Online Deliberation in the Government of Canada: Organizing the Back Office - Panel/Workshop

Elisabeth Richard
Public Works and Government Services Canada

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     Last modified: May 18, 2005

Abstract
After a decade of Internet presence, governments have moved from a static single-window to a more welcoming metaphor: the front door. The public space is open for citizens and stakeholders who want “in”. Online deliberation and groupware are being deployed in the Government of Canada like discussion forums, chats, webinars, surveys, social networking tools.

But there is more to Online Deliberation than online applications: citizens cannot expect to become partners in the governance process without new public management frameworks. New consultation, communication, correspondence and program management models are needed to ensure that public administrations are adapted to the network age.

Drawing on the experience of Canadian public servants, this workshop outlines the new roles, processes, structures and relationships needed to warrant efficient and meaningful online deliberation. It creates a discussion between academics and practitioners to integrate emerging knowledge with practical experience.

The people.

Subject-matter experts: Government experts are increasingly in demand. New media adds to the possibilities of showcasing their expertise. If information is more and more seen as a public resource there is a need to set the right stage for the custodians of this information.
Educators: The online environment is a rich medium for learning and outreach. Deliberative dialogues are built on a common understanding of issues that are presented in a variety of formats in a continuous learning environment.

Moderators: With the multiplication of online conversations, moderators are essential to bolster meaningful participation. Online moderators enable people to work together online to achieve goals or objectives. They attend to the social processes impacting upon the people working together.
Network Convenors: Operating in the context of networks requires new skills. Public service managers are increasingly responsible for relationships with external stakeholders. They go beyond their traditional roles of gatekeeper or benefactor: they become network convenors concerned with what matters not only to his or her organization but also to the whole network.

The processes

Issue Framing: The critical piece necessary for public engagement. The process of creating an unbiased framework is similar to the work of the research arm of Parliament. It should represent the voices of all impacted by the issue.

Content Analysis: Given their rich data yield from online consultations, summarizing and synthesizing results can be challenging - especially when it comes to qualitative data. New processes and technical solutions are starting to take shape to summarize the substance of responses and identify participants main concerns, their level of support in the particular area and their suggestions for action.

Stakeholder Management: There is great demand for up-to-date information and intelligence on stakeholders such as their areas of interest, the list of meetings they attended and a record of comments. Also, mapping tools are developing to provide a snapshot of who are the opinion leaders on a given issue. Best practices exist for some techniques for manual deep tracking of stakeholder Web sites.

The structures:

Editorial Boards: The editorial board helps tackle fundamental questions on content. The board determines the issues and selects the sources of information for deliberation. During the course of the deliberation, they can make judgments about when people involved in discussions are considered “informed” enough.

Theme Teams: Similar to the Editorial Board, the Theme Team is comprised of experts and may include neutral observers. Their role is to frame issues in a balanced way.

Intelligence Units: In some consultations, findings can be very rich and detailed, particularly when questions are very specific, at the local level and involved many stakeholders, for example when decision support systems are used. A dedicated community resource comprising of research and analytical skills helps to provide guidance up to policy branch on the specific needs of one community, and to provide to the community specific information on how a policy or program applies to them.

Horizontal Issue Networks: To support the scope and complexity of interdepartmental coordination, new networks are emerging within the bureaucracy. Networks of official contacts are formed across government to provide responses to questions of specific audiences. This role tends to expand to include providing reports on outcomes achieved as a result of issues raised during the consultation process.

The relationships:

Multidisciplinary teams are key to the success of online deliberation. Teams should comprise expertise in policy development, online consultation, communications, technical planning, marketing, and community facilitation experience. Conflicts and synergies emerge. Experts might not want to share their original sources or let go of their terminology. Communicators might want to imprint a particular departmental spin on the issues. Information management staff might not be brought in early enough to create an efficient information architecture.

Methodology:

The workshop is designed around 4 modules: roles, processes, structures and relationships. A presentation sets the context and is followed by a discussion among participants on how emerging knowledge can enhance. This workshop helps practitioners share best practices. It gives academics a reality check: describing how systems are applied in the bureaucracy. For all participants, it is an introduction to a concrete experience of how online deliberation works in the government context.