors when formulating a positive evaluation of the mayor's office was his/her professional standards and the respect for citizens’ wishes and needs. The degree of information available to citizens on the mayor’s performance was considered less important.

Table 6: Satisfaction with the mayor based on selected characteristics

	Value of coefficient V	
Information	0,35	
Standard 	0,45	
Openness	0,4	
Competence 	0,37	
Respect	0,42	
Credibility 	0,4	
Average	0,4	

4.3.4 Conclusion
Respondents' level of satisfaction is related to the availability of sufficient information on the activities of local, or state, administration; the fact that the elected representatives are obliging and open to public problems; and that the mayor has authority based upon his professionalism. At all three levels (council, elected representatives and board, mayor) financial competence and the ability to manage communal property were the most difficult to assess by means of public opinion polls.

4.4 Differences among Towns

The three categories of municipal authorities as evaluated by the respondents of all ten towns involved in the project are presented in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The situation, related to citizens’ satisfaction with the council and their information on its activities, was better in small towns than in medium and large ones. The Communicating Town project showed that, generally, the latter groups should focus more on their communication with the public.

Findings gathered in the ten towns involved in the Communicating Town project, i.e., towns which have received special attention for some time, do not necessarily, provide a representative picture of all the towns in the Czech Republic. Participating in the project required an expressed interest, activity and, to some extent, even courage from the councils as they would learn their population’s potentially critical opinion of their performance. The general situation in Czech municipalities might be much worse.

4.5 Comparison between Czech and British Towns
Based on the results of research carried out in the Czech Republic in 1997 and similar data collected in the same year in Ipswich, Great Britain, comparisons were made on the international level. The Czech towns and Ipswich are comparable in terms of size and role in regional administration. In all towns, the same method of data collection (i.e., standardized interviews) was used. The Ipswich sample included 585 persons, 16 years or older, selected by quota sampling in Ipswich, and about 500 persons, 18 years and older, were randomly selected in each participating Czech town. A basic comparison can be made from the evaluation of council’s performance as measured by citizens’ satisfaction (Table 7).

Table 7: Satisfaction of citizens with council’s performance

	Ipswich	Czech Towns	
Satisfied citizens	68%	40%	
Dissatisfied citizens	4%	34%	
No opinion	28%	26%	
Total	100%	100%	

About the same proportion of respondents (more than one quarter) in the two countries were not able to give an opinion. The differences between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, however, were considerable. In Ipswich, about 70% of all respondents were satisfied with their council’s performance; in the Czech towns this number was only 40%. Very few respondents (4%) were dissatisfied in Ipswich while, in the Czech Republic, 34% were dissatisfied.

4.5.1 Ipswich Council’s Performance
The positive response from Ipswich respondents can be attributed to the fact that the council cares for the town using available municipal funds in the most efficient way possible. The results of its audits are among the best in Great Britain, and the council has thus received several awards which received coverage in the media. In addition, the council has paid attention to communication with its citizens for some time. It regards them as its customers and, using a marketing approach, it strives to provide good services. Communication with the public has various forms and is taken as a matter of fact rather than deliberate effort. All municipal bodies are interrelated and open to insiders as well as outsiders.

The citizens’ relationship with the town has developed with reference to the previous generations’ achievements and emphasis on their share in responsibilities for the town’s development. Heritage, a word linking the present with the past, whether historical buildings or traditions, has a much broader meaning, than a merely formal reference to history.

The council disseminates information plentifully and provides numerous opportunities for citizens to comment, criticize or influence its policy. It is worth mentioning that opinion surveys dealing with community issues are presented in connection with various forms of contests, competitions and awards programs (theater tickets, swimming pool entrance fees, etc.). Special incentives are provided by the municipal bodies involved. 

For more than 10 years, each family has received a free monthly journal, The Angle. The authors use this newsletter as an example of an efficient, informative council publication in their courses on public relations in towns and villages in the Czech Republic.

High approval levels for the Ipswich Council are also a result of other activities, such as those related to unemployment and the creation of new jobs. One example of the latter is the case of the local brewery. The brewery is one of the town's important historical buildings, is part of a long town tradition and has an interesting history. Despite this, it recently became unprofitable. Therefore, the council decided to include it as part of a sightseeing tour of Ipswich. During a town excursion, visitors can learn everything about beer-making, its history and, in a special program designed for economics students, get to know how and why the brewery found itself in this difficult situation. As a result, the brewery still functions, though to a limited extent, and provides jobs for some workers, restaurant employees, guides and lecturers.

More than half (56%) of all respondents thought the Ipswich council should make business promotion and employment its priority. Only 26% believed that the council should devote more attention to environmental issues. More careful communal property management and more interest in providing leisure time facilities was expressed by 18% of all respondents. The Ipswich council operates indoor swimming pools, concert and assembly halls, and museums are free.

