The role of the Internet in public participation

The road to e-democracy

Paul Andor FarkasManaging Director

The key to e-democracy: collaboration…

Agencies NGOsOther

partners

Multiple partners are needed for a

complete solution

My experiences in involving the public in environmental decision-making

Project Leader - WWF Austria’s Central Danubian Park ProgramResearcher - Florida State Conflict Resolution ConsortiumSenior Outreach Specialist/Environmental Planner - URS CorporationProject Manager – InfoLink ProjectManaging Director – Synthesis-NET LLC

E-democracy in practice

Service provided to the public

Agencies pool resources & information

Influential factors

Political environment

Transparency

Budgets

Planning

Leadership

Stakeholders

Technology

Innovation

Overcoming obstacles

• Within the bureaucracy– Understand interests– Build coalitions, motivate players– Demonstration projects– Communicate and train

• Political level– Lobbying– Explore funding opportunities

• External entities– Increase awareness and involvement– Forge partnerships– Address fears

The history of the InfoLink

• 1997 - Reflex Environment Protection Society and several local partners launched an environmental information service on the teletext pages of the local cable channel – the InfoLink is born.

• 2000 – Supported by the Partnership Foundation, Reflex and several Slovak and Hungarian partner organizations migrated the teletext service to the Internet.

• 2001 – The partners expanded the InfoLink portal’s content and functionality through support from the Phare Access 2000 Program.

• 2003 – The InfoLink becomes the official environmental information repository of the West Pannon Regional Development Council.

• 2004 – The North Hungarian Regional Environmental Authorities secure support from the Phare CBC Program to expand the InfoLink into Austria.

• 2005 – Several firms sign collaborative agreements with the growing list of InfoLink partners (Pannon-Víz, Philips, Kommszol, stb.)

• Establish a comprehensive regional environmental information system.

• Collect and make information on the state the environment accessable to the public in a format that they can understand.

• Involve various local and regional actors in a dialogue on environmental and regional development issues.

The goals of the InfoLink

Local and international NGOsEnvironmental agenciesNational Park directorates Local government associationsUtility service providersCompaniesRegional development organizationsInstitutions of higher learning

The InfoLink Partners

Document and event management…

The InfoLink’s components

Weblog forum…

The InfoLink’s components

Environmental database…

The InfoLink’s components

Web mapping service…

The InfoLink’s components