E-participation
E-participation includes all web-based methods that allow the participation of citizens in political decision-making process. It is an indirect democratic element of e-democracy. As a further development of the classic participation process opens up e-participation is the possibility that many participants can work out very focused results. As with event- oriented formats decides the selection and design of the common workflows ( workflows collaborative ) about the success of the procedure.
Necessary, was the concept of e-participation, to make a distinction to the concept of e-government. E -government includes the optimization and upgrading of administrative processes through information and communication technology - the offers of public services will be made available online. E -Government sees the citizen as a customer of government services. In contrast, e-participation emphasizes the role of the citizen as an informed partner in policy making.
Definition
EParticipation is still a young field of research. Although the term already emerged at the beginning of the 21st century, is still hardly a single definition. In the rather broad definition of Ann Macintosh e-participation is seen as "the use of information and communication technologies to enhance the political participation of citizens and to deepen. "
In the center of e-participation on the exchange, so the communication between policy makers and voters and citizens' communications with each other. The Internet facilitates here much the two-channel communication: Governments not only distribute information to their citizens, but ask for opinions and views. The other way round, citizens put their concerns to the policy and get answers. EParticipation as expressly emphasizes the collaborative relationship between citizens and political decision makers. The above definition of e-participation includes not only top-down directed process with one, contact by the governments to the voters. Rather, the decision-making and decision-making process is also possible without political institutions participating directly, if actors in the civil society sector come into contact with each other.
Participation procedures
As with classical participation process is also in the e-participation typically between formal, ie to distinguish procedures prescribed by law and informal, that voluntary procedures.
Increasingly ( spatial planning, regional planning, land use planning, zoning, land use planning, etc.) Internet-based methods are used just for formal participation procedures. In addition to cost savings and process acceleration is taken into account with each other through Internet-based participation, in particular the in recent years by the Internet heavily modified communication and interaction habits of the population, but also the authorities.
E- participation in informal process is not aimed at the act of decision, but on the process of opinion formation as opposed to electronic voting ( e- voting). In representative democracies e-participation is to be understood as a dialogue between government and citizens in which to bring the citizens voluntarily and actively in the decision making process. However, the final responsibility for the decision rests with the elected representatives.
Examples of e-participation offers are:
- A greater voice in building project on the site of a community
- Discussion of proposed legislation to that of a Parliament website
- Discussions on the budget of a municipality ( " participatory budget " )
- Internet-based surveys to planning projects
- Formal public consultation into the planning processes (eg land use planning, regional planning, planning approval process )
Tools and methods
Especially in the context of Web 2.0 created a variety of tools that facilitate the social networking of a wide variety of people. These tools were used as a source of inspiration for formal e- participation process. In addition, social networks and Web 2.0 applications also to the place of informal political participation.
Participation tools:
Mechanisms
- EVoting
- Reputation systems
- Online petitions
- Transparency Tools
Tracking and Analysis
- Digital traces
- Data -mining
- Data visualization
- Simulations
E- participation in the European Union
With e-participation is hoped that it will promote the involvement of citizens in the political process, thus increasing the legitimacy of political processes. This effect would also like to take advantage of the European Commission, which supports projects for the electronic citizen participation for several years.
Once in 2005, France and the Netherlands rejected the Treaty of Lisbon, it has become clear that there is a lack of direct communication between the EU institutions and EU citizens. Decisions at EU level appear to many citizens not legitimized than enough and far from their own lives. To open the communication between citizens and the EU institutions, the European Communication has the so-called Plan D launched - D is for discussion, debate and democracy.
As part of Plan D, the Commission promoted six citizen consultations between 2005 and 2007. The aim of the initiative was to restore the confidence of citizens in the European Union, to make decision-making more transparent and to promote through the pan-European discussion, the emergence of a European identity. In 2008, Plan D was continued: The European Commission introduced some of the most successful Plan D projects further and co-financed a number of EU -wide and national new discussion projects.
Furthermore, ICT should help to make the EU's legislative process more transparent for citizens and insightful. Between 2006 and 2008, the EU therefore sponsored a total of 21 projects. This sounded out from the one ways to make legal texts easier to understand and to be able translated into all the languages of the EU member countries. Secondly, they looked for ways to enhance the participation of citizens in decision-making process. The platform serves as a MOMENTUM monitor these projects.
In addition, the EU will promote cooperation of eParticipation actors. The Pan European eParticipation Network ( PEP -NET ) connects researchers, practitioners, business people and representatives of non-governmental organizations and the public administration.
Also in the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union projects to improve e- participation are encouraged. The largest of these is the FUPOL project.