What is the YourSay Panel?
The YourSay Panel (“the Panel”) provides another opportunity for Canberrans to have their say and help government deliver better services, programs and policies for the community. Members can give their views and opinions by participating in activities like online surveys, discussion forums, focus groups and other activities.
The Panel is also an important listening tool for the ACT Government and also allows us to test new ideas with a representative sample of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) community so that our decisions are reflective of what the broader community thinks.
To ensure that as far as possible all groups in the ACT community are represented on the Panel, we ask that all new members first complete a profiling questionnaire which collects personal information including name (with the option of using a pseudonym), suburb, age range , email address and household demographics.
The personal information we collect from members helps us to target our activities at specific groups within the ACT community. We may also use this information when we are analysing data to help us to get a better understanding of the views and opinions of different groups within the community.
Who operates the Panel?
The ACT Government is assisted by a cloud service provider, Alida AU Pty (Alida), in managing the Panel. Administration access to the Panel will be restricted to authorised Alida representatives and authorised ACT Government staff from within the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD).
CMTEDD will ensure that all staff who conduct research and engagement activities through the Panel platform are suitably trained and familiar with the requirements of the Research Society Code of Professional Behaviour and all applicable laws in relation to the tasks they undertake. A copy of the Code can be found on the Research Society website.
Anyone may make a complaint about a member of the Research Society if they believe that the member has breached the Research Society Code of Professional Behaviour, failed to comply with the Constitution or Regulations of the Research Society or has engaged in conduct that is prejudicial to Research Society. The Research Society office can provide help on how to make a complaint and can be contacted toll free on 1300 364 832 or via an online form.
Who is eligible to join the Panel?
Membership is open to:
- current residents of the ACT (i.e. home owners, renters, overseas students, those who are residing in other forms of accommodation and/or experiencing homelessness). More than one eligible person from each ACT household can join the YourSay Panel.
- members of the panel must also be aged 16 years and over.
- all ACT Government and Legislative Assembly employees and their immediate family members who live within the Territory and are aged 16 years and over are eligible to join.
Please note that ACT Government and Legislative Assembly employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to accept any incentive prizes awarded through participating in activities. Current elected members of the ACT Legislative Assembly are not eligible to join the Panel.
How do I register to become a member of the Panel?
The ACT Government is calling on all eligible residents of the Australia Capital Territory (ACT) to join the Panel). Joining the Panel is a 3-step process as outlined below.
You start by visiting the Yoursay Panel website and completing a short registration questionnaire. All new members must read/agree to the site Privacy Notice and Terms of Use. Failure to adhere to the Terms of Use may result in immediate termination of your account.
What level of commitment is expected from members?
Members will not be appointed for a set term but are expected to take part in at least one engagement activity about every 12 months to remain an active member of the Panel.
Typically, members will be invited to take part in one or two activities per month such as completing an online survey or take part in an online discussion forum.
How do I take part in research and engagement activities?
Members will be e-mailed invitations to complete surveys or take part in other research and engagement activities. Typically, members will have anywhere from a few days to one week to complete a survey or accept an invitation to take part in other activities.
What are the minimum browser requirements required for completing activities?
Our community site has the following minimum requirements for members :
| Browser | Version |
|---|---|
| Internet Explorer | 11 or later |
| Microsoft Edge | Current major version |
| Chrome | Current and previous major version |
| Safari | Current and previous major version |
| Firefox | Current and previous major version |
What reward/s are available for being a member of the Panel?
As a thank you for their time, eligible members who participate in activities in the Panel will be given an entry into a prize draw (or lottery) on completion of a survey – the maximum value of any single prize is $1,000.
Each month we will offer 5 prizes worth up to $100 each – prizes will vary each month. Members will receive one entry for every activity they complete. Visit the member page and click on Terms and Conditions in the footer to see current competitions.
We will publish the surname of prize winners on the member’s hub. Details of members will not be published without permission.
How do members receive information and understand how government is using the results of the research they take part in?
The ACT Government will advise members of findings of activities they have participated in via regular ‘reports on what we heard sent via email and make findings available in the member’s hub. All findings released from the activities of the Panel will be summarised and de-identified. These de-identified results may also be made available to the broader Canberra community on an ACT Government website.
How is my personal information used and stored?
Your personal information will be used and stored in accordance with the Panel Privacy Notice and CMTEDD Privacy Policy.
The personal information will be stored with an overseas cloud service provider, Alida whose servers are based in Australia.
CMTEDD will not use your personal information for any other purpose or disclose your personal information to another entity unless it is permitted to do so by the Information Privacy Act.
Will anyone look at my individual responses?
Yes. However, the main use of your answers will be in aggregate form for statistical purposes. It is not about linking individuals with their responses but getting a group view.
The Panel Privacy Notice and CMTEDD Privacy Policy explains how your personal information may be used and disclosed.
What do I do if I forgot my password?
Simply click the "Forgot Password" link under the sign in button on the member login page. If you have any issues, please contact support at support@yoursaypanel.act.gov.au.
How do I change my email address?
You can change your email address by logging into the portal at www.yoursaypanel.act.gov.au and updating your profile information by clicking on "My Profile" in the upper right corner of the members’ page. Remember, if you change your email address and don’t let us know, we will not be able to contact you in future.
What can I do if I stop receiving email notifications?
To ensure that your invitations are not sent to your Junk email folder, you may need to adjust your settings to allow emails from the domain .act.gov.au. If you are still not receiving emails, please contact support at support@yoursaypanel.act.gov.au.
What do I do if I do not want to be a member of the Community Panel anymore?
Members may remove themselves from the community using the ”My Profile” function on the members page, or by clicking the ‘Unsubscribe’ link present at the bottom of each email you receive from the Panel.
What do I do if I experience technical problems?
For all technical support questions, please contact support at support@yoursaypanel.act.gov.au.
How do I make a complaint?
You can make a privacy complaint directly to CMTEDD via email CMTEDDCorporate@act.gov.au or telephone +61 2 6207 8175.
Any privacy complaints submitted to Vision Critical via support@yoursaypanel.act.gov.au will be forwarded to CMTEDD within 2 business days.