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| e-pArticIpaTe | NewS | puBliCAtionS | ProTotype | coNtact |
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What is the objective of the project?This study aims to analyze the possibilities to use Internet to support and promote citizen participation at the municipal level. More specifically: we'll try to determine the requisites that must be fulfilled by a Virtual Environment for municipal Citizen Participation. One of our aims is that this Virtual Environment can be used at municipalities in developing countries. For this reason, much of our field work has been carried out in Fortaleza (Brazil). The project will initially provide a formal and detailed specification of the system, which will later be used to build it following the Free Software model. Thus, the system will be at the disposal of all municipalities that could require it, free of charge. What is a Virtual Environment for Citizen Participation?This is precisely one of the main questions that this investigation will answer: what does it mean Virtual Environment for Citizen Participation? In other words: what do the municipalities, citizen and citizens' organizations require from a Virtual Environment for municipal Citizen Participation? In general, a Virtual Environment for Citizen Participation is an internet-site where the city council as well as citizen associations can make available for the citizens, the media, etc. all information related to the participative processes carried out in the city.
Additionally, depending on the necessities of the municipality, the Virtual Environment for Citizen Participation will include special tools and virtual spaces to complement and stimulate its other participative activities, which usually require personal attendance. As an example, we can mention:
Does it make sense to speak about participation via Internet when the city government hardly promote citizen participation?It makes sense. When we speak about participation via Internet (e-Participation) we are referring more to the future than to the immediate present. But it is a near future, and we need to prepare for it. If the current trends continue unchanged, both the level of access and knowledge about the Internet, as well as the level of usage of participation by the municipal governments, are going to increase quickly. On the other hand, even if it’s not attainable that ideal democratic state where all citizens participate in their city’s government, a higher degree of participation and the usage of these online systems by the city councils, associations that defend citizens’ interests and a increasing amount of individual citizens that worry about the public issues and how these affect them… will certainly have a positive effect on the politics and management of the municipality. This will indirectly benefit all the citizens, including those that cannot or are not willing to participate or use these online systems. How is the research project structured?Till the end of June 2005, a first theoretical phase took place. By means of researching on the most relevant bibliographic sources, analyzing several similar existing online systems and a discussion process with experts from relevant areas, we established the main principles for the tentative design of an online participation system, whose suitability for the municipal environment will be tested during the following phases of the study.
Likewise, between July and November the first empirical phases of the study took place, characterized by an interdisciplinary approach. Firstly, a sociological research, which focused on participant observation and interaction with representatives of all kinds of organizations that will potentially use the online system: citizens, neighbours and civic associations, social movements, political parties, elected representatives, etc. from Fortaleza and some other municipalities in Ceará.
These people answered initially to some questionnaires, reporting on the characteristics, interests and participative experience of their organizations. Later, we undertook personal and in-depth interviews, as well as some focal discussion groups, that dealt with the conditions for participation in Ceará, its participative history, the current challenges and opportunities, and finally, about the functionalities and characteristics required in a Virtual Environment for Citizen Participation. Simultaneously, we carried out a technical research, where we evaluated the appropriateness of existing platforms and tools (considering especially Groupware, Content Management Systems, Social Networking Systems, eParticipation Systems and Forum Systems) for integration in our citizen participation system. Based on all information obtained, we're currently constructing a prototype of the system, which will soon be used by representatives of all organizations intended to use the system (civil servants, citizens, citizens' associations, politicians...) to perform usability tests.
Thus, the design of the system will be reviewed, and we’ll finalize the technical specification phase, in which we'll formalize the requirements and the design of all functionalities identified in previous phases. Using this specification, the construction of the system will start. After the release of the first version of the system (codename: city-Kyosei) we will start different pilot installations in Spanish and Brazilian municipalities to further test it... and thus initiate a process to continuously adequate it to the necessities of citizens and municipalities. How can I support or participate in the investigation?Even if the project is still on an initial stage and has been designed to start small, the network of their interested people has grown through the whole research proccess, and now spans several continents. | ||||
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If you require any additional information about this research project, you can read the different documents about the project in the puBliCAtionS section. Thank you very much for your e-participation! |
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