Building a Cross-Agency Communications and Engagement Hub

Faced with an urgent need to coordinate and communicate across multiple state agencies and local partners during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH) turned to Konveio to build a digital hub for sharing resources, engaging stakeholders, and advancing its strategic plan. Unlike traditional project-based engagement, MICH's use of Konveio is ongoing and department-level, supporting a complex, collaborative mission across 15 state agencies working to end homelessness in Minnesota.

Problem

‍Before 2020, MICH lacked a centralized platform for public engagement or information-sharing. Communications were fragmented across individual agency websites, and MICH's presence was limited to a single page on one agency's site. The onset of COVID-19 exposed the need for more direct, unified, and ongoing communication. MICH was responsible for guiding response efforts to protect people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic and was looking to create a centralized platform for sharing guidance, hosting updates, or convening stakeholders virtually.

As MICH prepared to launch the development of a new statewide strategic plan, the need for an interactive, accessible platform became even more critical. They required a site that could support real-time updates, facilitate two-way engagement, and function as a long-term public-facing resource.

Solution‍

MICH issued an RFP seeking both website development and engagement functionality. Konveio was selected for its unique ability to serve both needs in a single platform.

Konveio supported the development of a full-featured website that allows MICH to:

• Share regular webinars, newsletters, and updates
• Centralize strategic planning materials and allow for document-level comments
• Support ongoing collaboration among stakeholders
• Provide resources to housing providers, advocates, and the general public
• Post questions to invite ongoing dialogue
• Collect submissions via a contact form

MICH staff, with no formal web development background, were able to build and maintain the site with ease thanks to Konveio’s intuitive backend and strong onboarding support.

View the website at https://mich.mn.gov

Impact

• Improved Communication: MICH now has a centralized space to inform, update, and engage a wide range of stakeholders, including state agency staff, advocates, service providers, and the general public.
• Interactive Engagement: Konveio enabled interactive public input on MICH’s strategic plan, with materials from planning workgroups posted online for download and comment.
• Broad Stakeholder Reach: The site has become a resource to partners across the state including outreach teams, advocates, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
• Ease of Use and Management: MICH staff continue to actively maintain and update the site, noting Konveio’s flexibility and customer support.
• Future-Ready Platform: As MICH shifts to implementation of their strategic plan, the team is exploring new uses for Konveio’s features, including video embedding and splash page tools to track engagement more effectively.

Why Konveio Shines‍

Konveio stood out to MICH due to its ability to combine the functionality of a full-featured website with dynamic public engagement tools in a single, easy-to-use platform. The backend required no coding expertise, which allowed MICH staff to confidently manage and update the site on their own. Robust features such as document-level commenting, content sharing, and contact forms gave MICH the flexibility to engage with diverse audiences in meaningful ways. Equally important was the responsive and knowledgeable customer support team, which guided them through the site’s setup and evolution.  

“We really appreciated how Konveio supported us through the process. None of us are web developers, but we were able to build a site that works for our unique needs. It’s become our hub for sharing work across agencies and with the public, and we know we have the flexibility to grow with it.”