Setting up digital participation processes
Participation needs a process, otherwise it stays a statement of intent. I plan digital participation processes, set up the tools they need and stay with them through to the analysis. The focus is online, tied into whatever is already happening on site.
Who it is for
Organisations of any size with a question that others should have a say in: public bodies, foundations, associations, research institutions. I name two conditions up front. There has to be real room to decide. And someone in your organisation has to pick the results up and carry them further.
How I work
First the question. We establish what is being decided, what about it is still open, who should be reached and who has not been reached so far.
Then the process. Formats, sequence, duration, rules for handling contributions. Online and on site are built to interlock rather than run side by side. A site visit or a workshop produces material that is then worked on further online.
Then the technology. I work with open source software, depending on the project with Decidim, CONSUL Democracy or adhocracy+, and for smaller processes with Kommentator from my own toolkit. Setup, access, accessibility and data protection are part of it. Where a project grows beyond that, I bring in partners from my network.
Finally the analysis. Contributions are sorted, summarised and answered. Anyone who contributed learns what became of it.
What you end up with
A participation concept on paper. A running platform your own staff operate. A documented process with an analysis showing what was contributed and what of it fed into the decision.
What is not included
No legal advice. Whether a formal procedure under planning or local government law is also required is for your legal team to determine.
No large rigid procedures. If a schedule is fixed for months and nothing may change along the way, my way of working does not fit.
No opinion polling. A participation process gathers arguments and local knowledge, it does not measure representative majorities.
No permanent moderation once the process is running. I set it up and hand it over.
If the decision has long been made and only needs confirming, I advise against it.
Frequent questions
Do we need a platform of our own?
Not always. If your existing site is enough, or a tool is only needed while the process runs, I will say so.
What happens to the contributions?
They are sorted, summarised and answered. Anyone who contributed learns what became of it.
Can we run it ourselves afterwards?
Yes, that is the normal case. Open source software and documented settings stay with you.
