1

International Teledemocracy Centre - ITC

eParticipation:

eEnabling to eEmpowerment

Prof. Ann Macintosh

Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

email: a.macintosh@napier.ac.uk

web: itc.napier.ac.uk

2

The context

A sense that the public has disengaged from formal political processes

A belief that technologies can be used to support governments re-engage with citizens.

3

For discussion

Where are we now?What are the research challenges?

4

eParticipation - the use of ICT to support:

Information provisione-enabling

Ground-up empowermente-empowerment

Top-down engagemente-consultation

Opportunity for partnershipMore considered contributions

Reaching & informing awider community

5

6

7

8

The eParticipation methods landscape

Type of eEngagement / Stage in policy life cycle

e-EnablingInformation provision

e-ConsultationTop-down engagament

e-EmpowermentGround-up

engagement

Agenda-setting Webcasts; FAQ; Blogs; Alerts; …..

Quick Poll; Surveys; Chat Room; Decision-making Game; Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Deliberative Polling

Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Petition; virtual community

Analysis Webcasts; FAQ; Blogs; Alerts; Decision-making Games; …

Surveys; Chat Room; Decision-making Game; Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Deliberative Polling

Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Petition; virtual community

Formation FAQ; Alerts Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Deliberative Polling

Discussion Forum; e-Panel; e-Petition; virtual community

Implementation Alerts e-Deliberative Polling; e-Petition; virtual community

Monitoring FAQ; Blogs Quick Poll; Surveys; e-Deliberative Polling;

Discussion Forum; e-Petition; virtual community

9

The situation

Are governments re-engaging with the public?

Are technologies enabling this re-engagement?

No!There are promises but there are problems

10

For discussion

Where are we now?What are the research challenges?

11

Some research issues

The need to support elected representativesThe need to support large-scale interactivity The need for explicit participatory processes

12

What do colleagues and experts think?Track committee actionsSecure discussion space

What do we decide?Remote e-voting for individual ballots Remote e- polling on committee issues

committee members on the move

Catalonian, Dutch, Hungarian and Lithuanian Parliaments, Westmeath County Council, Napier University ITC, HP, Scytl and Gov2U

What’s new?Parliamentary document searchCommittee events notification

13

Some research issues

The need to support elected representativesThe need to support large-scale

interactivity The need for explicit participatory processes

14

15

Some research issues

The need to support elected representativesThe need to support large-scale interactivity The need for explicit participatory

processes

16

e-Petitioner System

17

Network of Excellence

www.demo-net.org

18

The Consortium (1)

Digital North Denmark (DK) The University of Leeds (UK) Örebro University (S) University of Koblenz (D) Fraunhofer AIS (D) University of Bremen, ifib (D) University of Macedonia (GR) Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, ICCS

(GR) Copenhagen Business School (DK) Aalborg University (DK)

19

The Consortium (2)

Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (F) Technical University of Košice (SK) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IT) University of Bergamo (IT) Yorkshire and Humber Assembly (UK) European Projects & Management Agency / Vysocina

Region, EPMA (CZ) Napier University (UK) University of Iceland (IS) University of Helsinki (SF) ITA (Austria) University of Southern California (US)

20

Research Centres worldwide

USA14

United Kingdom13

Italy10

Germany10

France6

Sweden5

Greece4

Austria4

Australia4

Norway3 Ireland

3

Denmark3

Spain2

Canada2

Slovakia1

Portugal1

Iceland1

Finland1

Estonia1

Philippines1

Israel1

India1

Ghana1

Cote d'Ivoire1

Colombia1

14

South Africa1

Republiquedu Congo

1

Belgium2

Brazil2

Czech Republic3

Russian Federation1

Singapore2

Netherlands2

Exclude (blank) Region (All)

Number

Country

21

Conclusions

But:– To what extent can technology start to re-address the

democratic deficit given that the main barriers are cultural, organisational and constitutional?

Thank you!