[Air-L] Draft Survey to Prioritize Online Local Participation Investments - Input by Monday Please

[Steven Clift]

This is not a scientific or representative survey. OK, now that that is on
table, we would really appreciate your input on how to improve this survey:

   http://pages.e-democracy.org/Participation_online_survey

My goal is to get a sense from those who are going to do the heavy lifting
of building, approving, funding, or initially participating in the next
generation of local online civic engagement what is of _greatest priority_.
What do they feel should be universal with e-participation/e-democracy to be
viewed as a fully functioning and respectable local democracy? In a world of
scarce resources, if your have $10,000 dollars or $1,000,000 to invest in
strengthening democracy and you want to spend that online (or a portion)
what will generate the best comparative results?

Whether it is Tambouris et al Framework for Assessing eParticipation
Projects and Tools or checking off the "factors and benefits" in the
European eParticipation Summary Report, the grocery shopping list is far
longer than can fit in the cart for any one local community. The result in
my opinion (in my 15+ years in the field and visits to 25+ countries
speaking to governments on the use of the Internet for civic engagement) is
complete analysis paralysis and inaction at the local level in most local
communities (particularly with governments, but also the civc sector).

So, to kick off our Ford Foundation-funded Participation 3.0 -
http://e-democracy.org/p3 - convening and outreach effort, we've decided to
start off with an initial prioritization and idea submission online survey.

My goal is to hear from a number of constituencies from "wired elected
officials" and neighborhood online participants to researchers and
technologists to see what next generation online civic engagement
(transparency, participation, collaboration/problem-solving, inclusion,
community building) ideas are of most interest among those who show up and
want to make the future happen sooner than later across all local
communities.

The steps in our Next Generation Ideas process through 2010 are:
1. Participation 3.0 launch and outreach with online survey
2. Introduction/input webinar(s), includes some special calls for "wired
local offcials" for example
3. Online working groups/input discussions
4. Top Ten theme drafting with outreach/partner building, broad outreach and
input period
5. Open proposal/specifications - Partnership building, seek major funding
6. Launch funded projects, pilots, etc., Promote efforts that "move the
field"

The survey while short in questions is quite in-depth and might spin a few
heads. I'd rather get 100 thoughtful responses than 1000 quick responses at
this point. But I need your specific input on how to make this the best
experience for those taking their time to contribute.
So will this detailed draft generate some useful input?
     http://pages.e-democracy.org/Participation_online_survey
     (Click the link for the full draft.)

Q2 Your Perspective
Q3 Open Question
Q4 Sharpening Priorities
Q5 Open Data
Q6 Open Government Directive Themes and Local Government
Q7 Get Connected Options

Please send along any input on the survey - as well as offers to help
promote through various channels - in the next few days. We hope to go live
next week with the survey.

Contact:
    clift at e-democracy.org
    Or http://e-democracy.org/contact

Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org <http://e-democracy.org/>
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072