Evaluating eparticipation projects and lessons learnt

Abstract

Local, regional and national governments of many countries invest significant amounts of money in various types of eParticipation projects, aiming to engage citizens in public policymaking and decision-making exploiting the information and communication technologies (ICT). However, they do not pay sufficient attention to evaluating these efforts, while a widely accepted methodology for this purpose is missing. This chapter initially reviews the frameworks and methodologies that have been developed from previous research for the evaluation of information systems (IS), traditional offline public participation and also eParticipation. Then, based on them, a synthetic methodology has been developed for evaluating eParticipation projects. Furthermore, an alternative simpler methodology is presented for the same purpose, in order to be used in cases of limited resources and big time pressure. Also, a methodology for conducting more focused evaluations of significant innovative components, such as the 'structured eForum' that enables a more structured electronic discussion on a public policy or decision, is presented. Finally, the conclusions and lessons learnt are outlined.