4.5.2 Job Opportunities
In the Czech Republic, job creation and business promotion activities are issues which, in the opinion of respondents, should receive more attention from town councils. A total of 40% of all respondents thought that the creation of job opportunities was poor and that councils should become more involved. Opportunities for private enterprise were considered bad by 16% of respondents, and 30% were not interested in this issue.

The Ipswich council carried out a survey to find out what prevented the unemployed from obtaining jobs. The most frequent responses among women were:
•	lack of day-care facilities for pre-school children (28%);
•	high prices of services associated with care for small children (27%);
•	low education levels (13%).

Men most often gave the following reasons:
•	too old (23%);
•	poor health or a disability (23%);
•	low level of qualification (13%);
•	insufficient experience (13%).

The most frequent reasons for job loss given by female respondents were pregnancy and the need to care for infants (50%). Those reported by male respondents were job cuts (27%) or injury or illness (23%).

4.6 Specific Findings
The interview section, allowing councils to seek citizens' opinion on specific or “hot” issues in each town investigated, provided the following results:

4.6.1 Development in Loštice
A comparison of two opinion surveys carried out within two years' time showed that citizen’s satisfaction with the council’s performance increased while their positive evaluation of the elected bodies decreased considerably, by almost 20%, or they had no opinion (Tables 8 and 9). These responses were reflected in a progressive loss of respect for the elected representatives, but a growing appreciation of the work of the council staff.

Table 8: Satisfaction of citizens with council administration, 1995 and 1997

	1995	1997	
Satisfied	80%	83%	
Dissatisfied	16%	9%	

Table 9: Satisfaction of citizens with elected representatives and the board, 1995 and 1997

	1995	1997	
Satisfied	71%	52%	
Dissatisfied	15%	13%	

4.6.2 Negative Results and their Contribution
In Třebíč, specific interview questions were aimed at finding out how many families owned personal computers because the council had planned to use this medium to communicate with town residents. The finding that only a small proportion of the population (23%) owned this technology made it apparent that the time for this means of communication had not yet come.

4.6.3 Importance of Unique Sporting Events
Uncommon sporting events play an important role in developing a town’s image, distinguishing it from many other similar towns, and promoting enterprise and tourism. The project’s survey in Šternberk, for instance, showed that its citizens support and appreciate the European Championship Automobile Rally which takes place in their town; 87% of the respondents believe that this event, known as the Ecce Homo Race, is a boon for the town. The respondents who most frequently held this view were employed persons, university graduates and men.

In Liberec, citizens were asked their opinion of the World Championship in Classical Ski Disciplines to be held in the Liberec–Jablonec mountain region in 2003. About two-thirds of all respondents (64%) were convinced that this event would positively influence the town's development. This was mostly the opinion of university graduates, private entrepreneurs and young people (18 to 24 years of age).

4.6.4 Citizens’ Opinions Regarding Council Investment Plans
In Hradec Králové, a public opinion survey concerning the building of large supermarkets showed the importance of public opinion in decision-making. Further development of an existing supermarket near the Gumokov factory, which is regularly visited by 15% and, at times, by 45% of all town residents, was supported by 65% of all respondents. On the other hand, only 37% of all respondents approved of building a new Magnum supermarket in one of the town's suburbs. 34% of all respondents were against it. In giving the reasons for this building activity, the council, therefore, should use public relations instruments to explain and justify its intentions.

4.6.5 Retrospective Evaluation of Major Town Investments
In some instances, town representatives have made decisions about significant investments without first seeking citizens’ views on the issue. The Communicating Town research thus focused on finding out what the citizens thought about the given expenditure afterwards. Two medium-size towns were selected. In Svitavy, the town undertook a complete renovation of the main square. This increased the attractiveness of the place and made its citizens prouder of their city. Surveys showed that only 4% of all respondents believed the reconstruction to be unnecessary, while 92% considered it an improvement. This positive view was held by many young people, aged 18 to 24 years old, living in the town.

In Trebíc, the council began to renovate historical buildings, including the largest historical Jewish ghetto in the Czech Republic. Although completing this project will incur very high investment costs, citizens realize the importance and future benefits of the renovations. This is reflected in poll responses, in which 92% of all respondents said that they support this investment.

4.6.6 Citizens’ Interest in Town Development Activities
It is commonly known that citizens are generally not interested in taking part in the preparation of municipal administrative policies, such as community budget proposals, development plans, etc. The Hradec Kralové council used data gathered by the Communicating Town project to learn if citizens would attend a public meeting dealing with the creation of further municipal development strategies for the town. Only 40% of all respondents gave an affirmative response; of these 53% were university graduates and only 25% were young people aged between 18 and 24 years.

In Ostrava, only one-third of all respondents was interested in their town's organization and administration. Members of this group belonged mostly to one of three categories: university graduates (57%), private entrepreneurs (58%) and middle-aged citizens (43%).

