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An Overview of E-Parliament Services: Designing for Citizen Awareness and Participation
Abstract
In an era of citizens' discontentment towards parliamentary democracy and a common perception that public opinion is not properly taken into account by governments, many national parliaments are striving to implement e-services that will attract citizens' interest and engage them actively in parliamentary procedures. This chapter provides an overview of e-parliament concepts and services, relevant initiatives organized by parliaments, governmental agencies, or NGOs, as well as technologies that can be used for such applications. The chapter intends to bring forward issues and opportunities for implementing e-parliament initiatives according to the needs and capabilities of different target groups, with a view to rendering e-parliament services more attractive for citizens, and, at the same time, more effective in their civic education aspects, more efficient in providing feedback to parliament stakeholders, and delivering usable outcomes for parliamentary e-participation.
... Other challenges include limited access to affordable internet services and technologies, lack of awareness of e-parliament, and access to best practices in the field of ICT. Additional, factors reported in the literature and related to the adoption of digital transformation include resistance to change, low funding, digital literacy, citizen perceptions about usefulness of technology, facilitating conditions, along with inadequate policy interventions to drive the initiative (Gupta, 2018;Solis, 2017;Papaloi and Gouscos, 2012;Kamar and Ongo'ndo, 2007). Based on the aforementioned, these factors can be perceived as barriers to implementing modern technologies and services for achieving a more responsive, open, accessible and effective legislature (Sobaci, 2011). ...
The level of information and communication technology (ICT) implementation in a country may have a significant effect on the successful realisation of e-parliament for a more accessible, transparent, effective, efficient and representative legislature. Despite several perceived benefits of e-parliament, some African nations including Nigeria are still at the initial phase of adopting this technology. This study examines barriers to the effective e-parliament adoption and implementation in Africa with a distinct focus on the Nigerian National Assembly context. Descriptive survey research design together with multistage and stratified random sampling techniques were employed for this research; questionnaires was also used for this study. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical model. The results revealed that, inter alia, limited ICT infrastructure, low level of ICT literacy and absence of necessary ICT regulatory framework are major barriers towards the successful adoption and usage of e-parliament in Nigeria.
... Most of the previous and currently research focus on e-participation: a concept much more studied theoretically and empirically (Kingham, 2003;Macintosh, 2004aMacintosh, ,2004bPhang, 2008;Saebo et al, 2008;UN, 2008UN, , 2010UN, , 2012Sobaci, 2010;E. Loukis et al, 2010;Missingham, 2011;Papaloi, 2011). In fact, terms like "participation" and "engagement", with or without the prefix "e", are being interchanged. ...
In an era of citizens’ discontentment on democratic institutions, parliaments as a democratic cornerstone, are constantly striving to create alluring services taking, at the same time, into account the difficulty of achieving accessibility and transparency in citizens’ e-participation. At the same time, the evolution of ICT tools presents opportunities to revamp the traditional character, functions and services of parliaments worldwide, giving rise to new capabilities and opportunities that can transform their political and social role. An e-enabled parliament can not only offer flexibility in parliamentary proceedings and facilitate the work of its members, but also strive for the inclusion of citizens, without annulling the representative character of the institution. In this paper, we present an initial overview of the characteristics of modern parliaments, recording existing service offerings and proposing a stakeholder-based categorization, with specific categories that can best accommodate explicit and active citizen participation within parliamentary functions. A number of existing citizen deliberation applications and research projects are highlighted as potential candidates for deploying novel extrovert parliament-to-citizen services, focused directly on citizen involvement. Moreover, the focus area based on the procedure from inclusion to feedback will give good evidence for all those factors that are necessary for a successful adoption of novel e-parliament services.
