How can citizens participate - approach, methods, techniques, tools.

Technical Assistance for

Civil Society Organisations

Regional Office This project is funded by the European Union.

How can citizen’s participate?

Purpose and levels of participation: approach, methods, techniques, tools.




Citizen centered exercise needs support from civil society

It aims to empower citizens, to give them better access to information and better forums for debate because ‘ information is power ‘. Clearly, this requires cooperation from civil society organizations ( CSOs ). CSOs are well placed to organize polls, petitions, trans-national forums for debate on the web in order to enable citizens to make their voices heard.

Margot Wallstrom, Vice President of the EU Commission

3 October, 2007 - European Citizen Action Service

Cost effectiveness

Outcomes:

Access and inclusion

Quantity of services

Quality of services

Increase of resources

Citizen’s participation in decision making

Inputs:

Transparency

Participation of

Civil Society

Freedom of active participation

Responsibility Resources

Channels of

Communication

Clear and specific regulations

Existent channels for participation

Openness in processes

Autonomy Transparency

Adjustment in processes

Level of citizen’s influence in decision making

-

Establishment of channels and bodies for mutual cooperation-

5

4

1

2

3

Legend

Gov. authorities

Citizens

Mutual committees

Citizen’s committees

Mutual cooperation

LEVEL OF CITIZEN’S INFLUENCE IN DECISION MAKING




Government and Citizen’s approaches in decision making

Government – Citizens Citizens – Government

•Municipal assembly’s

•Media

•Meetings

•Reports

•Documents

•Broshures/leaflets

•Publications

•Planning

•PR Office

•Public information office

•Establishing work group commitee

•E-governance

•Experts

•Coalition building

•Advocacy and lobbying

•Raising public awareness

•Web tools

•Mass media

•Roundtables

•Telephone

• Press release

•Watchdog

•Media debate

•Analysis

•Assessment/surveys

•Case study campaign



Regional Office

E - Government

Key issues in e-government:

• Infrastructure

• Accessibility

• Usability

• Responsiveness

• Credibility

This project is funded by the European Union.




Issues needed to be taken into consideration on e-government

• Adequate IT infrastructure

• Amorphous factors: culture, citizen’s awareness, tradition of GO-citizens communication

• Systematic framework

• Digital divide

• Inability of handicapped persons to access and utilize information

• Social inclusion in participation



Regional Office

Strategic direction of participatory


e-government



Regional Office

Changes in participation in e-Government maturity





How citizen’s can participate

Current and future EU challenges in creating effective mechanisms for citizen’s participation in decision making

• Case study I: Center for European Studies

( summary report 2009 available )

• Case study II: CIPAST – Citizen

Participation in Science and Technology

• E- participation

( Database: examples of e-democracy activities )




Gaps between theory and practice




Challenges that IPA beneficiary countries ( Western

Balkans and Turkey ) are facing in regard to citizen’s participation in decision making

Country specifics and common problems that civil society is facing in the region

Discussion:




Regional challenges in decision making environment

• Political willingness

• Transparency and accountability

• Transition and it’s challenges

• Capacity building

• Information technology

• Institutional mechanisms for citizen’s participation

• Other communication channels



Regional Office

Field analysis


Exercise ( group work ):

What are the main gaps between theory and practice in decision making process?

• Name at least four areas where the gap between theory and practice is too wide.

• Identify the main causes which affects the gap to be wide.

• Identify the overall societal and current political environment which enables the causes to exist.

Follow up exercise ( univocally ):

• Prioritization of the gaps between theory and practice ( finding similarities and country specifics though prioritizing the most common gaps to the least identified gaps )




How to transfer theoretical knowledge into the practice?

How to overcome obstacles? -




Citizen’s participation in decision making process

It is considered as a process through which citizens can address and be a part of implementation of their concerns, needs, values, problem solving, developing and monitoring processes in conjunction with political agenda and central/local government strategies.

Group exercise: can you think of a model with combined aims between government and it’s citizen’s?




Ways of citizens participation in decision making

• Participatory Governance

• Participatory Economics

• Participatory Budgeting

• Participatory planning



Regional Office

Categories of Citizens participation


Spectrum of citizens participation in decision making

• Political participation

• Administrative participation

Level of involvement in citizens participation

• Passive ( one way ) participation

• Active participation



Regional Office

Citizens participatory activity

• Information disclosure/accessibility

(demand/provision)

• Opinion polls


• Information delivery, Information request/disclosure

• Public (Administrative) Service

• Opinion polls

•

Political participation Administrative participation

Citizen general assembly, Public

Hearings

• Opinion exchanges, Public hearings

• Voting, Proposition

• Monitor/control, citizen informant, opinion gathering

• Request for administration




Methods of citizens participation

( correlation with political and administrative participation )

Discussion:

• Public hearings ( mandated or otherwise )

• Town meetings

• Participation in regular meetings or otherwise

• Citizens advisory boards

• Citizen’s coupons ( cards /mail coupons )

• Surveys

• Web sites/ email

• Mutual visits GO and SCO

• Contact initiated by citizens




Exercise: Best practices for overcoming obstacles in decision making

Exercise - presentation ( group work ):

• Finding the best solutions to overcome the obstacles in decision making

• Discussion: explanation of the chosen methods

How can citizens participate - approach, methods, techniques, tools.

How can citizen’s participate?

Purpose and levels of participation: approach, methods, techniques, tools.

Citizen centered exercise needs support from civil society

Level of citizen’s influence in decision making

-

E - Government

Issues needed to be taken into consideration on e-government

How citizen’s can participate

Gaps between theory and practice

Discussion:

How to transfer theoretical knowledge into the practice?

How to overcome obstacles? -

Ways of citizens participation in decision making

Methods of citizens participation

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How can citizens participate - approach, methods, techniques, tools.