Session
Organizer 1: Sienna Byrne, self
Organizer 2: Alexandra Frank, Princeton University
Speaker 1: Florian Marcus, Private Sector, Eastern European Group
Speaker 2: Asha D. Abinallah
Speaker 3: Noha Ashraf Abdel Baky
Speaker 4: Dr.Adel Abdel-Sadek
Speaker 5: PeiChin Tay
Sienna Byrne, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Alexandra Frank, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Sienna Byrne, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A 60 minute roundtable is the best-suited format for this workshop because we aim to facilitate dialogue among the workshop participants and speakers at planned intervals so a seating layout where all can directly interact is preferable. 60 minutes is an appropriate amount of time for this workshop because we will delve into the topic of citizen participation in digital governance from the multiple perspectives represented by our speakers - technical expertise in the field of cybersecurity, social science research in digital participation, and humanitarian views on strengthening human rights through citizen participation in digital systems of governance - which renders 30 minute too short. 90 minutes may be too long to keep an engaging pace of conversation for speakers and participants without venturing too far into more technical avenues requiring extensive prior knowledge on the part of participants.
1. How can we most effectively create channels for citizen participation in the design of e-government systems while still addressing security concerns? 2. What form should citizen participation in e-government take beyond the simple use of e-government systems? 3. How might citizens be included as stakeholders in the design of e-government systems to address human rights concerns surrounding the collection and processing of citizen data? 4. How might e-government systems be designed to address the needs of vulnerable members of the population and what are the existing best practices in this regard?
What will participants gain from attending this session? This workshop equips participants with a multi-faceted understanding of innovative approaches to citizen participation in the design and implementation of digital governance architectures and current best practices. The interdisciplinary design of this panel - including speakers from the social sciences, cybersecurity and technology sector, and human rights domain - provides a holistic understanding of the various opportunities and concerns that accompany citizen participation in digital governance. After attending this session, participants will possess a keen understanding of how many disparate factors, from specific technological innovations, to legal provisions, to social outreach campaigns, can contribute to digital governance systems that succeed in fostering citizen participation. During the workshop participants will compare and apply the concepts learned to the real case studies of digital governance systems currently operating in Estonia and Zurich, Switzerland, which will contribute to a nuanced understanding of how the theoretical concepts discussed may be translated into practical use.
Description:
As more states around the globe seek to implement digital governance initiatives, citizens may have the opportunity to act as more than mere users of digital governance systems - instead, participating actively in their design and maintenance. Bringing together technical experts, social science researchers in the field of digital governance, and experts in the field of human rights in a digital context, this workshop will facilitate discussion on the role of citizens as stakeholders in digitally governed societies. Critical topics addressed during this workshop will include the balance of security and transparency in the collection and use of citizen data, current pilot projects to include citizens in the planning and execution of digital governance systems and the varying success of such projects, and the ways in which digital governance systems may be designed to include the input of traditionally marginalized communities and thus bridge the current gaps in public service delivery to these groups, among others. Throughout this workshop, there will be numerous opportunities for participants to contribute to the vibrant roundtable conversation exploring both the various challenges and opportunities that accompany direct citizen participation in shaping digital governance.
The first four chapters of the thesis work attached to this proposal submission entitled "Tracing the Development of Estonia’s Government Digitization from the Soviet Era to Present, and its Transformative Effect on Estonian Society" will be submitted (in its entirety) for publication this year, which will serve as an output directly related to this workshop content. Upon approval of this proposal, a website will be established for this workshop that provides participants with additional pre-read materials related to the topic of citizen participation in digital governance structures that will help to generate deeper conversation both before, during, and after this year’s IGF. In the weeks leading up to this workshop, the confirmed speakers listed in this application will generate publicity for this workshop through coordinated campaigns on social media and other professional channels.
Hybrid Format: At planned intervals speakers will open up conversation to all participants, as which point a facilitator will ensure that equal time is provided to in-person as virtual participants to share their thoughts and pose questions to the speakers and the general group. The 60 minute workshop will take the form of a dialogue between experts on e-government with varying professional backgrounds, from social science to cybersecurity, and virtual participants will have the option to leave their cameras on during the Zoom and have their screens reflected on a panel in the physical conference room to enable speakers and in-person participants to view them while they share any thoughts or pose questions to speakers.
