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?

• tim@intellitics.com

• Find me on Twitter at @planspark