Readers' panel helps Zoetermeer with Clear Language

Marijke van der Meer, alderman for services, welcomed the participants to the panel and expressed her confidence in a nice cooperation. "Residents know better this way where they stand and what they can expect from us and what we expect from them." She addressed the reader panel participants during a kick-off meeting at City Hall. During the meeting, the municipality showed good and bad examples of letters. The participants practiced with language assignments together with language expert Paula van Gemen. City poet Colin Knoester also recited poems during the meeting.

Many sign-ups for reader panel

In 2024, the municipality made an appeal through the City Survey for residents to sign up for a reader panel in order to improve municipal letters. Over 150 people signed up for it. Participants will receive digitally rewritten letters for review up to 4 times a year. Participants have two weeks to submit their responses and tips to the municipality. If necessary, the municipality will rewrite the letter based on the responses.

Collaboration between language ambassadors and residents

The Zoetermeer municipality already works with language ambassadors. Employees also take language training courses. Alderman Van der Meer: "With the help of residents who evaluate our letters, we can test whether we are making the right improvements." After a year, the municipality will evaluate the cooperation with the readers' panel. The municipality will then consider whether it is successful and will be followed up.