Evaluation Framework for Assessing E-Democracy Policy

E-democracy, defined in this chapter as “the use of information and communication technologies in democratic processes,” covers a range of methods by which governments and communities engage with each other. This includes a variety of activities that support public participation in democratic processes, such as electronic voting, online consultation, Web-based discussion forums, electronic petitions to Parliament, using the Internet to Webcast parliamentary debates, and digital polling and surveys. E-democracy is a fairly recent and evolving field, with rapid developments at both practical and conceptual levels. Innovative projects and initiatives are being introduced in many different countries, but this process is rarely guided by a comprehensive policy framework or informed by systematic evaluation. In 2001, an OECD review concluded that “no OECD country currently conducts systematic evaluation of government performance in providing information, consulting and engaging citizens online” (OECD, 2001 p. 4). Writers in the field have noted that the evaluation of e-democracy initiatives has not developed as quickly as public debate about the potential impacts, that evaluations are rare to date, and that there is no consensus on appropriate evaluation methodologies (Grönlund, n.d.). Examples of publicly available evaluations include the Scottish e-petitioner system (e.g., Malina & Macintosh, n.d.; Malina, Macintosh, & Davenport, 2001) and online consultation (e.g., Smith & Macintosh, 2001; Whyte & Macintosh 2000, 2001). Macintosh and Whyte (2002) have produced “a tentative interdisciplinary framework of evaluation issues and criteria” for electronic consultation. An OECD report (2003) lists evaluation issues for online engagement. However, overall there are few resources to guide evaluation in the e-democracy area to date.

Download Full-text

E-Democracy Policy in Queensland

Electronic Government ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-947-2.ch213 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 2858-2866

Author(s):

Monika Henderson ◽

Fergus Hogarth ◽

Dianne Jeans

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Citizen Participation ◽

Information Dissemination ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

The Internet ◽

Discussion Forums ◽

Administrative Practices ◽

Record Keeping ◽

Parliamentary Debates ◽

Information And Communication

The term e-democracy has tended to be used interchangeably in the literature with e-governance or e-government, and these terms have been described as “being in a constant state of definition, redefinition, and evolution” (Riley, 2002). For the purpose of this article, e-democracy is seen as one facet of a wider use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the business of government, where the focus is on increasing citizen participation in the public decision-making process rather than using ICTs to deliver government information, programs and services, to make financial transactions electronically, or to enhance government internal administrative practices such as record-keeping. E-democracy has been variously defined, described in one report as “easier to recognise than define” (Kellner, 2004). New terms have also been coined, such as m-democracy—“m” for mobile, addressing mobile communication technologies separate from electronic processes such as the Internet that are more commonly used for e-democracy (Brucher & Baumberg, 2002). The case study that follows proposes a simple definition: “E-democracy refers to the use of information and communication technologies in democratic processes.” E-democracy covers a wide range of activities that support public participation in democratic processes, including electronic voting, online consultation, Web-based discussion forums, electronic petitions to parliament, using the Internet to Webcast parliamentary debates, and digital polling and surveys. Clift (2002a) lists the leading e-democracy practices as e-mail notification as an active information dissemination tool; online public hearings and consultations; ICT use by members of parliament for electoral engagement; digital recording and availability of public hearing recordings and materials; and ICT-enabled local civic deliberations and global networking.

Download Full-text

E-Democracy Policy in Queensland

Encyclopedia of Digital Government ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-789-8.ch069 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 455-461 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Henderson ◽

