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Post on 17-May-2015
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Improving citizen involvement through e-democracy
Stephen Hilton
Connecting Bristol
Bristol City Council
Bristol’s location
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
Council’s 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
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.”
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
From top-down to grassroots
• Interactive webcasting• Multimedia consultation• Local issues forums• Campaign Creator• E-panel• E-petitions• Online surveys• Consultation Finder
2008
2000
Consultation Finder
• A database of past, present and forthcoming consultations
• Searchable by area of interest and ward • Departmental editors add their own
information• Allows publishing of results and feedback• Currently being redeveloped to share with
partner agencies
E-petitions
• Way for people to gather support for issues online
• Often comes with discussion forum for each online petition
• Petitioner encouraged to provide background information, photos, links
• Creates a central space for all petition details• Encourages feedback
Feedback & Action
• Recycling plastics – a lot more recycling points, cardboard collections but still no doorstep plastics collections
• Banksy – one of highest supported petitions. Much loved street artist’s picture kept for now
• Castle park – petition against development over part of the park. New plans being drawn up
Webcasting
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
Benefits
• Easier access to council meetings plus meetings archived for six months
• Better public understanding of what the council does – humanises councillors
• Easier to get involved and follow through consultations or engagement activities
• Can webcast events, training and ceremonies as well as meetings giving greater awareness / participation in other cultural and civic events
Joining up e-participation
• Second European funded project called Legese - “Easing participation in legislative processes”
• Funded through eParticipation programme• Aims to help improve understanding of and
involvement in the local implementation of European policies
• Local authority partners in Czech republic (Wysocina) and Ireland (Fingal)
Legese in Bristol
• Brings together e-petitions, e-consultation, e-forums and webcasting on one website
• Linked with Climate Change Select Committee – Bristol working to become a Green Capital
Bringing it all together
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
Some facts and figures
• Around 40,000 signatures on 100 e-petitions - over 9,500 signatures on highest supported e-petition
• Nearly 7,000 unique webcast viewers since October – State of the City debate attracted 1,200 views
• Climate change discussions attracted 145 comments from 77 participants – around 3,000 views of the discussion
What’s next?
• Connecting Bristol and the DC10plus - focus on Digital Inclusion and innovation
• Citizenscape – EU funded project under eParticipation – evolutionary step forward to incorporate Web 2.0
Find out more
• Stephen Hilton
Email: stephen.hilton@bristol.gov.uk
• www.askbristol.com
• www.bristol.gov.uk/edemocracy
• www.connectingbristol.org
Workshop Questions
Are e-petitions the “killer application” of e-democracy or are they simply a “blunt
instrument”?
Should authorities stop thinking in terms of “e-democracy tools” and start thinking about
multi-media “democracy channels”?
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