In Liberec, research revealed that citizens' participation in communal policy making is directly related to the level of their education. In a special survey we asked citizens about their opinion of the town's proposed zoning plan. It appeared that 80% of the respondents wanted to know more about the plan. However, only 60% of this group was prepared to contribute their comments, and only 20% would take an active part in the plan's preparation. The more active participation was offered, the less interest was shown. In all questions asked, university graduates, private entrepreneurs and the middle-aged generation (35 to 59 years) showed the most interest.

4.6.7 Issues with Crime and Race
In Rokycany, citizens were asked to what extent they felt jeopardized by rising crime rates and whether they were aware of the existence of racism. Citizens who did not feel endangered were twice as many (62%) as those who were afraid, and 70% did not believe in the existence of racial problems in the town. Citizens did not relate increases in crime rates to the manifestation of racism.

In this special survey concerning crime, Rokycany residents were asked which population group presented the greatest threat to them. The answers offered did not include the Roma (Gypsies) as a category of risk-related citizens. Rather, Roma were listed under the general category of “others.” Three-quarters of the individuals who selected this category explicitly mentioned Roma in their answers. The “others” category as a whole was indicated by respondents as the most dangerous (28% of all respondents), recidivists were feared by 21%, thieves by 19% and extremists and skinheads by 16% of all respondents.

4.7 Comparisons with the Slovak Republic
The level of information available to citizens does not always play a major role in their satisfaction with the performance of their local government, i.e., administrative staff, elected representatives and the mayor. Figure 4 shows the degree of citizens’ satisfaction with the attitudes of the municipal staff. 

The highest level of satisfaction was found in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, where more than half of the population was satisfied, and only one third had no opinion. In this town, half of the respondents felt they had enough information on the councils’ activities. About 75% believed that a local television program was the best source of information about both council activities and town events. The regular council newsletter was regarded as the best source of information by only 16% of all respondents. The degree of citizens' satisfaction was found to be related to their age and education. Middle-aged citizens, those with a university education and employed people were satisfied, while young respondents aged 18 to 24 were not satisfied.

In Prešov, a large Slovak town, only one-third of all respondents was satisfied with the activities of the municipal staff. In the year 1998, however, less than one-half of the total number of respondents had any official experience with the council administration. 41% of the group of respondents, mainly citizens with lower education levels and women, reported no interest in the town council. The publication of a monthly council bulletin would be appreciated by 83% of the Prešov population, 10% were not interested, and the rest had no opinion.

In a comparison shown in Figure 5, citizens’ satisfaction with the performance of the mayor was always higher than that of the elected representatives and the board. The highest level of satisfaction was recorded in Nova Baňa (71%), a small Slovak town. With regards to elected bodies, people were usually more satisfied with the performance of representatives than with that of their board.

Despite a high degree of satisfaction with the elected bodies in Košice-ahanovce, a large percentage of its citizens believed that corruption in the municipal council and town offices was a wide-spread phenomenon unfavorably affecting town development. Better situations were recorded in Kutná Hora, Pezinok, Trenčín and Nova Baňa (Figure 6).

The improvement in living conditions during the previous electoral term (1994 to 1998) was highly appreciated by the respondents from Pezinok (Figure 7). Citizens aged between 25 and 34, university graduates, private entrepreneurs and women frequently regarded current living conditions as having improved, while young citizens, workers and men often felt that conditions remained unchanged. In an open question, respondents were invited to comment on specific improvements. A considerable proportion of all respondents appreciated the council’s care for their town’s appearance, including green areas and the reconstruction of old buildings and the extension of business networks. Some respondents, however, felt that the town was deteriorating, that business networks were inadequate, that low service standards existed, that there were not enough services available, and that the council’s financial policy was not transparent.

In this comparison, findings from Slovak towns showed that the influence of town size, citizens’ age and education, and the amount of available information were as important for the evaluation of local governments in Slovakia as they were in the Czech Republic.

Conclusion

The five years of study within the framework of the Communicating Town project have demonstrated that this project can provide valuable insight into many aspects of council and town policies. With each new year, additional towns express their interest in becoming involved in the project. Findings from Brno, Loštice and Zlín – towns where opinion surveys were repeated at intervals of between one and four years – indicate that the relationships between citizens and the council have improved. This is not to say that the improvements are solely due to these towns' involvement in the Communicating Town project. It is more likely that improvements can be attributed to the generally higher level of emphasis placed on communication between the council and the public. Local governments can develop this communication using the instruments and information provided at meetings and seminars convened by this publication's authors.

References

1. 	Foret, Miroslav. 1994. Komunikace s veřejností. Brno: Masaryk University.

2. 	Foret, Miroslav and Foretová, Věra. 1996. Komunikující město. Brno: Masaryk University.

3. 	Foret, Miroslav; Foretová, Věra and Gole, J. 1998. Communicating Town. Brno: Masaryk University.

4. 	Kotler, Philip. 1995. Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations. New York: Prentice Hall.