The potential for online tools to open up dialogue between government and citizens is huge, but how can cities ensure that everyone’s voice is represented in the conversation?
Steven Clift’s E-Democracy.org has been addressing this issue by building new models for inclusive community engagement online. Using an opensource tool called GroupServer, E-Democracy create online forums for community discussion that are very simple to use and allow citizens to participate via email or web. Lowering barriers to use and making participation easy is vital to attracting a critical mass for sustained and inclusive engagement.
TechPresident recently posted a write-up of E-Democracy.org’s two-year pilot project in two Minnesota communities:
The post highlights both challenges and successes of the project. For example, the online forums created space for citizens to communicate with government officials in new ways:
Read the full article on TechPresident, and download the 60-page project evaluation review from E-Democracy.org.
Featured image courtesy of Flickr user Eric Fischer.
Steven Clift’s E-Democracy.org has been addressing this issue by building new models for inclusive community engagement online. Using an opensource tool called GroupServer, E-Democracy create online forums for community discussion that are very simple to use and allow citizens to participate via email or web. Lowering barriers to use and making participation easy is vital to attracting a critical mass for sustained and inclusive engagement.
TechPresident recently posted a write-up of E-Democracy.org’s two-year pilot project in two Minnesota communities:
“Through 2010 and 2011, Clift and others ran a pilot project to build up such online communities in neighborhoods in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. They recently finished a report evaluating this project, and have it online. The forums were targeted specifically to high-immigrant, low-income, racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Minnesota — the kind of place that past survey data on the digital divide between rich and poor indicates might not be so receptive.”
The post highlights both challenges and successes of the project. For example, the online forums created space for citizens to communicate with government officials in new ways:
“In the Frogtown forum, City Councilmember Melvin Carter was often a lurker, though he didn't post himself, the report notes. ‘I get the daily digest and I definitely read it. If there is something in there that someone needs help with or an answer to, I’ll take it to my staff and one of us will contact the poster privately,’ he said in the report. ‘It’s really helped us to find out what’s going on and what people are talking about. We also can tell from discussions whether we’re doing a good enough job getting the information out there because if there are questions and we have to respond, we might have to look at that.’ In the report, he said he didn't post regularly because he didn't always have time for a staff member to look over his comments first, and it would become to cumbersome to respond every time.”
Read the full article on TechPresident, and download the 60-page project evaluation review from E-Democracy.org.
Featured image courtesy of Flickr user Eric Fischer.
Apps references
Org references
Story Category