Report
Workshop #86: The Role of Citizens: Informing and Maintaining e-Government provided a vibrant discussion exploring how governments can engage citizens in shaping e-government initiatives. With speakers hailing from the technical community, human rights groups, and civil society organizations across four different continents, this workshop provided a blend of global perspectives enabling a nuanced discussion of the future of digital public service delivery and design. Overall, the conversation largely centered on two primary themes:
- Ways in which governments can proactively seek the input of traditionally marginalized communities, and
- The importance of accountability mechanisms that enable citizens to monitor the use of their data and hold leaders responsible for the broader effectiveness of e-government programs.
The conversation followed a semi-structured approach, where four primary questions were posed to the panelists, allowing for free-flowing conversation with time for clarification between questions.
The first question panelists addressed was: How can we most effectively create channels for citizen participation in the design of e-government systems while still addressing security concerns? Responses to this question highlighted the need for comprehensive stakeholder mapping ahead of technical system design and posed the idea of utilizing existing organizations such as community centers and churches to reach, better understand, and effectively engage with underserved communities where demographic data may not be enough to understand digital service needs. Panelists also discussed the importance of secure digital identities as a foundation for e-government initiatives to ensure the integrity of critical data, from citizen petitions to election outcomes. Additionally, panelists emphasized the role that a strong civil society can play in fostering open dialogue and generating consensus among citizens on the direction of e-government initiatives. Similarly, panelists articulated the need for governments to set clear benchmarks to measure both positive and negative sentiments among citizens regarding e-government initiatives, with the intention of real adaptation based on citizen feedback.
Moving to an exploration of concrete frameworks for citizen engagement, the second question panelists were asked was: What form should citizen participation in e-government take beyond the mere use of e-government systems?Multiple panelist responses to this question addressed the need for relevant research to be incorporated into the public elements of government planning in a way that productively guides engagement, as opposed to being conducted, published, and then shelved away from direct implementation with citizen stakeholders. Another panelist response highlighted the advantages of explicitly requiring stakeholder input as a precursor to the digitization of government services, utilizing the successful case study of Estonia’s feedback-gathering process. Other panelist ideas to move citizens from being passive recipients of e-government initiatives to active participants included investment in public-private partnerships that bring more diverse voices into decision-making spaces, as well as utilizing an open-source system where source code can be verified by both citizens and third parties—fostering an environment of transparency and accountability. Another topic brought up during this part of the workshop was the recognition that citizen involvement must account for the need for government services to be user-friendly and sufficiently robust so that citizens, particularly youth, actually want to be involved and become champions of further e-government efforts.
The third question panelists addressed was: How might citizens be included as stakeholders in the design of e-government systems to address human rights concerns surrounding the collection and processing of citizen data?One course of action discussed was the potential of giving leadership positions to youth outside of the political sphere to serve in roles of accountability and responsibility. In responding to this question, multiple panelists again emphasized the importance of a strong civil society that can effectively identify challenges related to the misuse of citizen data but also has the power to pressure governments to act swiftly and stringently in disciplining officials who misuse citizen data. At this point in the workshop, the floor was opened to participants, where ideas were exchanged about implementing e-government initiatives in states currently facing allegations of human rights abuses.
After addressing question three, the discussion shifted to the fourth and final question posed to panelists: How might e-government systems be designed to address the needs of vulnerable members of the population, and what are the existing best practices in this regard? One idea shared on this topic was the offering of proactive government services, following the example set in Estonia, where citizens—and particularly members of marginalized communities—benefit from being proactively offered services that meet their needs at each stage of life without the need to actively search for them. Similarly, panelists discussed the need for e-government interfaces to provide proactive adjustments for people with various visual, audio, and other disabilities.
After addressing question four, the workshop concluded with a brief question-and-answer period, welcoming input and ideas from participants.