It has become increasingly common to engage people in government and other decision-making via digital and online tools (in contrast to in-person meetings). Digital platforms can offer many advantages, and there are a growing number from which to choose. But they also pose some challenges. How do you choose?
This Digital Participation Resource Center was created to help policymakers, program managers and advocates understand the pros and cons of the many civic tech platforms that have emerged, and make the right choice for their contexts – ranging from purchasing a ready-made solution, to customizing an open-source platform, to developing their own.
This center offers a Guide to Digital Participation Platforms, online training and ratings of recommended platforms. You can watch the launch video of the center and the 2023 update video, and explore the materials below.
Guide to Digital Participation Platforms
The Guide to Digital Participation Platforms: When to Use Them, How to Choose, and Tips for Maximum Results, primarily authored by Matt Stempeck, explains key features of these civic-tech tools, shares lessons learned from users around the world, suggests best practices, and offers practical resources to guide selection and implementation. These include a database of platforms categorized by feature, a process for evaluating platforms before choosing, and a checklist for platform administrators.
Digital Tool Ratings
To help users decide which digital participation platform to choose, we’ve rated the leading options in three categories according to six criteria. The ratings were developed by a Technology Review Committee composed of six independent experts in participation technology, balanced in terms of gender and geography.
Online Training on Digital Participation
The Digital Participation Platforms online training seeks to assist governments, civil society organizations, and other institutions in choosing and implementing technological tools for public participation. Several comprehensive digital participation platforms have emerged in the past years to help local governments to engage residents in all types and stages of participatory processes, ranging from planning, budgeting and citizens’ assemblies to drafting legislation.
Stories of digital participation platforms at work
