Local eDemocracy National Project

“Harnessing the power of new technology to encourage citizen participation in local decision making between election times.”

National Projects

22 National Projectsdelivering cost effective products, services and toolkits

building blocks of effective e-services tailored to citizens and to each council’s unique needs

81% of all local authorities involved in the programme

Sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Managed by local authorities for local authorities

Local eDemocracy National Project

Sponsor: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Scope: England

Phase 1: DevelopmentNovember 2003 - March 2005

Funding: £4 million

Phase 2: Productisation and disseminationApril 2005 – March 2006

Funding: £0.5 million

Governance: Project Board (including councillors)

Project management: Local authorities

Democratic challenges

Decline in turn out in local and national elections

Fall in trust and reputation of politicians

But citizens are interested in issues and in their communities…

Citizen engagement

OECD classification of citizen engagement

Informationone way relationship

Consultationtwo way relationship

controlled by government

citizens provide feedback

Active Participationpartnership

citizens actively engaged in policy-making

Enhancing democracy

A project enhances democracy if it:

supports representative democracy

engages citizens

makes decision-making transparent

manages conflict as well as consensus

improves political equality

increases community control

Drivers for eDemocracy

Impact of the internet11.7m citizens online in the UK

90% of under 25s use the internet

80% of under 25s use computer games

- Government policy - e-Government targets for December 2005• Local Vision: Community leadership & engagement

Harnessing the power of new technology

“Why didn’t we think of that before?”

rather than

“How on earth do we do that?”

•Research into councillors’ website needs•Research report•Strategy guide

National Project pilots and research

Communities

•Baseline Survey•Funding Database•Case Study Materials•Partnership working•Self Assessment /Diagnostic toolkit

CouncilsCouncillors•Research Report•E-dem toolkit

•Policy making processes

•Democratic pupils •Community Groups•Issues forum•eDemocracy games

•iCan•E-Dem icons•Websites for 50+ and Youth

•Microdemocracy•Citizen Panels•E-moderation•Online Surgeries

•Webcasting

•National Councillor Database

•Weblogging•Online Surgeries

eDemocracy games…

www.demgames.org

eDemocracy games benefits…

Interactive narrative

goals

rewards

problem solving

opportunity to win

Can be used in the school environment basis for further discussion/other activities

Councils can customise

Entertaining

Websites for specific age groups…

www.surrey50plus.org.ukwww.urcountyursay.net

ePetitioning…

Traditional petitioningexisting democratic process

well known, but popularity declined

can be hard to access paper petitions

difficult to track progress

ePetitioningpilots in Bristol and Kingston

developed by International Teledemocracy Centre (Napier)

creates a central space for petitioning information

people can start, join and comment on petitions online through the councils’ sites

Life of an ePetition…

Form / Email

Content checked

Petitioner contacted

Petition live on site

Petitioner promotes

People join and comment

Initiating Supporting Closing

Closed

Progress tracked

Benefits of ePetitions…

Modernisation of traditional democratic tool

Accessible fortime hungry people

people with a disability

Transparencyencourages others to join in

tracking

‘How to’ guidance and case studies now available

Napier University offers one-off licence fee and technical support

Weblogs for civic leadership & engagement…

www.readmyday.co.uk

Civic blogging…

Aims of civic blogging to educate on public policyto promote community organisationsto enhance citizens’ understanding of local governmentto praise employees, elected representatives, citizensto personalise - put a face on the faceless bureaucrat

Unique features of blogsauthoring – commitment to update regularlylinking – network potential commenting – dialogue potential

Advantages over websiteseasy to get started many products in the market, mainly free

eDem icons for accessible websites…

kiosk

webcastinglocal politics

politics

Issues forums…

Online deliberative tools

Connecting communities of place and interest

Supported by e-democracy.org US community organisation

chaired by Steven Clift

Open source platform

Very actively supported

Evaluation…

Expert Evaluation GroupProf Stephen Coleman (Oxford Internet Institute)

Prof Ann Macintosh (International Teledemocracy Centre, Napier University)

Dr Mansur Lalljee (Dept of Experimental Psychology, Oxford)

Single view of the benefits

Communities

•More responsive and welcoming of democratic input

•Better understood and easier to manage democratic processes

•More transparent, accountable and auditable

•Better able to engage with other agencies and partnerships

CouncilsCouncillors•More effective councillors

as managers of the council and representatives of wards

•More responsive to Councillor input

•Better governance of council business

•Better scrutiny function

•The public is more informed and better understands the democratic process

•More willing to initiate public engagement, campaigns

•Recognises value of engagement as citizens

•Better understandingof role

•Increased engagement

•Increased trust

•Higher turnout

•More responsive to public involvement

•Higher Profile

•Increased trust

•Better casework

•Better at community leadership

•Better ward representation

•More inclusive

•Better access (24/7)

Delivering local eDemocracy

Resources for local authorities

Products from pilots

Case studies

Funding database

Benefits analysis

Knowledge pool

Project toolkit – guidance based on PRINCE2

www.e_democracy.gov.uk

My contact details

Councillor Mary Reid

Chair: Local e-Democracy National Project

mary.reid@councillors.kingston.gov.uk