Improving citizen involvement through edemocracy

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Improving citizen involvement through e-democracy

• Councillor Terry Cook
• Bristol City Council

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Bristols location
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About Bristol

• 8th largest city in England and Wales
• Population 393,900
• 8.2 Black and Ethnic Minority residents
• Students 25,600
• Highest GDP in UK outside London

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Councils engagement history

• Long-established disability and equalities
  forums, scrutiny and select committees
• Public forum space at meetings
• Bristol Citizens Panel set up in 1998 made up
  of 2000 residents
• Consultation strategy agreed in 2001

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Consultation Strategy Agreed 2001

• Bristol City Council is committed to open and
  inclusive local government and to using a wide
  range of approaches to public consultation to
  ensure it listens effectively and considers the
  views of its citizens as part of its
  decision-making with the aim of ensuring its
  policies and services reflect the aspirations and
  needs of Bristol's diverse communities.

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Why e-democracy?

• Traditional methods of engagement mainly
  attractive to older, retired, white, middle class
• To broaden input into local decision-making
  processes by making it easier
• To create ongoing links with citizens
• Evolve techniques of engagement to meet changing
  customer demands

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Developing a range of tools

• Webcasting
• Multimedia consultation tool
• Local issues forums
• Ask Bristol
• E-petitions
• Online surveys
• Consultation Finder

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Askbristol.com
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askbristol.com

• E-participation portal for Bristol
• Provides access to Consultation Finder,
  e-petitions, webcasting and Viewfinder
• Central point of access prevents need to
  publicise multiple websites
• Branding and cross-referencing throughout the
  site
• Improving partnership working so that resource
  for the city, not just the council

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The key elements

• Consultation Finder - A database of past, present
  and forthcoming consultations
• E-petitions way for people to gather support
  for an issue online
• Webcasting broadcasting council meetings and
  events through the internet
• Viewfinder multimedia discussion forums to
  deliberate key issues

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Consultation Finder

• Consultation finder enables councillors and
  citizens to access information about all
  consultations searchable by ward or topic
• Linked with councils email alert system
• Available to partners for their use
• Enables publishing of results and feedback

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E-petitions

• Citizens raise issues and provide background
  information approved before going live
• Citizens promote issue and submit to council when
  closed
• Council can publish response and feedback online
  and direct to participants
• 40,000 signatures from over 100 e-petitions so far

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Action taken

• Recycling plastics a lot more recycling points,
  cardboard collections but still no doorstep
  plastics collections
• Banksy one of highest supported petitions. Much
  loved street artists picture kept for now
• Castle park petition against development over
  part of the park. New plans being drawn up

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Viewfinder

• Online citizens panelor e-panel
• Council sets issues to increase informed input
  into local authority decision-making
• Participants interact with each other and with
  decision-makers
• Now 2000 members (fairly representative but less
  older and disadvantaged people)

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The issues so far

• Service-led issues waste and recycling
• City priorities smoke free Bristol, perceptions
  of alcohol, Best Worst
• Select committee evidence future of Bristols
  libraries, climate change
• Strategy development city centre strategy
• Planning issues wind turbines, Colston Hall

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Webcasting

• European funded eParticipate project through eTen
  programme
• 2-year project with partners in Czech, Slovakia,
  Ireland, Spain, Italy, Denmark France
• Aim is to increase citizen participation by 25 -
  currently low public turn out at most meetings

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Webcasting

• Currently webcasting around 15 hours per month
• Audience figures have grown from 1,800 per month
  in Oct 07 to peak of 4,815 in April
• 15,000 unique viewers so far
• Webcast Council, Cabinet, Planning, Select
  Committee plus events
• High interest in local planning issues, events
  and State of the City debate

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Feedback

• A huge step forward for open local democracy in
  Bristol. I am particularly pleased that there is
  no censorship. It's important that people see how
  the council works, "warts all.", female aged
  47.

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Linking webcasts engagement

• eParticipation funded Legese project
• Considered Climate Change Directive through work
  of Climate Change Select Committee
• Public input fed into each meeting - webcast
  promoted to participants
• Aim to improve understanding and increase
  participation

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Feedback

• Climate change discussions attracted 145 comments
  from 77 participants. 3,000 views of the
  discussion plus 4,000 views of the webcast
• The council felt it improved public involvement
  and the committee/council to better reach it's
  audience
• The chair commented that it enabled the committee
  to 'feel that it is on track' and be aware of
  public opinion

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Whats next?

• Citizenscape EU funded project under
  eParticipation evolutionary step forward
• Incorporates Web 2.0 technology
• Encourages citizen campaigners to take
  responsibility
• Embedding ongoing outreach and support into
  community

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Thank-you!

• Councillor Terry Cook
• Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and
  Involvement
• www.bristol.gov.uk/edemocracy
• www.askbristol.com