This introduction to Nesta’s work on digital democracy was shared with the Kirklees Democracy Commission as part of our evidence gathering in September 2016.

1. Digital Pioneers and D-CENT
Introduction to Nesta’s work on digital democracy
September 2016
Government Innovation Team

2. Investments - in early stage companies,
social enterprises and venture intermediaries
Research & Analysis -
understanding how innovation happens and how to
support it
Innovation Skills – supporting
abilities to innovate via tools, training, networks
Innovation Lab - supporting
innovation in governments, local authorities and civil
society

4. D-CENT (De-CEntralised Citizens Engagement Technologies),
Project aims and achievements
1. Developed a collection of new tools for digital democratic engagement.
2. Collaborated with partners across Europe to deliver pilots, as well as technical and research assistance
for a number of existing tools.
3. Developed extensive network of collaborators and practitioners, in Europe and beyond (parties, city
governments, parliaments, third sector organisations).
Open source. Privacy-aware. Easily integrated. Interoperable

5. • Identify the most promising and pioneering examples of digital democracy from
around the world.
• What are the most promising tools, technologies, uses and platforms for digital
democracy?
• How can institutions better engage the public in their deliberations and decisions?
• How can they tap into collective intelligence and distributed expertise?
• Where and how have these been applied and used by parliaments, cities and
political parties to improve the quality and legitimacy of decision-making?

6. Activity Description Examples
Informing Citizens Providing information about debates and decisions and notifying citizens of relevant debates, votes and
consultations.
BBC Parliament channel
Hansard Online
Issue Framing Enabling citizens to raise awareness of particular issues and set the agenda for public debate No10 Petitions site Avaaz.org
Change.org
Citizens providing
information
Providing citizens with opportunities to share information about specific problems, or to understand
individual needs (through e.g. ethnographic research and user led research) or larger patterns and
trends (through e.g. citizen generated data and online polling)
Fix My Street
Patients Like Me
Deliberative polling
Old Weather initiative
Float Beijing
Citizens providing ideas Enabling citizens to provide ideas for new, improved or future solutions Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Ideas Bank
Challenge.gov
Citizens providing
expertise
Platforms and tools to tap into people’s distributed expertise. Peer to Patent
Citizens developing
proposals
Enabling citizens to generate and develop specific proposals through, e.g. crowdsourcing and co-
production. This could include channels: which allow citizens to make suggestions, amendments etc.
individually; which allow citizens to work together to make suggestions collectively or collaboratively;
and channels which enable citizens to work with government or parliamentary officials to work
collaboratively on proposals.
Citizens initiating legislation through, e.g. Open Ministry in Finland
Crowdsourcing e.g. the Icelandic constitution
Deliberation Platforms and tools which enable citizens to deliberate Pol.is
vTaiwain
Citizens scrutinising
proposals
Enabling citizens to scrutinise specific options. Public Reading Stage of Bills (UK)
Parlement et Citoyens
Citizens making decisions Enabling citizens to make decisions e.g. through referendums, voting on specific proposals or
participatory budgeting.
Madame Mayor, I have an Idea
Citizens monitoring and
assessing public actions
and services
Providing information and transparency about decision making processes within government and
enabling citizens to monitor, evaluate, and assess the quality and performance of public services.
Open data
Open budgets

7. Notify and inform

8. Generate Ideas

9. • The city processes 15 ideas a month
• 1.9 million Euros allocated (5 per cent of the construction budget for the
city)
• 70,000 visitors, 420 approved ideas
• More work, but better decisions
Generate Ideas
Better Reykjavik

10. Generate Ideas

11. Madrid City CouncilGenerate Ideas

12. Decide

13. Consult, scrutinise and collaborate

14. Consult, scrutinise and collaborate

15. Consult, scrutinise and collaborate

17. Key points for representative systems
• Representatives hold the final say
• However, citizens see they’re
making a difference
• Biggest challenge is uptake by
politicians (and people!)
Consult, scrutinise and collaborate

18. Deliberate and establish consensus

19. Deliberate and establish consensus

20. “We’ve worked to
make it so simple to
deploy on a daily or
weekly basis that
there’s no excuse to
not find out what a
given population
thinks.”
Colin Megill
Liz Barry article
Deliberate and establish consensus

21. “We need to have a platform to allow the entire society
in rational discussion.” Minister Jacelyn Tsai

22. Some lessons
INCENTIVES
● Unify participation channels
● Set clear rules and expectations, stick to them
● Inform users as much as possible
● Ask serious questions
● PR budget!
DESIGN
● Determine the appropriate tool for the task
● Determine and frame the problem carefully.
● Determine the appropriate target audience
● Active facilitation for more difficult issues
● Engage early
EVALUATION
● Representative?
● Feedback and iteration

23. Thank you