alumniportal deutschland e_participation_for_a_sustainable_future
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eParticipation for a Sustainable FutureAlumniportal DeutschlandAugust 6, 2013
Tim Bonnemann• Founder and CEO, Intellitics, Inc. — We help
organizations apply technology to support participatory processes.
• Digital engagement consulting
• Zilino.com (SaaS solution for hosting deliberative online forums, currently in closed beta)
• ParticipateDB.com (online catalogue for #edem tools)
• http://intellitics.com/blog/
• @planspark
Public Participation1
• The process by which an organization consults with interested or affected individuals, organizations, and government entities before making a decision.
• Two-way communication and collaborative problem solving with the goal of achieving better and more acceptable decisions.
• Prevents or minimizes disputes by creating a process for resolving issues before they become polarized.
• Other terms sometimes used are “public involvement,” “community involvement,” or “stakeholder involvement.”
1James L. Creighton, Creighton & Creighton: http://web.archive.org/web/20080719171012/http://www.creightonandcreighton.com/whatis.html
E-Participation1
• The use of ICT2 for enabling and strengthening citizen participation in democratic decision-making processes. Depending on the aspect of democracy being promoted it can employ different techniques (Trechsel et al, 2002):
• For increasing the transparency of the political process;
• For enhancing the direct involvement on participation of citizen;
• For improving the quality of opinion formation by opening new spaces of information and deliberation
1UNDP Europe & CIS: http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/uploads/ICTD/e-Participation%20Guide%20-%20blurb.doc2Information and communications technologies
IAP2 Framework
• International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)
• http://www.iap2.org
• Core assets:
• IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation
• Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation
• Code of Ethics for Public Participation Practitioners
IAP2 Core Values1
• Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
• … includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
• … promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.
• … seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.
• … seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.
• … provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.
• … communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.1IAP2: http://www.iap2.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=42Information and communications technologies
IAP2 Core Values1
• Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
• … includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
• … promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.
• … seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.
• … seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.
• … provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.
• … communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.1IAP2: http://www.iap2.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=42Information and communications technologies
Without a carefully designed process and without the right values, technology means nothing!
Public Participation and Sustainability• Three dimensions of sustainability: economic growth,
social equity and ecological integrity
• Trade-offs based on local needs and circumstances
• Public participation assists decision makers
• by contributing essential local knowledge and wisdom to project planning and design
• by clarifying the degree to which stakeholders are willing to accept or live with the trade-offs.
• in making informed and integrated decisions about the sustainability of a proposed policy, program, project or plan.
1IAP2: http://www.iap2.org/associations/4748/files/IAP2_WSSD_submission.pdf
Key Benefits of Public Participation
• Builds public understanding, leading to better and more durable decisions
• Creates trust in decision-makers and their processes, leading to stable policies and enduring decisions
• Builds public ownership and a stronger stake in initiatives leading to participants carrying out their responsibilities during implementation
• Creates opportunities for stakeholders to discuss their differences directly, often leading to creative new solutions
• Enriches decision-making through a diversity of opinion and the local and traditional knowledge and collective wisdom of a range of stakeholders
• Builds “legitimacy” for decisions that allows them to withstand changes in government or company policy and leadership.
1IAP2: http://www.iap2.org/associations/4748/files/IAP2_WSSD_submission.pdf
Country: Germany (Baden-Württemberg)Year: 2011/2012Type: Consultation (online/offline)Topic: Environmental planning
E-participation consultancy: DEMOSURL: http://www.waldnaturschutz-forstbw.deAwards: Preis für Online-Partizipation 2013 (Publikumspreis)
Country: Germany (Baden-Württemberg)Year: 2011/2012Type: Consultation (online/offline)Topic: Environmental planning
E-participation consultancy: DEMOSURL: http://www.waldnaturschutz-forstbw.deAwards: Preis für Online-Partizipation 2013 (Publikumspreis)
Excellent work!
A Few Resources• http://participedia.net
• http://participatedb.com
• http://groups.dowire.org/groups/exchange
• http://ncdd.org/rc/item/tag/online-dd
• http://worldbank.org (lots of ICT case studies, especially from Global South)
• http://intellitics.com (check our blog roll)
• Follow hashtag #edem on Twitter
Thank you!
• Questions?
• Find me on Twitter at @planspark