Informing digital futures : strategies for citizen engagement / by Leela Damodaran and Wendy Olphert.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Damodaran, Leela.

Contributor:

Olphert, Wendy.

Series:

Computer supported cooperative work ; v. 37.

Computer supported cooperative work ; v. 37

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Information society--Planning--Citizen participation.

Information society.

System design--Citizen participation.

System design.

Information technology--Social aspects.

Information technology.

Telecommunication--Social aspects.

Telecommunication.

Political participation.

Planning.

Physical Description:

xiv, 225 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Dordrecht, Netherlands : Springer, [2006]

Summary:

In the present digital revolution we often seem trapped in a Kafkaesque world of technological advances, some desired, some disliked or even feared, which we cannot influence but must accept. This book discusses the urgent need to redress this situation. The authors argue that technologies succeed or fail according to their relevance and value to people, who need to be actively engaged in order to create shared visions and influence their implementation. Strategies for citizen engagement and empowerment will enable citizens to influence and shape desirable digital futures. The book reviews the currently accepted ways of thinking about the design of systems and the reasons why these methods are no longer adequate. From an academically rigorous analysis of case histories across a wide variety of sectors, knowledge and best practice are captured in a rich, descriptive model of the contributions of citizen engagement to the design process. Finally, it provides specific practical guidance, based on sound academic research, for policy makers, administrators and ICT professionals on the strategies, methodologies, tools and techniques needed to change design practice.

Contents:

