IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

e-Democracy can 'invigorate' council activities

The Local e-Democracy National Project has launched a new report that outlines the benefits to local authorities of using e-democracy to improve councils relationships with business and the citizen.

It sets council e-Democracy goals with the wider context of the eGovernment and transformation agendas, based on the potential value of a scheme to the authority.

Aimed at councillors and local authority managers, the report tells council how to implement e-Democracy projects that will complement existing channels of communicating with communities. It sets out what new tools are available and when they are applicable, as well as establishing a framework that will help councils calculate the cost of projects, efficiency and added value benefits and identify the strategic drivers.

The 22 pilot projects run under the banner of the national project shows that "e-Democracy can stimulate a growth in engagement by raising levels of trust and interest among key groups in the community." It can empower communities to "talk among themselves" about issues of interest and promote discussions that are "fundamentally different" from those typically found during the process of policy making in the public sector.

Weblogs, online surgeries, web-casting, councillor websites, online panels and e-petitioning tools are some of the technologies highlighted by the report.

The publication launch coincides with a series of regional conferences for officers and councillors to encourage take-up of e-Democracy products. This is a first is a series of reports setting out the benefits of the Local e-Democracy National Project.

Quelle: eGov monitor, 03.02.2006