Part Four - Interim Findings & Next Steps
Interim Findings
This report accounts for case study observations over a six month period across central government. In that limited time, some interesting practices and trends have been observed, and an informative snapshot has emerged of existing capacity for online consultation and attitudes toward its use by government as it attempts to enhance public engagement.
We have seen that online technology provides a useful complement to conventional means of communicating, consulting and engaging with the public. It has been shown that online methods can make an important contribution to ‘multichannel’ consultation. We have also seen that ICT offers the opportunity to consolidate a stakeholder base that can be engaged on a rolling-basis rather than simply as a one-off.
The available technology has been tested and shown its advantages and risks. In this phase of the initiative, we have begun to formulate an understanding of what capacity there is within government agencies, departments and offices and where it could be improved. We now know more about tangible capacity in government – such as technology skills and staff availability; but we are also more aware of attitudes toward engaging with the public in the policy making process and how this is moving from a periodic to an ongoing pursuit.
Perspectives on government
Over the course of this phase of Digital Dialogues, we have seen that a wide-range of policy areas is suitable for taking online. Policy teams have demonstrated their ability to adapt their public participation methods to an online medium. During the initiative they were able to interact closely with participants compared to before the exercises, when some were more used to a ‘stand-back and watch’ approach where participants were left to their own devices, or responsibility for engagement was handled externally. Nevertheless, confidence and desire do not equate to actual deliverable capacity, and it is clear that experience is needed when it comes to sustained participation and greater interaction with the public, particularly online.
Communications, IT and web teams have shown that they have many of the skills to support online consultation by their policy teams. A lack of experience in managing deliberative and participation-orientated online applications is made up for by a great interest in experimentation and learning, given sufficient backing and resources. Nevertheless, we have also witnessed a tendency on the part of some communications teams to push for overall control over the direction and scope of public engagement exercises.
Ministers and senior management are providing leadership in drives for greater public engagement. There is clearly recognition that the public has been a silent partner in the development, delivery and evaluation of policy and services for too long. There is concern that innovative approaches should be treated as complementary rather than as a replacement for conventional methods. There is also a vital insistence on careful evaluation of new techniques and tools in order that commitment can be sustained and that procurement undertaken within means, whilst ensuring high standards are maintained. However, on occasion we have also seen that ministers can underestimate the budgetary and resource requirements of online engagement, as well as the lead-in time required. There has also been too little in the way of cross-departmental coordination.
Perspectives on the public
During the case study consultations, citizens were asked to engage in complex issues, deliberate and begin to solve problems. Amongst the public participating in the case studies, we witnessed enthusiasm tempered with a healthy scepticism. Whilst the opportunity to interact directly with policy makers and deliberate amongst peers has been welcomed, there remains wariness about how genuine these government efforts are and what degree of influence the public can have on the decision-making process. This has directly influenced levels of take-up and participation.
Based on qualitative feedback, the more that government is able to show that it takes online participation seriously the more people will be prepared to get involved in the future. Sustaining opportunities will also help participants develop deliberation skills that will improve the content and structure of their contributions.
Those participating in Phase One case studies had been drawn from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, and represented various stakeholder profiles – from the curious onlooker to the front-line service deliverer. They tended to already be active online, but most had not participated in parliamentary or government consultations before – this includes many local government staff, academics and expert practitioners. The vast majority reacted positively to the availability of online routes and expressed a belief in their credibility.
Perspectives on policy impact
The impact on specific policies has been difficult to determine. Any influence must be small given the numbers participating online compared to those using conventional means. Nevertheless, the participants have not been the usual suspects. The policy teams have attested to the value in the participation of these new stakeholders and the different – sometimes unique – qualitative and quantitative data they generate.
Even if the influence of these online consultation exercises on specific policies has been small, it has had substance and broader credibility. Learning from earlier exercises and examples outside of central government has been apparent. There has been deliberate avoidance of a ‘big bang’ approach, instead the intention has been to start small and steadily build toward effective and sustainable practice. It has benefited government to explore alternative routes, develop new skills and send out a statement about its commitment to better engagement and more transparent decision-making processes.
Next Steps – Phase Two of Digital Dialogues
Phase Two of Digital Dialogues will build on the networks, practices and processes established during Phase One: attempting to embed these across central government and test the guidance material produced. New case studies will be combined with a number carried over from Phase One to allow for longitudinal evaluation vital to capturing trends and establishing sustainable practice.
New case study leaders will be offered the tools utilised in Phase One of Digital Dialogues – blogs, forums and webchats. In addition, Phase Two will make available innovative applications that are beginning to see mainstream use – wikis, podcasting, file-sharing directories, audio-visual blogs, mapping software and virals. New case study leaders will also be encouraged to combine applications – for example, converging polling software with forums, or photo-sharing with mapping tools.
At the close of Phase Two in Spring 2007, we will have a fuller, more detailed assessment of public demand for participation and government’s capacity to respond to it via ICT. Digital Dialogues will produce an impressive data-set built over a 12-month period, combining both attitudinal and behavioural information about government and public participants. We will also continue to monitor policy impacts related to the online engagement activity. These outputs will be used to refine guidance and to inform future development of participation frameworks. It will also be used to reflect on arguments for bringing eParticipation and eGovernment closer together.
This data and learning generated through Digital Dialogues will undoubtedly benefit central government; it will also provide valuable comparative research for other institutions interested in improving their own public engagement. For the public it will present an instructive insight into the workings of key political institutions and generate a better understanding of the scope for democratic renewal and their power as active citizens on- and offline.
For more information and links to Phase Two case studies, visit www.digitaldialogues.org.uk.