Deliberative democratic theorists and public participation scholars have become increasingly interested in institutionalized forms of citizen discourse with the state, including those facilitated by information technology. However, there have been very few empirical studies of the claims that the Internet will make public participation more inclusive and deliberative. We report the results of an exploratory survey of 1,556 citizen participants in regulatory public comment processes in the United States. Our analysis focuses on the differences in deliberative indicators between those who submitted their comments using newly available electronic tools and those who postal mailed or faxed letters on paper. We also examine differences between those who submitted an original letter and those who submitted a version of a mass-mailed form letter. Overall, the data found modest evidence of the presence of deliberative democratic practices. More interesting are the apparently fundamental differences between citizens who submit original comments and those who submit form letters. We discuss the implications of these findings as they relate to the use of information technology to increase government-citizen deliberation.
This paper concerns the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a strategy for reinforcing democratic processes - broadly defined as "electronic democracy" practices - and focuses on the use of ICTs in participatory democracy initiatives. By considering the experience of the e-Participatory Budgeting in the city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil), the aim is to understand some of the possible prospects and limitations offered by ICTs in participatory processes at the local level.Considering the fact that the e-Participatory Budgeting took place in a city with 1.7 million electors and attained a level of participation of nearly 10%, the e-Participatory Budgeting of Belo Horizonte is, by any standards, one of the most significant initiatives in the world in the domain of e-democracy to have been implemented so far.Among other findings, this paper argues that even though the use of ICTs was essential to the success of the initiative, other factors were also crucial in accomplishing such a level of participation, notably: i) the scope of the public works at stake; ii) the salience of the initiative and iii) citizens' perception of their actual impact in the decision-making process.It is expected that the outcomes of this incipient research will contribute to the literature on electronic and participatory democracy, as well as providing a policy evaluation of the use of ICTs at the local level in a large-scale participatory initiative.
Deliberative democratic theorists and public participation scholars have become increasingly interested in institutionalized forms of citizen discourse with the state, including those facilitated by information technology. However, there have been very few empirical studies of the claims that the Internet will make public participation more inclusive and deliberative. We report the results of an exploratory survey of 1,556 citizen participants in regulatory public comment processes in the United States. Our analysis focuses on the differences in deliberative indicators between those who submitted their comments using newly available electronic tools and those who postal mailed or faxed letters on paper. We also examine differences between those who submitted an original letter and those who submitted a version of a mass-mailed form letter. Overall, the data found modest evidence of the presence of deliberative democratic practices. More interesting are the apparently fundamental differences between citizens who submit original comments and those who submit form letters. We discuss the implications of these findings as they relate to the use of information technology to increase government-citizen deliberation.
This article proposes a framework to study the impact of the Internet on parliaments from a legislative studies perspective.
This area of study has been addressed only by an Internet studies perspective and, as a consequence, we still know little
about the impact of the Internet on parliamentary activity. The framework proposed in this article integrates the ‘offline’
context of each parliament (institutional factors) in the analysis of the impact of the Internet, identifying different functions
played by parliament (other than just representation) and shifting the focus to the institution of parliament, rather than
MPs individually considered. This is complemented by a brief exploratory analysis of the impact of the Internet in four parliaments
(British, European, Portuguese and Swedish) to illustrate some of the points made.
Data visualization is a general term that describes any
effort to help people understand the significance of data by placing
it in a visual context. Patterns, trends and correlations that might
go undetected in text-based data can be exposed and recognized
easier with data visualization software. Data visualization is the
presentation of quantitative information in a graphical form. In
other words, data visualizations turn large and small data-sets into
visuals that are easier for the human brain to understand and
process. Data visualizations are surprisingly common in our
everyday life, but they often appear in the form of well-known
charts and graphs. It can be used to discover unknown facts and
trends. Good data visualizations are created when communication,
data science, and design collide. Data visualizations done right
offer key insights into complicated data-sets in ways that are
meaningful and intuitive. In this article , we would like to discuss
about data visualization, importance of data visualization, data
visualization tools etc.
