Guide and Ratings for Digital Participation Platforms
/Video recording is also available in Spanish, French and Portuguese.
What are the best digital tools for managing public participation programs?
How can developers of digital participation tools better address user needs?
How can organizations and funders support effective and equitable online participation?
To help address these questions and more, we launched our new Guide to Digital Participation Platforms: When to Use Them, How to Choose and Tips for Maximum Results. To accompany the guide, we rated 26 of the most useful digital platforms according to criteria ranging from cost to technical requirements.
In the past decade, and especially during the COVID pandemic, online engagement has become an essential element of public participation and democracy. In response, a range of comprehensive new digital participation platforms have emerged. However, with a wealth of options comes confusion–and widely varying quality. To navigate these options, advocates and policymakers need practical and impartial guidance for selecting and using platforms.
The Digital Participation Resource Center, which includes the guide to digital participation platforms and platform ratings, was developed by People Powered with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy and the nonpartisan International Republican Institute in order to address these challenges. An international committee of civic tech experts reviewed and rated the platforms. In this event, you’ll learn about the key findings of the guide and ratings, how to use them, and what to do next.
Speaking during this event were:
Melissa Zisengwe, Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), South Africa. Melissa is a journalist specializing in civic tech in Africa. She was appointed as a journalist at JamLab and CTIN in 2018, where she currently serves as program officer. As a former research fellow at the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa, she examined the use of civic tech during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
Charlie NGOUNOU, AfroLeadership, Cameroon. Charlie is an activist for democracy, human rights, digital rights, and open data with AfroLeadership, which he founded in 2007. He also works as a public finance expert for the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones.
Katya Petrikevich, Participatory Factory, Czech Republic. Katya is co-founder and international director of Participation Factory, a social enterprise that helps communities improve governance systems and quality of life through better participation and robust data. She has conducted research on current trends in tech and innovation for the EU Commission and delivered numerous training sessions on public participation and civic engagement.
Kelly McBride, FutureGov, United Kingdom. Kelly designs and facilitates community-based participatory and deliberative processes. She supports government and organizations as they work to deliver on their commitments to improve governance. Until recently, she led the Scotland office of Democratic Society and was director of policy and practice for a multinational team working across Europe.
Stéphane Dubé, Institut du Nouveau Monde, Canada. Stéphane has been active in civic participation since 1992. Currently civic-tech and special project director at Institut du Nouveau Monde, a non-partisan NGO based in Montréal aiming to foster citizens' participation in democratic processes, he advises public institutions in the design and organization of public participation process.
Matt Stempeck, The Civic Tech Field Guide, United States/Germany. Matt curates The Civic Tech Field Guide and recently joined Cornell University as technologist in residence to contribute to its growing body of public-interest tech programs.
Utpal Raj Misra, International Republican Institute (IRI), Nepal/United States. Utpal is a development professional with over 15 years of experience in multilateral agencies, civil society organizations, and media. His work focuses on governance and social accountability, including citizen engagement and participatory approaches, anti-corruption, decentralization, and local governance. He currently leads the governance team at IRI’s Center for Global Impact.
Guide and Ratings for Digital Participation Platforms
Available now in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Mentorship
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More Resources
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