Definition
Digital Participatory Platforms (DPPs) are defined here as a specific type of civic technology explicitly built for participatory, engagement and collaboration purposes that allow for user generated content and include a range of functionalities (e.g. analytics, map-based and geo-located input, importing and exporting of data, ranking of ideas) which transcend and considerably differ from social media such as Social Networking Sites and Microblogging (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). DPPs thus allow for different levels and intensity of citizen engagement and participation. Many authors have tried to identify the levels of citizens engagement and participation in government activities through the use of digital technologies. Generally, three levels of engagement with an increasing degree of interaction are identified within the academic literature. They could be summarised as follows :
- Information sharing : One-way communication from government to citizens. McMillan (2002) calls this Monologues whereas Linders (2012, p. 449) defines this level Government as a Platform, in which governments equip citizens with data needed to make informed decisions or design policies/services in a way that maintains freedom of choice, but stimulates a “socially optimal” option;
- Interaction : Two-way communication with dialogue between citizens and government representatives flowing both ways.
- Civic engagement, involvement, collaboration : On this level, the two-way interactions go beyond basic information exchange to ‘materialise’ in policy measures, joint service delivery or other interventions. We will refer to this level as co-production, i.e. the public sector and citizens making better use of each other’s assets and resources to achieve better outcomes and improved efficiency.
