E-Democracy Lessons from Bristol & the

National Project

Stephen HiltonCorporate Consultation Manager, Bristol City Council

Board Member, Local e-Democracy National Project

An application of e-technology that enables or enhances the interaction between government and its stakeholders with the goal of raising engagement and participation in democratic processes.

The challenge:

“People want something more than the occasional vote - the average citizen spends 72 minutes voting during their life.  Democratic legitimacy and civic engagement is enhanced when democratic institutions spread and share power rather than hoard it.” David Miliband MP

Definition of e-Democracy

Bristol isEuropean City for

e-Democracy 2005/06

History of e-Democracy in Bristol

2006

2000

• Ground-up Participation -community campaign pack

• Building good practice – Local e-Democracy National Project

• Online consultations and ‘e-experiments’

• Information - Consultation Finder

Setting the Scene

BRISTOL

• 8th largest city in England

• Population of 400,000

• University city - 36,000 students

• Capital of South West England

BRISTOL

Turning the clock back to 2000

Consultation Strategy

• Bristol began developing a Consultation Strategy in 2000

• More than twenty five offline consultations found to be running concurrently when this strategy was prepared

At the same time….

Growth in Bristol citizens's Web Use

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1999 2000 2002

%

Have web access

Regular web use

Have access butdo not use

Consultation Finder

Consultation Finder

• Makes it easier for…– Elected Representatives to find out about

consultation in their wards– Officers to check what consultation is planned

and what’s been done before– Citizens and stakeholders to register interest

and to participate

Visits to Consultation Finder

472554586

524605

541

669562

898

731772784779885

587

836

955973991

705

1740

15551526

11851176

102710151079

1238

1715

2078

1581

2513

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

May

-02

Jun-0

2

Jul-0

2

Aug-02

Sep-0

2

Oct-0

2

Nov-02

Dec-02

Jan-

03

Feb-0

3

Mar

-03

Apr-03

May

-03

Jun-0

3

Jul-0

3

Aug-03

Sep-0

3

Oct-0

3

Nov-03

Dec-03

Jan-

04

Feb-0

4

Mar

-04

Apr-04

May

-04

Jun-0

4

Jul-0

4

Aug-04

Sep-0

4

Oct-0

4

Nov-04

Dec-04

Jan-

05

Visits

Online Consultations

Electronic voting

• Began using electronic voting at public events 4 years ago

• Instant feedback builds trust

• Good feedback from users

• Additional appeal to come along to events

Height Matters Consultation

Height Matters Consultation

• Consultation on proposed tall buildings policy

• Bristol’s largest online survey to date – 85% online response

• Range of e-consultation / participation tools used – survey, forum and “e-Decide”

• Offline and Online working together

E-Decide

E-Decide

• A deliberative polling tool

• Interactive tool which presents both sides of the debate, challenging people’s beliefs

• Used as a pre-consultation tool to encourage more informed responses

I’m a Councillor… Get me out of here!

I’m a Councillor… Get me out of here!

• Used to support Local Democracy Week

• Aimed at young people in schools

• Councillors, including Executive Members answered questions from young people

• Two councillors voted-off each week

• Winner became “Youth e-Champion”

Local e-Democracy National Project

• Government Funding - £4 million development programme

• Involving over 20 authorities - delivering 112 products from 20 pilots

• National Evaluation • 2005/06 - £500,000 dissemination and take-up• Suite of products • Benefits analysis• Inform policy development

Bristol’s Role in National Project

• Member of Project Board• Lead of research and evaluation work

stream• Lead of e-panel and e-panel training work

packages• Piloted and promoted e-petitioning• Involvement in partnership working and

Issues Forums

Councillor websites – researchBloggingNational Cllr index

How the projects support stakeholders

Communities

•Baseline Survey & •Evaluation •Funding Database•Case Studies•International case studies

CouncilsCouncillors

•Issues forum•E-petitioning•E-Democracy Games•Action network•E-dem icons

•Citizen Panels•E-moderation•Microdemocracy

•Online Surgeries•Webcasting

toolkit

Webcasting– Making information about Council business more easily

available

– Publishing the business of the council (minutes, agendas, forward plans, etc)

– Broadcasting committee/public meetings

• Benefits– Increased reach and accessibility

– Increased citizen trust

– High fixed costs can be lowered through leasing/sharing

E-DEM GAMES

– Citizenship work in schools

• Benefits– Young people with better understanding of

civic issues

ISSUES FORUMS

– Issues forums are moderated areas allowing discussion and engagement

– Far cheaper, quicker and more informal than offline methods

• Benefits– Citizens set the agenda– Councillors can explore new ideas

ONLINE CONSULTATION

– Online consultation– Representative samples– Good reach - appeals to young people

• Benefits – Fixed quantifiable costs and on-going savings

E-Panel (Ask Bristol)

E-Panel (Ask Bristol)

• Over 1100 registered members

• E-enabled citizens panel using a variety of engagement mechanisms- consultation; forums; polling

• Moderation encourages deliberation and shared solutions

ONLINE SURGERIES

– Well known format – Moderated, chat room environment – Appeals to young people

• Benefits– Quantifiable increase in political awareness and

empowerment of target audience – Councillors able to engage with hard to reach

groups

MP / COUNCILLOR BLOGS

– Many councillors now run web pages and/or blogs. They offer low cost, direct communication

– Free blogging platforms available– Analysis of good practise and legal issues

• Benefits– Potential savings due to centralised hosting and

training– Potential mass reach of blogs

E-PETITIONING

– 33 e-petitions have been run– Over 12000 epetition signatures in total– Biggest response to a recycling plastics petition

posted by a Councillor (4867)– Provides background information, photos, links– Discussion forum can contain comments for and

against each petition

E-Petitioning

Research & evaluation work

Research with Citizens

• Young People want the opportunity to speak up on issues which affect them (72%) but…

• Half (52%) say they are not interested in politics• Once familiar with the idea, the vast majority of

citizens (79%) feel e-Democracy is something that Governments should pursue

“There is potential to reach more than 8 out of 10 people in the UK through the combined use of

Internet, Digital TV and Mobile phones”

‘What Works’ eDemocracy Literature Review, MORI 2004

Growing potential to reach out through use of technologies

Campaign Creator

• ODPM e-Innovation Funded

• Community Focused Campaigning Project– Community Campaign Manager– Community Website– Guidance materials– Partnerships– Pilots

Campaign Community Website

Campaign Manager

E-Democracy Conclusions

• Its not just about the technology• Its about engaging with citizens• It is about making Democracy easier and more

convenient• It’s about making sure democracy is inclusive• It is about outcomes & enabling Councillors to be

effective Community Leaders

Local eDemocracy National Project, 2005

It is about Outcomes & Enabling Councillors to be Effective

Community Leaders

“It’s all about: it’s giving power to the people. That’s what this is all about: making sure that people give themselves help to find solutions

to their own problems”

Local Councillor, quoted in Evaluation of Community-Led Approaches to e-

Democracy, 2005

E-Democracy has the potential to bring real and important benefits

to elected representatives

council officers

and citizens

Representatives must take advantage of these tools for their statutory activities, and should be able to frame cost-neutral additions to business cases that include e-Democracy tools and techniques.

Key Message

Links and Contacts

•e-Petitions

http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk/epetitions

•Ask Bristol

http://www.askbristol.com

•Bristol City Council

http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk/consultation

•Local e-Democracy National Project

http://www.e-democracy.gov.uk