1.1 Scene Setting 2

1.2 A Desirable Digital Future? 7

1.3 Basic Premises 8

1.4 Structure and Content of this Book 9

2 Designing Digital Futures 13

2.1 Living in a Digital World 13

2.2 Fulfilling the Promise? 15

2.2.1 Government Services 15

2.2.2 Digital Television 15

2.2.3 Local e-Government 17

2.2.4 Mobile Phones 18

2.3 Vision versus Reality 18

2.4 How Did We Get Here? 21

2.5 The Influence of Design Methods for ICT 22

2.6 Did Anybody Ever Ask Us? 26

3 The Case for Engagement 29

3.1 Drivers for Engagement 29

3.1.1 "e-everything" 30

3.1.2 Stemming the Digital Divide 31

3.1.3 Improving Social Inclusion 34

3.1.4 Promoting Democracy 35

3.2 The Benefits of Citizen Engagement 38

3.2.1 Better Understanding of Needs and Requirements 38

3.2.2 Learning, Knowledge Sharing and Innovation 40

3.2.3 Faster Technology Diffusion 42

3.2.4 Enhanced Citizenship 42

3.2.5 Sustainability 44

4 Citizen Engagement in Practice 49

4.1 Characteristics of Citizen Engagement Initiatives 49

4.2 A Framework for Analysis of Citizen Engagement Initiatives 52

4.3 Citizen Engagement in Policy Making 54

4.3.1 Netmums - UK 54

4.3.2 Macatawa Area Coordinating Council-USA 55

4.3.3 Citizen Involvement in Future Drug Research and Development - Denmark 55

4.3.4 The National Forum on Health - Canada 56

4.3.5 'America Speaks' - USA 60

4.3.6 Madrid Participa - Spain 61

4.3.7 Chicago Neighbourhood Planning - USA 62

4.4 Citizen Engagement in Aspects of ICT Design 64

4.4.1 Bundestag Website Design - Germany 65

4.4.2 K-Net (The Kuhkenah Network) - Canada 66

4.4.3 Reflect ICTs Project - Pilots in Uganda and India 69

4.4.4 Nepal Wireless 73

4.4.5 Jhai Foundation - Laos 74

5 Giving a Voice to the 'Hard to Hear' 79

5.1 Why are Some Citizens 'Hard to Hear'? 80

5.2 Citizens at Risk from Social Exclusion 82

5.3.1 Utopia-UK 85

5.3.2 The Surrey 50+ Website - UK 87

5.3.3 'Logged Off - Political Disaffection Amongst Younger People-UK 89

5.3.4 Online Surgeries for Young People-UK 90

5.3.5 Locomotion - Disabled and Elderly Citizens - UK/Germany 91

5.3.6 WomenSpeak - Women Suffering Domestic Violence - UK 92

5.3.7 Jamie's Big Voice - The Homeless - UK 94

6 Modelling Citizen Engagement 101

6.1 Dimensions of Citizen Engagement 101

6.1.1 Initiator 102

6.1.2 Structure 103

6.1.3 Focus 105

6.1.4 Scale 106

6.1.5 Impact 106

6.1.6 Citizen Influence 107

6.2 Modelling Citizen Engagement 109

6.2.1 Citizen Input 111

6.2.2 Transformations 112

6.2.3 Outputs and Outcomes: Components of Desirable Futures 114

7 Citizen Engagement in ICT Design: The Challenge 121

7.1 Barriers to Citizen Engagement in ICT Development 121

7.1.1 Technical Focus of ICT Developments 122

7.1.2 Limited Practice of Participatory Design 122

7.1.3 Role Conflicts and Role Boundaries 123

7.1.4 Knowledge Silos 125

7.1.5 Lack of Appropriate Skills 126

7.1.6 High Perceived Costs 127

7.2 Changing the Focus of ICT Development 128

7.2.1 Parameters of the Shift 129

7.2.2 A Sociotechnical Approach to Design 130

7.2.3 Information Ecologies 134

7.2.4 A Participatory Approach to Design 135

7.2.5 Inclusive Design 136

7.3 Facilitating the Transition: A Change Management Approach 137

7.3.1 Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo 139

7.3.2 A Shared Vision 140

7.3.3 Knowledge about Practical Steps 141

7.3.4 Costs (Economic and Psychological) 141

8 Strategies for Citizen Engagement: (i) Shifting the Focus of ICT Design Practice 147

8.1 Introducing the Strategies 148

8.2 Institutionalizing the Shift in Organisations 150

8.2.1 Action Plan for Institutionalizing Citizen Participation/Engagement 151

8.2.2 Identifying, Informing and Convincing Key People 152

8.2.3 Integrating Citizen Engagement with ICT Design Methods 153

8.2.4 Integrating Citizen Engagement with Performance Appraisal and Monitoring 155

8.2.5 Providing Resources for Citizen Engagement 155

8.3 Capacity Building 157

8.4 Changing Organizational Culture 160

8.4.1 Key Learning Points: The 'Know Why', 'Know What' and 'Know How' of Citizen Engagement 161

8.5 Sharing the Knowledge 163

9 Strategies for Citizen Engagement (ii) - Tools and Techniques 167

9.1 Methodologies or Toolkits? 167

9.2 Resources to Support Citizen Engagement 169

9.3 Preparing the Ground 171

9.3.1 Identifying Stakeholders: Who Needs to be Engaged? 171

9.3.2 Revealing Stakeholder Diversity 172

9.3.3 Stakeholder Readiness to Engage 173

9.3.4 Motivation for Citizens to engage 174

9.4 Supporting Citizen Engagement in Sociotechnical Decision Making 176

9.5 Communication and Knowledge Sharing 177

9.5.1 Communication Techniques and Channels 178

9.5.2 Knowledge Sharing 179

9.6 Envisioning 181

9.6.1 Visual Representations 181

9.6.2 Experiential Approaches 182

9.7 Consensus Building 183

9.7.1 The Search Conference 183

9.7.2 Citizens' Juries 184

9.8 Creativity and Problem Solving 185

9.8.1 Brainstorming 185

9.8.2 Workshops and Games 185

9.9 Requirements Surfacing 186

9.9.1 Challenging Stereotypes 187

9.9.2 Surfacing Assumptions and Attitudes 187

9.10 Developing Outputs to Inform Design 187

10 Achieving a Culture of Participation and Engagement 193

10.1 Drivers for Action 194

10.2 The Rewards for Changing the Focus of ICT Design 195

10.2.1 Enriched Knowledge Base 195

10.2.2 Improved Systems and Sevices 196

10.2.3 Faster Adoption and More Widespread Use 197

10.3 Leading the Way 197

10.3.1 Role of Influential Leaders 197

10.3.2 Publicising the Value of Citizen Participation/Engagement 198

10.3.3 Role of the IT Profession 199

10.3.4 Starting the Dialogue 200

10.4 Enabling the Transition 202

10.4.1 Institutionalizing the Changes 202

10.4.2 Giving Citizens a Voice 203

10.4.3 Enabling Role of Technology 204

10.4.4 Investing in the Transition 205

10.5 Roles of Stakeholders 205

10.5.1 ICT Designers 206

10.5.2 ICT Manufacturers 207

10.5.3 Government 209

10.5.4 Creating Capacity for Engagement/Participation 210

10.6 Scaling the Process 211.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1402046405

9781402046407

OCLC:

70779280

Publisher Number:

9781402046407