Project Overview

eParticipate is a 31 month Initial Deployment follow-on from the very successful Market Validation of an eParticipation multimedia platform that was launched in the UK, Spain, Ireland and Slovakia. eParticipate provides an open integrated standard web-based network & gateway of existing “best of breed” applications (called Public-i) to enable public bodies to implement and benefit from a range of eParticipation tools to broaden the participation of citizens in the democratic process.

The eParticipate methodology focuses on the need for clear, accessible, informative and transparent communication as a foundation for eParticipation. By using coherent methods to inform citizens and explain the issues, they are being equipped to get involved in local decision making. eParticipate uses this model to provide tools to support democratic renewal in three main areas (a) Transparent & accessible communication, (b) Getting representation online, and (c) Extending consultation. The core eParticipate platform centres on multimedia webcasting however in a manner which informs and encourages an engagement with a viewer. This is achieved through the inclusion of key contextual information & provision of feedback facilities combined with other communication tools such as on-line consultation. eParticipate will thus promote greater public involvement in local decision making and enhance the representative role of Local Councillors in their community through the use of ICT.

Based on the Market Validation results, the project has initially deployed the service to 10 very different Municipalities in 8 key EU Member States across Europe (Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and UK). Each Local Authority will provide live and archived Internet webcasts of local Municipal meetings both on and off site and other local community events. Citizens can view these broadcast on-line at any time and place and interact as they chose. The project will explore sustainable deployment revenue models based on working with Local Business Partners for commercial deployment to the larger Local Authorities, and publicly subvented groupings of smaller Municipalities in less favoured regions across Europe. During the Initial Deployment network of European and National User Groups will be established, & a series of Dissemination Workshops undertaken. A Trans-European Deployment Plan will be developed that will include committed Local Business Partners each with their own National Deployment Plans.

The project began by setting up the consortium management structures, documenting an Initial Deployment Plan with the initial deployment procedures and operational evaluation process. This has been followed by customisation of the platform in a phased basis to the additional languages (Danish, Czech, French and Italian) in addition to the platform’s existing English, Slovakian and Spanish. The project and its Initial Deployment trials will prove the potential of the platform scale-up and customisation as a Trans-European Network. The Deployment Plans will include identification of further Business Partners to achieve a successful and sustainable trans-European deployment of the eParticipate Platform.

The key output of the project will be an ongoing viable Trans-European Deployment Plan to rollout the platform throughout Europe, in addition to 50 EU Local Authorities committed to operationally using the service. It is anticipated that the immediate impact of the project will be on 1.9M citizens in 9 Member States across the EU, while the longer-term impact of eParticipate will be to establish the critical importance of the eParticipation services in the success of all eGovernment initiatives whilst enabling any EU Local Authority to readily implement the proven solutions based an established best practise methodology. It is envisaged that Market Deployment to all 25 Member States will involve further localisation and adoption of the platform in the light of the Initial Deployment lessons and Plan, and the establishment of a European User Group of Local Authorities, and Network of Local Business Partners across Europe to continue to share this best practise.

eParticipate Project Objectives & Goals

While eParticipate aims to ultimately increase democratic renewal and citizen engagement, the key output of the current Initial Deployment project will be a viable Deployment Plan and Business Partners committed to rollout of the platform across Europe.

It is anticipated that the impact of the Market Deployment of eParticipate will be to establish the critical importance of eParticipation in the success of all eGovernment initiatives and service delivery, and provide a TEN that will enable any EU Local Authorities to readily do so.

The specific objectives and expected outcomes of this phase are as follows:

The major outcome of the project will be a Trans-European Business/Deployment Plan, a reference group of Trans-European Local Authority Users and a Network of Business Partners ready to deploy the eParticipate Platform across Europe, based on a convincing initial deployment that demonstrates its inherent assumptions.

The impact of the Trans-European deployment of the eParticipate platform will be to directly encourage Democratic Renewal & facilitate Citizen Engagement in the initial 8 local regions of the initial deployment, and eventually to 100 such regions across the EU within 2 years of its market deployment, after the end of this project.

Project Workplan

The project consists of the following 5 workpackages:

1. Project Management
2. Dissemination, EU User Group & Business Partners
3. Initial Deployment Localisation & Commissioning
4. Initial Service Deployment & Evaluation
5. Business & Market Deployment Plans