F. Hogarth

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Citizen Participation ◽

Information Dissemination ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

The Internet ◽

Discussion Forums ◽

Administrative Practices ◽

Record Keeping ◽

Parliamentary Debates ◽

Information And Communication

The term e-democracy has tended to be used interchangeably in the literature with e-governance or e-government, and these terms have been described as “being in a constant state of definition, redefinition, and evolution” (Riley, 2002). For the purpose of this article, e-democracy is seen as one facet of a wider use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the business of government, where the focus is on increasing citizen participation in the public decision-making process rather than using ICTs to deliver government information, programs and services, to make financial transactions electronically, or to enhance government internal administrative practices such as record-keeping. E-democracy has been variously defined, described in one report as “easier to recognise than define” (Kellner, 2004). New terms have also been coined, such as m-democracy—“m” for mobile, addressing mobile communication technologies separate from electronic processes such as the Internet that are more commonly used for e-democracy (Brucher & Baumberg, 2002). The case study that follows proposes a simple definition: “E-democracy refers to the use of information and communication technologies in democratic processes.” E-democracy covers a wide range of activities that support public participation in democratic processes, including electronic voting, online consultation, Web-based discussion forums, electronic petitions to parliament, using the Internet to Webcast parliamentary debates, and digital polling and surveys. Clift (2002a) lists the leading e-democracy practices as e-mail notification as an active information dissemination tool; online public hearings and consultations; ICT use by members of parliament for electoral engagement; digital recording and availability of public hearing recordings and materials; and ICT-enabled local civic deliberations and global networking.

Download Full-text

THE „CLOUDY“ CLASSROOM

Education and Technologies Journal ◽

10.26883/2010.202.2362 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 347-352

Author(s):

Atanaska Peneva ◽

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Mobile Communications ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Web Based ◽

Modern Approach ◽

Building Information ◽

Practical Guidelines ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Cloud Technologies

The report presents the author’s experience in integrating modern ICT technologies in the process of teaching and learning in school. The emphasis is on the use of mobile devices and the integration of cloud technologies in schools. As an ICT teacher, the author provides some practical guidelines on how to apply innovation. The generation of 7 screens does not know a world without digital technologies and mobile communications. The discrepancy between the expectations of the digital generation and the reality in our schools is in terms of the information and communication technologies (ICT) used in them and the didactic models. Adolescents, when they find themselves in an environment that does not meet their expectations, are demotivated and redirect their attention to other objects and goals and stop being active in class. The use of the so-called. „Cloud“ technologies will significantly increase the interest and retention of students. The modern approach to building information systems is focused on developing solutions in which the collection, input and output of information is carried out through WEB-based applications or platforms.

Download Full-text

A Web-Based Tourist Decision Support System for Agra City

International Journal of Instrumentation Control and Automation ◽

10.47893/ijica.2011.1010 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 51-54

Author(s):

Sunil Pratap Singh ◽

Jitendra Sharma ◽

Preetvanti Singh

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Support System ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Web Based ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Agra City

In the last decade the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have boomed in many sectors, such as business, education, commerce and have profound implications for the tourism industry. They are being used extensively in a great variety of functions and count innumerable applications. Among these, Decision Support System (DSS) plays a fundamental role for their capacity to give tourist managing their tours and to base all the decisions concerning to queries on the climate, road conditions, cultural aspects, lodging, health facilities, banking, etc. of the location to be visited on sound and rational bases. In the present paper, a Web-Based Tourist Decision Support System (WTDSS) for Agra City has been developed that allows the traveling community to find their route in city and ask for information about sights, accommodations and other places of interest which are near by to him to improve the convenience, safety and efficiency of travel.

Download Full-text

The Role of ICTs in the Management of Rare Chronic Diseases

Healthcare Administration ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6339-8.ch067 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1227-1241

Author(s):

Leonor Teixeira ◽

Vasco Saavedra ◽

Carlos Ferreira ◽

Beatriz Sousa Santos

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Treatment Center ◽

Practical Case ◽

Web Based ◽

Treatment Information ◽

Information And Communication

This chapter outlines a study that examines the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in management of a rare and chronic disease, hemophilia. Evidence in literature shows how the adoption of ICTs can improve the management of chronic conditions. Furthermore, these tools may also give response to rare diseases' needs, while greatly improving the quality of life of those patients. A Web-based application that was developed to facilitate communication between Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and patients in a specific Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC), to improve the utility and quality of clinical data and treatment information, as well as to help the management of resources involved in a specific rare chronic disease, represents a practical case presented in this chapter. This technological solution allows the management of inherited bleeding disorders, integrating, diffusing, and archiving large sets of data relating to the clinical practice of hemophilia care, more specifically the clinical practice at the Hematology Service of Coimbra Hospital Center.