Unlocking E-Government Potential: Concepts, Cases and Practical Insights provides a conceptual and empirical basis for understanding the potential of e-government and practical insights for implement-action of e-government at local, state or national level.The author provides an overview of global experience in implementing e-government, explores the potential impact of e-government on cost of access, quality of service and quality of governance for citizens and businesses and analyzes the potential impact of e-government on transparency and corruption. Different stages in the life cycle of an e-government project with best practices in project conceptualization, design and implementation and specific focus on managing change is brought out in the book. It also provides practical guidelines for the creation of a country-level strategy and implementation plan and discusses a strategy for making e-government work for the poor.The book also presents ten case studies of e-government applications covering the whole range-serving different types of clients; focusing on different purposes (improving service delivery, transparency, increasing tax revenue, controlling government expenditure); and built by different tiers of government. Cases explain the application context, new approaches embodied in the e-government application, challenges faced during implementation, benefits delivered and costs incurred. The book integrates the many different perspectives of discussing e-government-technical perspective, public administration perspective, economic perspective and managerial perspective.
Each year, government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission collectively promulgate thousands of new regulations. Electronic rulemaking, or e-rulemaking, offers the potential to enhance the public's involvement in the regulatory process as well as improve the management of rulemaking. The Regulatory Policy Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government convened two workshops on e-rulemaking over the past year: one in Washington, D.C., the other in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Digital Government Research Program, these workshops brought together academic experts from computer sciences, law, and public management, along with key public officials involved in managing federal regulation, to forge a forward-looking research agenda needed to improve and expand e-rulemaking efforts. The panel at dg.o2003, the National Conference on Digital Government Research, shared the key themes that emerged from the Harvard workshops with the larger digital government research community and discussed the major challenges for future research on e-rulemaking.
Digital Game-Based Learning, by Marc Prensky, is a strategic and tactical guide to the newest trend in e-learning - combining content with video games and computer games to more successfully engage the under-40 "Games Generations," which now make up half of America's work force and all of its students. The book fully explores the concept of Digital Game-Based Learning, including such topics as How Learners Have Changed, Why Digital Game-Based Learning Is Effective, Simulations and Games, How Much It Costs, and How To Convince Management. With over 50 case studies and examples, it graphically illustrates how and why Digital Game-Based Learning is working for learners of all ages in all industries, functions and subjects.
Regulatory agencies such as the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Internal Revenue Service face significant information demands in crafting the thousands of new regulations the federal government issues each year. Before adopting new regulations, regulatory agencies must solicit and analyze comments from the public as well as complete scientific, engineering, and economic analyses. By harnessing the power of digital technologies, electronic rulemaking -- or e-rulemaking, for short – could potentially reduce the informational burdens associated with making regulations. Not only may e-rulemaking make the regulatory process more manageable for federal agencies, it may also expand and enhance the public’s involvement in this important policymaking arena. For these reasons, interest in e-rulemaking is growing in Washington, D.C. E-rulemaking formed part of the Clinton Administration’s National Performance Review and it remains a component of the Bush Administration’s overall management plan. In addition, the E-Government Act of 2002 calls for federal agencies to explore the use of new technologies in rulemaking proceedings. In order to channel interest in e-rulemaking toward effective and meaningful innovations in regulatory practice, the Kennedy School of Government’s Regulatory Policy Program convened two major workshops, bringing together academic experts from computer sciences, law, and public management along with key public officials involved in managing federal regulation. This paper summarizes the discussions that took place at these workshops and develops an agenda for future research on information technology and the rulemaking process. It highlights the institutional challenges associated with using information technology in the federal regulatory process and suggests that in some cases existing rulemaking practices may need to be reconfigured in order to take full advantage of technological developments. Ultimately,
During the past decades, the virtual reality community has based its development on a synthesis of earlier work in interactive 3D graphics, user interfaces, and visual simulation. Currently, the VR field is transitioning into work influenced by video games. Because much of the research and development being conducted in the games community parallels the VR community's efforts, it has the potential to affect a greater audience. Given these trends, VR researchers who want their work to remain relevant must realign to focus on game research and development. Leveraging technology from the visual simulation and virtual reality communities, serious games provide a delivery system for organizational video game instruction and training.
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