XXI Nordiske kommuneforskningskonferanseUniversitetet i Oslo 22.- 24. 11. 2012

Towards the Virtual Municipality- And a Case for (More) Virtuous Research

Harald Baldersheim

Dept of Political ScienceUniversity of Oslo

Three topics:

Trajectories of digital transformation

Mechanisms of digital transformation

Research on digital transformation

Electronic apps for...Infor-mation retrieval

Communi-cation

Partici-pation

Electronic apps for...

The city as...Political

arenaService

providerCommunity

Infor-mation retrieval

Communi-cation

Partici-pation

Electronic apps for...

The city as...Political

arenaService

providerCommunity

Infor-mation retrieval1 wayCommuni-cation2 way

Citizen Empower mentPartici-pation# way

Electronic applications for...

The city as...Political arena Service provider Community

Information retrieval

More transparency through searchable electronic archives, webcasting of meetings

Easier access to city services through service catalogues, quality checks

Mutual citizen awareness through e-catalogues of civic groups

Communication

Participation

Electronic applications for...

The city as...Political arena Service provider Community

Information retrieval

More transparency through searchable electronic archives, webcasting of meetings

Easier access to city services through service catalogues, quality checks

Mutual citizen awareness through e-catalogues of civic groups

Communication Better informed deliberations through web forums, issue-specific discussion groups

Better targeted services throughe- complaints procedures, online satisfaction surveys

More civic interaction throughonline meetings

Participation

Electronic applications for...

The city as...Political arena Service provider Community

Information retrieval

More transparency through searchable electronic archives, webcasting of meetings

Easier access to city services through service catalogues, quality checks

Mutual citizen awareness through e-catalogues of civic groups

Communication Better informed deliberations through web forums, issue-specific discussion groups

Better targeted services throughe- complaints procedures, online satisfaction surveys

More civic interaction throughonline meetings

Participation More extensive participation through i-voting, e-budgeting, e-consultation

More quality throughinteractive service provision

Enhancement of community life throughnetworked social capital formation

The city as…

Transformation into what?

Political arena

Service provider

Com-munity

The city as…

Digital TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracy

Self-representation

Service provider

Community

The city as…

TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracy

Self-representation

Service provider

Equitable service provision

Self-service

Com-munity

The city as…

TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracy

Self-representation

Service provider

Equitable service provision

Self-service

Com-munity

Cohesion through social capital

Cohesion through digital capital

But what is the mechanism of transformation?

Authority? Command? >> reforms

Rewards? Self-interest? >> bureau-shaping

Proximity? Diffusion? >> ripples in the water

Playfulness? Briccolage? >> disjointed construction

Chance? Garbage Can? >> chance encounters

But what is the mechanism of transformation?

The fundamental transformative mechanism of ICTs:

Intelligence enhancement

): Faster and qualitatively better information retrieval and processing

Digital transformation of governance into

The digital commons(discursive society; wisdom of crowds)

?

Digital transformation of governance into

The digital commons(discursive society; wisdom of crowds)

or

Tragedies of the digital commons(tyranny of digital demagogues; flash mobs; Big Brothers)

?

The city as…

- Digital TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracyTrust in govt.

Self-representationDistrust in govt

The city as…

- Digital TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracy

Self-representationDistrust in govt

Service provider

Equitable service provisionStreet-level bureaucrats

Self-serviceScreen bureaucrats

The city as…

- Digital TransformationFrom To

Political arena

Representative democracy

Self-representationDistrust in govt

Service provider

Equitable service provision

Self-servicePrivatization

Com-munity

Cohesion through social capitalCaring neighbourhoods

Cohesion through digital capitalSurveillance society

Strategies of research:

Take advantage of «The municipal laboratory»

Strategies of research:

Take advantage of «The municipal laboratory»

-Numerosity* -Propinquity* *Thanks, Peter John

Strategies of research:

Take advantage of «The municipal laboratory»

-Numerosity -Propinquity

+ Contextuality

Strategies of research:

Take advantage of «The municipal laboratory»

-Numerosity – test variance models -Propinquity – test process models

-Contextuality - test pragmatic models

Strategies of research:

Take advantage of «The municipal laboratory»

-Numerosity – test variance models more digitalization, more democracy?

-Propinquity – test process models social media as change agent for local democracy?

-Contextuality - test pragmatic models how have local actors used social media to improve citizen relations?

Ethics for local govt researchers

needed more than ever!

Ethics for local govt researchers

Remember:

There are people behind the numbers!

There may be victims behind the change!

Solutions are often oversold!

Ethics for local govt researchers

Remember:Beware of:

There are people behind the numbers!- The number cruncher’s backlash

There may be victims behind the change!- The model monger’s pit

Solutions are often oversold!- The advocacy trap