Better governance through Direct engagement: Get the gist on using IT to consult citizenry
The Future of Direct Engagement: Implications
The scenarios developed by the JRC paired with the rapid development of ICT facilitating direct engagement and suggest a number directions/suggestions to explore for governments that want to develop direct engagement strategies to enhance citizen engagement in governance. With these guidelines and cautions in mind, e-government could pave the way for a more inclusive participation society by harnessing the power of ICT and social networking to enhance direct engagement with citizens.
- Previously citizens primarily communicated with governments through their votes, but now governments around the world have the opportunity to engage their citizenry through more direct means. However, if governments do not take this opportunity and engage their citizens who are increasingly accustomed (i.e. using ICT), the governments risk losing the attention and participation of their constituents.
- Establishing a social media presence—as the EU is doing with WEGOV—can improve a government’s outreach efforts, access to feedback, provision of services, and crowdsourcing of new ideas.
- The use of analytics and predictive tools can dramatically increase the efficiency of services.
- Any successful public engagement initiative should involve give and take on the part of both governments and individuals—clearly demonstrating the two-way nature of the dialogue. Governments could use such initiatives to educate, inform, and serve the people, but at the same time take in ideas, opinions, and feedback.
- Communication and engagement efforts should be consistent across multiple platforms—offering the same information and equal opportunity to provide feedback, whether engaging through the Internet or in person.
- To ensure equal access to digital platforms and other digital engagement initiatives, governments may want to consider educating the public—especially seniors and minorities—in digital communication through (multi-lingual) classes.
- To expand outreach efforts, governments should explore all possible touch points—e.g., homes, workplaces, communities—while being sensitive to citizens who might find some attempts at contact unwanted or intrusive.
- Making effective use of big data presents more of a challenge to the public sphere than the private one. Many individuals do not trust the government to properly use—and protect—their personal data. So governments may need to begin gathering data with small initiatives that allow them to gain the trust of the governed. Individuals will respond more favorably to data gathering efforts if it can be clearly demonstrated that they will receive better (faster, more personalized) service through the sharing of data (as private companies have shown with such measures as loyalty cards). Governments of smart cities, for example, have won the cooperation of their citizens through clearly evident service improvements.
- Governments might want to explore adding small gamification elements to public consultation platforms—e.g., the awarding of participation badges or status “upgrades” (perhaps in the form of a change in title, from contributor to frequent contributor to policy originator) to reward frequent participants. Governments should take care to tread lightly, however, mindful of the possible public suspicion of gamified government.
- To invite public consultation on policy making, governments will need to establish crowdsourcing and co-creation platforms. Just as important, however, will be the implementation of evaluative mechanisms (including feedback obtained through social networks) that help sort out the good ideas from the bad, and then prioritize which ideas to actualize.
- Governments face a difficult challenge in their attempts to balance the important objectives of protecting against threats (e.g., fueling disruptive radicalism) and avoiding unnecessary intrusions on private citizens’ lives.
- Given the ubiquity of the Internet and mobile devices, digital formats—especially mobile ones—must be an essential element of any effective engagement strategy. As many processes and offerings as possible should provide citizens both digital and real-world options for access and implementation
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