e-Democracy to e-Governance

Global E-Democracy Trends

 In the Beginning......

e-Information = e-Government
Where we Are....e-Government

e-Information + e-Transactions =
e-Government
 Where we Are...
e-Government

All

Paper

Other electronic media

Face to face

Phone

Internet

-150% -100% -50% 0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300% 3

In the Beginning...

e-Voting = e-Democracy
Defining e-democracy
 Defining e-democracy
• E-democracy is:
– the use information and
communication
technologies and strategies
Political
Groups
– by “democratic
sectors” Private
Government
Sector
– within the political
processes of local Media and
Commercial
communities, states, Content
nations and on the global
stage.
e-Voting: From the Internet
To Multi-To Multi-
Platforms
Where we Are...
e-Democracy

e-Voting + e-Participation =
e-Democracy
 From e-Participation to e-
Governance
● National project (Nomad) 2004
● Bringing councillors closer to citizens
● 28 councillors given PDAs
● PDAs record citizen queries and issue receipt
● Citizens can track progress on a web site
● e-Enabled remote meetings: real-time eVoting
 E-democracy outcomes
● E-democracy should seek to:
– improve the democratic outcomes of the policy
process
– engage citizens in meeting public challenges

● Involvement for the sake of involvement has limited

value.
● E-democracy must make a qualitative difference.
E-democracy outcomes

● Why improve e-democracy?

– Noise and conflict from online advocacy
– Citizen expectations of “two-way” medium
– Better decisions, smarter government
– Accommodate the will of the people
E-democracy outcomes

● Understanding government’s role:

– It’s not all on your shoulders
– Do the best in your area
– Working pro-actively with other
sectors to accelerate benefits, deepen
citizen engagement
E-democracy outcomes

● What outcomes?
– Trust and Accountability
– Legitimacy and Understanding
– Citizen Satisfaction
– Reach and Equitable Access

Detailed in my “E-Government and Democracy”

article for the United Nation’s World Public
Sector Report:
http://publicus.net/e-government
E-democracy outcomes

● What outcomes? Continued …

– Effective Representation and Decision-
Making
– Participation through Input and
Consultation
– Engagement and Deliberation

Detailed in my “E-Government and Democracy”

article for the United Nation’s World Public
Sector Report:
http://publicus.net/e-government
Next Generation
Applications
Next Generation Applications

● Representation
● Personalization and Notification
● Decision-Making and Leadership
● Consultation and E-Rulemaking
● Accountability
● Policy Implementation
● Citizen Participation and Online Dialogue
Representation

● Use of ICTs by representative institutions and

elected officials
● Balance of power issues important
● Examples
– Parliaments Online – Iceland, Minnesota,
– Jan Hamming, Tilberg, The Netherlands
● Must ensure that elected officials have the tools to
represent – break the “services first, democracy
later” perspective
Decision-Making & Leadership
● Cabinet-level strategic
communication to assist
decision-making
● Countries with advanced
systems include Finland,
Estonia, and Croatia. Croatian cabinet, Source: Microsoft

● Leadership? Japan’s PM has

two million subscribers on his
M-Magazine e-mail list.
Policy Implementation

● Output versus input – moving government from sole

provider to a facilitator of information exchange
among diverse stakeholders working to meet similar
public challenges.
● “Public Net-work” Examples
– ??????
● Models also have NGO-led potential
Citizen Participation

● Citizen participation and online dialogue

demonstrate an e-democracy future that can
transform politics.
● Connecting people within democracies from the
local level on up, embracing geography, is a key
starting point.
● See Minnesota E-Democracy.
● This is the focus of much of my work, and truly the
domain of the “e-citizen.”
Conclusion
 Conclusion
● E-democracy’s exciting dimensions deserve deep
exploration and experimentation.

● Innovative practices NOT being made widely known.

Therefore, NOT spreading rapidly.

● “Services first, democracy later” approach is a

significant barrier to balanced and successful e-
government
more …
 Conclusion
● Promoting leading e-democracy strategies across
government, NGOs, and the media and private sector
requires investment.

● With democratic intent, information and

communications technologies can be used to meet
public challenges and lead to better public outcomes.

● E-democracy success = when we drop the “e”