future e government conference 2009
DESCRIPTION
Citizenscape research updateTRANSCRIPT
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eParticipation in Legislation Implementation
24th November 2009
Future eDemocracy Confrerence
RIBA, London
CitizenScape
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CitizenScape Interim Review, 30/01/09 www.CitizenScape.org2
CitizenScape Partners - 2 providers, 4 users
Partner Role Cty
1National Microelectronics
Applications CentreMAC
Project Manager, Coordinator, user requirements, sustainability... IE
2 Public-I Group Ltd PI Technology Platform service Provider/Evaluator. GB
3 Bristol City Council BCC ePetitioner/Viewfinder System & User Org/Field Trials GB
4 Comune di Genova CDG User Org/Field Trials IT
5 Donegal County Council DCC User Org/Field Trials – Remote Rural Area IE
6 RDA Zilina RDAUser Org/Field Trials - New Member State – less
favoured region. SK
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The challenge
• How do we connect with the conversations – the participation which are already going on out on the web?
• How do we help councils create content which works in these new social spaces?
• How do we do this is a way which supports the formal decision making process so we can ensure that conversations bring results?
• How do we do this in an affordable and repeatable way?
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So what is CitizenScape?
• A measurable and repeatable methodology
• A way of using the tools and techniques of web 2.0 to actively create virtual civic spaces where citizen can and will participate in democracy
• An attempt to move citizens from a passive uninformed state to one where they have taken some active part in democracy
• Some clever technology
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The benefits
• Flexibility: Bring the tools you want when you want into the process
• Co-Creation: Bring in citizen content and give them ownership of the site
• Digitally native: CitizenScape is way forward which should balance the needs for Local Authorities to manage a process alongside the pressing need from online citizens to communicate in a way which works for them
• Creates a virtual town hall which will outlast the next online fad
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What were we trying to find out?
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Technical
• Did the technology work?
– Are we happy with usability and accessibility?– Was the scope correct – was key functionality
missing?
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Community Ambassadors
• How practical is it to work with citizens in this way?
– Is it sustainable?– What resources / skills are needed?– Did we avoid the usual suspects problem?
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Democratic
• Can the design of an online space and the subsequent management of that design have a measurable positive effect on the formal democratic participation of the participants?
• Are individuals who participate in social websites more likely to participate in online democracy – are they more likely 'eparticipants' than citizens who are currently participating in democracy in other ways?
• Is the co-creation of that space a decisive factor in the design in terms of bring about a positive democratic effect?
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Things we have learned
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Overall
• The social web is inherently self-managed and so attempting ‘choose’ the topic to engage with is very difficult
• The topic we chose was an ‘expert’ one and as such not easily related to more informal debate
• Might have worked better to develop this through NGO relationships rather than directly
14CitizenScape PEC7, London www.CitizenScape.org
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Technology
• Technology really was in perpetual beta throughout – we have been working on it throughout the project and really only got the benefits in the final stages
• It is very important for the Admin to be able to control the site and react quickly to new topics
• The users responded well to the approach
• We should have prioritised the travelling widget as it reduces the need to drive people to the site
15CitizenScape PEC7, London www.CitizenScape.org
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Community Ambassadors
• The community ambassadors are a good idea in principle but we need to find people who already have a social presence online
• Where you trying to work with a specific topics then you need subject based evangelists
• The role requires considerable motivation – we need to ensure that we are incentivising people to participate
16CitizenScape PEC7, London www.CitizenScape.org
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Democratic impacts
• Excellent info gathered for the Bristol Noise consultation and for a number of projects in Genoa: evidence of additional engagement
• We can show increased engagement at other sites as well through volume of traffic etc
• We have involved a different group of people and we have
17CitizenScape PEC7, London www.CitizenScape.org
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Things we have learned
….but didn’t do….
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Social web audits
• Carry out an initial and ongoing social web audit which maps the space
• Capture the current activity which is going on in your area around social, political and community issues
• Look at geodata and local place names
• Consider folksonomy and taxonomical descriptions of issues
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Engage with members
• Its difficult but essential!
• Increases credibility
• Strengthens the democratic promise of the process
• Builds capacity within the elected body
• You have to address the tension between direct and representative democracy
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More work is needed
• We are continuing the evaluation and piloting of this work with the UK based Virtual Town Hall Pilot:
– www.public-i.info– Curiouscatherine.wordpress.com
• We are planning some wider European trials later in 2010
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Virtual Town Hall Pilot
• Working with 5 Local Authorities to try and build permanent civic spaces for a 12 month Pilot:– Chorley– Essex County Council– Kirklees– North Lincolnshire– Redbridge
• Involving citizens at every level – including to manage and moderate content
• Looking specifically at how to involve elected representatives in this process
• Our objective is measurable increases in democratic activity