Affiliation:
1. IEDIS Research Institute Universidad de Zaragoza Zaragoza Spain
2. Centre for Local & Regional Government Research Cardiff University Cardiff UK
Abstract
AbstractElectronic participation (e‐participation) has grown across the world in recent decades and many governments offer a range of opportunities for e‐participation. However, there is a lack of comparative analyses of successful initiatives, which can be useful in supporting subsequent adopters. This study identifies the best practices and areas for improvement of Decide Madrid and We asked, You said, We did in Scotland, whose software has been widely adopted by hundreds of institutions worldwide. Key common enablers include political leadership and senior management support, top‐down approach, high levels of internal and external collaboration, embeddedness in the formal policy‐making processes, and careful consideration of design features. Most of these factors are related to processes, organizational, or managerial dimensions, rather than being linked to the institutional context or information and communication technologies. Areas for improvement relate to the way the initiatives provide feedback, allow discussion and flexibility on policy options, incorporate possibilities for offline participation, and involve a wider range of stakeholders. An important contribution is the identification of factors contributing to the robustness and continuity of e‐participation initiatives, combining the flexibility of collaborative network governance and the stability of public bureaucracy.
Funder
Gobierno de Aragón
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Subject
Computer Science Applications,Health Policy,Public Administration,Health (social science)