Download Full-text

A Pliant-Based Software Tool for Courseware Development

Handbook of Research on E-Learning Methodologies for Language Acquisition ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-994-6.ch011 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 166-185

Author(s):

Marcus Vinicius dos Santos ◽

Isaac Woungang ◽

Moses Nyongwa

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Software Tool ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

Web Based ◽

Universal Usability ◽

New Information ◽

Learning Capabilities ◽

Information And Communication ◽

E Learning

The increasing importance of e-learning has been a boosting element for the emergence of Internet-based educational tools. As we move into the information age, tremendous efforts are made in the development of new information and communication technologies for educational purposes. The ultimate goal is to facilitate e-learning methodologies and acquisition. The chapter’s contribution is in the area of open source software for technology-enhanced learning. First, we report on the capabilities of Pliant, a novel software framework for Web-based courseware development. Pliant’ design features upon which e-learning capabilities are built are presented, showing that Pliant has some advantages over existing software, including flexibility, efficiency, and universal usability. A case study of the use of Pliant in the project “Multilanguage Database for Localization” developed at the CUSB School of Translation is presented. Second, we present Academia,3 a Pliant-based courseware development Web portal, and its use in translation studies at CUSB.

Download Full-text

Urban Information Systems and Digital Channels to Enhance Transparency and Participation in Urban Planning

Citizen-Responsive Urban E-Planning - Advances in Public Policy and Administration ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4018-3.ch004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 83-110

Author(s):

Beatriz Santos

Keyword(s):

Information Systems ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Local Level ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Information And Communications Technologies ◽

Web Based ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Digital Channels

Through the use of information and communication technologies, Public Administrations make its relevant information related to issues of public interest available for citizens. In the specific field of urban planning, Spanish administrations are making a huge effort to improve the urban information and make it available online for citizens developing Urban Information Systems, tools based on Geographic Information Systems which offer visualization and interaction options and increase transparency. More recently, digital channels have started to be used to enhance participation and promote democratic processes at regional, municipal, and local level. The chapter analyses different digital tools and services implemented to improve transparency in urban planning and web-based participation processes developed in Spain to check the result of these developments concluding that there is still a long considerable way to go since information and communications technologies offers a lot of options and tools to improve these processes, particularly through the application of PPGIS.

Download Full-text

Web-Based Learning and Its Impacts on Junior Science Classes

Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-815-4.ch190 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1203-1209

Author(s):

Vinesh Chandra ◽

Darrell Fisher

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

The Internet ◽

Web Based ◽

The Past ◽

Innovative Methods ◽

Web Based Learning ◽

Information And Communication ◽

New Challenges ◽

Science Classes

The past decade has seen significant improvements in the design and development of information and communication technologies (ICT). The Internet, for instance, has become more efficient, more affordable and more accessible. While the availability of these technologies in classrooms has created new opportunities, it has at the same time presented new challenges for teachers. Teachers have to find innovative methods of implementing these technologies in lessons that are not only effective and efficient but also fair to both sexes.

Download Full-text

E-justice evaluation factors: The case of Smart Court of China

Information Development ◽

10.1177/0266666920967387 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 026666692096738

Author(s):

Jia Yu ◽

Jun Xia

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Policy Issue ◽

Modern Society ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Complex Nature ◽

Trial Management ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Set Up ◽

Justice Evaluation

As information and communication technologies (ICT) continue to impact and shape modern society, and e-justice has gained momentum in recent years. China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) set up a trial management information system that connects all courts in China. Designed to be online, transparent, and intelligent, China’s Smart Court development began in 2016. In practice, SPC promoted modernization of the trial systems to improve the flow of information between courts throughout China. However, significant investments in ICT e-justice services have caused some to question whether these investments have achieved the expected ends. Thus, how to evaluate e-justice services becomes an urgent theoretical and policy issue in the process of e-justice construction in China. E-justice value is not clearly defined in theory in China, nor is easy to measure in practice. Because of the sensitive and complex nature of such evaluation, little research has been conducted in this regard. The objective of this paper is to fill this gap. Relevant literature is reviewed before the article moves on to describe various approaches withe regard to e-government and e-justice evaluation, as well as the characteristics of China’s Smart Court. Evaluation factors and constructs are found based on the Chinese circumstances. This study contributes to the development of a holistic evaluation framework for e-justice system. It also adds the Chinese case to the existing literature. Evaluation factors found in this article can also serve as a foundation for future development and study of e-justice services.

Download Full-text