Электронное участие граждан в государственном управлении

Technology assisted citizen participation in government processes

Electronic participation (e participation) refers to the use of ICT in facilitating citizen participation in government related processes, encompassing areas such as administration, service delivery, decision making, and policy making. As such, e participation shares close ties with e government and e governance participation. The term's emergence aligns with the digitization of citizen interests and interactions with political service providers, primarily due to the proliferation of e government. E participation can be further defined as a mechanism that augments and intensifies political participation, enabling citizens to connect with each other and their elected representatives through information and communication technologies (ICTs). This comprehensive definition encompasses all stakeholders in democratic decision making processes, not merely top down government initiatives centered on citizens. E participation is a significant component of e democracy, involving various entities such as governments, media, political parties, interest groups, civil society organizations, international governmental organizations, as well as citizens and voters in the political processes at the local, national, and global levels. The intricacies of e participation processes arise from the diversity of participation domains, the variety of involved stakeholders, differing levels of engagement, and the various stages in policy making.

Originating in the early 2000s, the term "e participation" emerged from the idea of promoting civic involvement in public policies via information and communication technologies (ICTs). The evolution of e participation generally hinges on three factors: the progression of ICTs, the expansion of e democracy, and the advancement of e government. The greatest catalyst for the surge in e participation is the advancement of ICTs, which have facilitated improved collaboration between the public and the government. The development of CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) and groupware, designed to foster collaborative environments, has significantly enhanced human interaction mediated by ICTs in both professional and social settings. Consequently, e participation has emerged as a societal activity, involving collaboration among politicians, administrative figures, and the public. The evolution of e democracy since the late 1990s has significantly influenced the advent of e participation. This interest quickly expanded from e voting to various forms of ICT assisted and ICT enabled interactions between governments and citizens. These interactions encompass both direct methods like consultations, lobbying, petitioning, and polling, as well as indirect ones, such as campaigning and community informatics conducted outside the direct government purview. The extent of participation allowed in democratic processes is often determined by the institutional conditions of the chosen democratic model, such as direct or representative democracy or any hybrid forms. The progression in e government towards increasingly intricate service delivery is another factor contributing to the rise of e participation. Complex services necessitate extensive interaction, including searching, option selection based on various criteria, outcome calculations, notifications, inquiries, and complaints. While numerous ICT tools exist for these tasks, ranging from FAQs to call centers, there remains a need for their coordination into user friendly yet robust toolsets for client organization encounters. Given the complexity of interactions in such contexts, and the goals to be achieved, these arenas become social spaces for ICT supported participation.

Participation is a goal oriented process involving decision making and control. In the contexts of political science and management theory, e participation refers to the direct public involvement in political, economic, or management decisions. As participation grows complex, decision making becomes essential, with every participatory process potentially influencing the rule system governing the activities. In cases where service processes become intricate, their implementation relies not only on political decisions but also on practical solutions. Instead of passively absorbing information disseminated by the media and government, engaging in participation transforms an individual into an active citizen, contributing to a democratic society. When these practical actions are integrated into government e service systems, they influence decision making, as later changes become challenging once existing procedures have been implemented in ICT systems and government agencies' procedures. Several theories, such as structuration theory, institutional theory, and actor network theory, examine institutionalization, exploring how operational methods become established or rejected, and how established methods increasingly influence societal norms for task completion. From a citizen's perspective, the capability approach is employed to understand individual behaviors. This method enables institutions to identify normative capabilities that can enhance citizens' opportunities to participate in the governance process.

The E Participation Index (EPI) is a tool developed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It serves as a supplementary index to the UN E Government Survey and is used to assess the effectiveness of online services that facilitate information exchange and interaction between government and citizens, and citizen involvement in policy and decision making. The EPI evaluates the extent to which a government provides information to its constituents, involves citizens in policy design, and empowers citizens in decision making processes, forming the framework of "e information", "e consultation", and "e decision making". The index is calculated by subtracting the lowest e participation score from the e participation score of the country in question, and then dividing this by the range of scores for all countries. The resulting index score serves as a foundational measure of a government's inclusivity. The rapid sharing and response mechanisms enabled by social networking platforms have emerged as a crucial tool for e participation, facilitating citizen involvement in decision making and encouraging government agencies to address public concerns proactively. Wikis offer another online collaborative platform for individuals to participate, albeit not directly with politicians or government administrators. The dynamic and collaborative nature of wikis allows citizens to contribute their expertise on various topics and share that knowledge with others. This platform promotes debates and interactions among contributors, ensuring that the content is regularly updated to provide the most recent and comprehensive understanding of each subject. Wikis can serve as tools that facilitate and inspire e participation, enabling people to highlight various movements and issues and educating others about potential impacts.

Crowdsourcing exemplifies e participation in action. Generally defined as soliciting a group of individuals via the World Wide Web to solve problems, this platform can gather human resources from the furthest and most unexpected places, contributing to the overall pool of intellectual capital. Crowdsourcing can be incorporated into various stages of the policy making process, unfolding at the information, consultation, and active participation levels. At the information level, a one way relationship exists where participants receive information from the government. The consultation level facilitates a two way interaction, allowing citizens to provide their inputs, feedback, and reactions. Active participation refers to deeper involvement, with citizens directly contributing to policy content formulation. These requirements, together with physical access to technology, present barriers to individuals of varying socioeconomic levels, and particularly those unable to afford access to these technologies. Consequently, the digital divide impedes and restricts the ability of certain groups to express their views, excluding them from participation, and ultimately contradicting the intended purpose of e participation. Initiated by the EU on January 1, 2007, these actions consisted of interconnected projects designed to boost citizens' awareness and engagement in the legislative process, from the initial drafting to regional and local implementation. Each project was targeted at enhancing the transparency, understandability, and accessibility of legislative language and procedures for citizens. Additionally, they focused on improving the communication of legislation to augment citizens' participation and contribution in formulating and implementing laws. To date, 21 projects have been initiated and financially supported. These projects actively involve the European Parliament, national parliaments, and local and regional authorities. Cutting edge ICT tools are utilized to streamline the creation of legal texts, including translation into various languages and drafting of amendments, while making these texts more accessible and comprehensible to non experts. Innovative digital technologies are also employed to provide citizens with easier access to information and greater opportunities to impact decisions that shape their lives. A MOMENTUM white paper report by presents important data and results from these projects, offering preliminary policy suggestions for future application.