Tools and Technologies in eParticipation: Insights from Project Evaluation Melanie Bicking and Maria A. Wimmer University of Koblenz (UKL) {bicking | wimmer}@uni-koblenz.de

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Tools and Technologies in eParticipation
Insights from Project EvaluationMelanie
Bicking and Maria A. Wimmer University of
Koblenz (UKL)bicking wimmer_at_uni-koblenz.de
Fourth International Conference on Online
Deliberation (OD2010) July 1st, 2010
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Table of Content

• Problem scope
• eParticipation Projects Evaluation Methodology
• Insights from Project Evaluation
• Outlook

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Overall scope of eParticipation Project
Evaluation

• Evaluate eParticipation project results
  (platforms) in terms of
• Processes supported
• Policies supported
• Topics discussed
• Tools and technologies used
• Assess success and potential impact of project
  results
• Investigate dialogue between stakeholders and the
  public over time and its outcomes
• Receive feedback from each interested stakeholder
  who is interested in using respective
  eParticipation platforms of the projects

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Table of Content

• Problem scope
• eParticipation Projects Evaluation Methodology
• Insights from Project Evaluation
• Outlook

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Assets of eParticipation projects to be assessed

• Tools and Technology
• ICT deployed in the field of application and
  used for participation
• Processes supported
• different stages within the legislation process
• Topics tackled
• different topics processed in the legislation
  process
• Policies supportedstrategic directions and
  policies addressed in the project

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eParticipation Projects Evaluation Methodology
Point of departure
Platforms of eParticipation projects
Assets to be assessed
KeySuccess and Impact Evaluation criteria
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Assessing the impact

• By addressing different target groups via
• Internal assessments
• External assessments
• By assessing
• The quality of reaching the target groups
• Whether sustainable interest has been reached

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The two parts of evaluation
Internal assessment Internal assessment External assessment External assessment External assessment
Self- Assess- ment Structured Questionnaire End user Question- naire Structured
Self- Assess- ment Structured Questionnaire Experts in the field Question- naire Structured
Self- Assess- ment Semi- structured SWOT-Analysis Peer Review Question- naire Structured
Self- Assess- ment Semi- structured SWOT-Analysis Evaluation reports Reports Un- structured
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Overall view on evaluation framework
Point of departure
What to evaluate?
Assets to be assessed
How to evaluate?
Key evaluation criteria
Main target of evaluation impact towards target
groups
Impact assessment features
Instruments of evaluation
Addressing target groups through instruments of
evaluation
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Table of Content

• Problem scope
• eParticipation Projects Evaluation Methodology
• Insights from Project Evaluation
• Outlook

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Means to establish contacts with target group
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Means applied to establish contacts with the most
impact
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Degree of innovation of tools and technologies
deployed
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Usability of tools and technologies
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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
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Overview of the eParticipation tools deployed and
used by target users
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Lessons learnt and best practices

• Aspects hindering eParticipation projects to
  succeed
• Lack of support from elected representatives
  resulting not only but also in wanting acceptance
  of the citizens
• Past oriented thinking and acting, as well as
  culture of elimination of errors thereby
  remaining in tried and tested/trusted routines
  (this is in particularly true for the use of ICT)
• Confusing information, lack of transparency and
  accessibility
• Lack of sharing information with other projects
  to learn from their experiences or to create
  synergies
• Lessons learnt from executing eParticipation
  projects evaluation
• An evaluation of the impact is methodologically
  difficult
• Engaging end users in the assessment of the
  projects was problematic
• Better using mail surveys than online surveys

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Table of Content

• Problem scope
• eParticipation Projects Evaluation Methodology
• Insights from Project Evaluation
• Outlook

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Toward further analysis

• The paper bases on parts of ongoing monitoring
  and evaluation of eParticipation projects funded
  under the eParticipation Preparatory Action of
  the EC
• Evaluation passes through an iterative process
• including internal and external assessments of
  the projects
• projects started and finished or will finish at
  different points in time
• At the moment the 2nd round of expert evaluation
  is running
• Results will be available in a few months
  including
• a comparative analysis of 1st and 2nd round of
  Expert Evaluation
• the projects that started at the beginning of
  2009 have now advanced to the point that their
  pilots are live and evaluation of their pilots
  will start soon involving Self-Assessment, Expert
  Evaluation, and Peer Review

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Expected outcomes

• At the end, a comprehensive and wide-ranging
  evaluation of the projects funded under the
  eParticipation Preparatory Action of the EC will
  be provided
• The study provide feedback on the single projects
  and calls, as well as on the eParticipation
  Preparatory Action itself
• From this, profound insights into eParticipation
  and the design and conduction of eParticipation
  projects are expected thereby providing helpful
  lessons learnt and recommendations for future
  eParticipation initiatives to the EC and other
  designated stakeholders.

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• Thank you for your attention!

Melanie Bicking and Maria A. Wimmer University
of Koblenz (UKL)bicking wimmer_at_uni-koblenz.de