Citizen involvement – the Danish way
• A brief history
• The Danish way - characteristics
• Possible new directions
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Denmark: Three waves of local democracy
First wave:
Citizens as ”consumers”
Second wave:
Local democracy
Third wave:
Userdriven innovation
New forms of involvement
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Changing citizen engagement
• Turnout of local elections is going down (66% 2009)
• Fewer citizens want to run for office
• Low interest among young people
• A slide from ”we” to ”I” in engagement
• Influencing implementation of decisions
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Parallel channels of influence
• User democracy: User boards at institutions
• Local democracy: Councils with formal competences
• Network democracy: Partnerships in integration, local planning
• Project democracy: Partnerships, networks working for projects, f.inst.
establishing a local cultural center
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Citizen engagement – Danish style
• Inviting citizens to engage as users - individual focus
• Focus on public welfare services
• Public debates: Conflicts, problems
• Involvement through hearings
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
The decision wheel
Evaluate
Implement
Mapping the needs
Seek solutions
Decide
Analyse/deliberate
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Scope for citizen influence?
Participation
Influence
Dialogue
Hearing
Information
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
New directions in citizen engagement..
• Early involvement
• Committed citizens
• Focus on ”we” – the public good
• Dialogue: Focus on solutions
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Citizen involvement – Icelandic style?
• How would you describe the Icelandic way of engaging citizens?
• What new directions are needed?
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Danish cases: New forms of involvement
• A strategy for local democracy: Ballerup
• Involving citizens through IT: Silkeborg
• Keeping local-local democracy alive:
- Local councils
- ABCD in Vejle
• Lessons for the future
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Ballerup Kommune:
A strategy for local democracy
The process
• A ”culture of involvement”
• A need to systematize involvement
• Mapping the experiences
• Citizen summit on involvement
• Strategy developed by politicians
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Ballerup Kommune:
A strategy for local democracy
Central points:
• Aim: Involving citizens as citizens, not as users
• Involvement considerations compulsary
• The citizens have a right to be heard, scope for influence
• Citizens must be involved in decisions as early as possible
• Information and communication central
• County staff are ambassadors
• Focus on new competences and methods (tool box)
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Ballerup Kommune:
A strategy for local democracy
Lessons learnt:
• Strengthened focus on involvement:
- Spreading experiences and tools through project forum
- Involvement part of project handbook
• Some areas in front: Children, planning, health
• Evaluation coming up
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Silkeborg Kommune:
E-involvement in the budget
• A need to cut 250 mio. kr.
• A wish to involve broadly
• An ”option catalogue” with 150 options
• E-hearing of citizens (debate forum)
• Local meetings with politicians
• All answers reviewed
• 1100 answers, 30.000 internet-hits
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Silkeborg Kommune: Option catalogue
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Silkeborg Kommune:
E-involvement in the budget
Lessons learnt
• It is possible to engage citizens in the budget
• Joint initiative from the town council
• Challenge to communicate the budget
• Biased participation: organized citizens
• Inviting user-answers: Don’t touch our school
• Biggest cuts in administration
• Citizens gain insight into the complexity
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
E-Involvement of citizens
- possibilities and challenges
• Potential to reach a broad range of citizens
• Quick and cheap channels
• A supplement to other channels
• Risk of information overload
• Quick, individual answers (user)
• How to create an e-dialogue?
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Developing local democracy in
amalgamated municipalities
•
How do we insure that local communities do not feel run over in
geographically big municipal entities?
•
How do we keep the ‘local – local’ democracy alive?
•
How can politicians gain sufficient knowledge about local communities
to make good decisions?
Lessons learned?
•
•
A tool of communication
•
To come aware of local wishes and needs
•
Creates synergy across local associations
•
Define roles
•
Get the administration on board
•
Local councils are not for everyone
Local development agents
The “Vejle model “
o Asset Based Community Development
o Appreciative Inquiry
o Education of Citizens
Danish cases – Icelandic reality
ABCD method
e-Involvement
Local councils
Democracy
Strategy
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Citizen involvement in Icelandic counties
• Possible gains and pitfalls
• How to take a first step
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Possible gains from involving citizens
• Better informed decisions
• Utilize civic ressources
• Building trust and understanding
• Civic ownership
• Responsibility and community spirit
• New solutions, innovation
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Possible pitfalls…
•
Consider advantages and disadvantages
•
Local government should in general always have final say
•
Make sure citizens are aware and accept the premise of the dialogue
•
Get the administration on board
•
Citizen dialogue is pointless if ignored
•
Don’t do everything at once
What can politicians do to further citizen
involvement?
• Establish principles/a strategy for citizen involvement
• Ask the civil servants to plan citizen involvement
• Facilitate dialogues between different interest groups
• Participate actively in civic dialogues
• Develop dialogue competences (listening)
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
The role of civil servants in civic
involvement?
• Plan decision processes that leave room for citizen input
• Demand clear goals and ambitions, when asked to plan involvement
• Understand and value the contributions from citizens
• Develop new competences: Communication and facilitation
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
Possible first steps of strengthening citizen
involvement:
• Develop a political vision/strategy for citizen involvement
• Establish one or more pilot projects to gain practical experiences and
competences
• Provide organisatorical backing and clear responsibility
www.centerforborgerdialog.dk
GOOD LUCK!

www.centerforborgerdialog.dk