A Systematic Literature Review on the Participation Aspects of Environmental and Nature-Based Citizen Science Initiatives

It is commonly argued that, despite the tremendous resonance Citizen Science (CS) has shown in recent years, there is still lack of understanding of important aspects defining citizens’ participation and engagement in CS initiatives. While CS initiatives could provide a vehicle to foster forms of participation contributing to the democratization of science, there is still limited attention paid to the “Citizen” component of the Citizen Science term. For the purpose of this work, we systematically reviewed the available literature for empirical studies in respect to citizens’ participation in environmental and nature-based CS initiatives established during the last two decades, using the PRISMA methodology. The participatory facet of the retrieved 119 CS initiatives was analysed on the basis of: (a) exclusion and inclusion demographic factors, (b) CS models and practices, (c) facilitators and constraints of citizen’s participation, and (d) environmental citizenship. Our findings show that the majority of the CS initiatives did not place restrictions on gender participation; however, we have identified that mostly highly educated adults participated in the reviewed initiatives. In addition, most of the CS initiatives reported in the literature were situated in the EU and USA, were mostly limited to the local scale, and primarily followed the contributory model. Academic institutions were found to coordinate the majority of the CS initiatives examined. By using digital technologies, academic scientists were able to control and increase data quality, as well as to engage a broader audience, even though they were mostly treating volunteers as “data collectors”, desiring their long-term engagement. Therefore, it will be of CS benefit to be better aligned with the mentality and needs of citizens. In this direction CS initiatives should trigger citizens’ learning gains and interpersonal/social benefits and personal, environmental, and social motivations, but also to shift their goals towards contributing to science and citizens’ connection with nature. On the other hand, there is a need to overcome any design and implementation barriers, and to enhance democratization through a more participative engagement of active and aware citizens, thus promoting environmental citizenship.

The Tunisian societal dialogue for health reform (a qualitative study)

Background Tunisia is currently through its second phase of the Societal Dialogue for Health System Reform to develop a National Health Policy 2030. By contributing to the documentation of this process this work will allow the different partners to have an overview of its place in health planning as well as the success factors and the challenges of the model in relation to international norms and experiences. Methods This work was based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with citizen juries and experts that took place from May 2018 to September 2018. The qualitative analysis was done according to a cross-matrix between the themes of the interview of the two groups of interviewees. The analysis of the data was mixed: a coding of the data collected was done beforehand. However this frame has been adjusted according to the transcriptions. Results The qualitative analysis of the data highlighted four axes: the context of initiation of the societal dialogue and the passage from the claim to the political instrumentalization, the citizen participation and the role of the various actors, the mixed perception of the societal dialogue and the crisis of trust, the methodology of the social dialogue process, especially the 'Citizen Jury' method. The main factors of success of the societal dialogue are the commitment of the actors, the political will, the inclusivity and the multidisciplinarity of the process and finally the communication around the process. The main challenges are the non-ownership of the process by the policies and the different stakeholders as well as the doubt about the achievement of these results. Conclusions It is important to introduce regular citizen and societal consultation so that it can credibly feed into policy review processes and inform policy makers on a regular basis. It would be important to think of a model for the sustainability of this approach. This involves finding the necessary financial and operational means. Key messages The promotion of citizen's participation in health is crucial in the new Tunisian democratic experience. A legal framework is needed to ensure the sustainability of the new approach of citizen's participation in health.

Citizen’s Level of Participation and Satisfaction in the Conduct of Barangay Assembly: A Case of One Philippine LGU

The purpose of this paper was to examine the extent of citizen’s participation and satisfaction in local governance in view of the powers of barangay assembly as stated in the Local Government Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 7160). This study aims at exploring the dynamic interplay of citizen’s satisfaction in the conduct of barangay assembly relative to their participation to said assembly as platform towards participatory local governance. Based on the results of our study, we recommended that LGU participation and regular attendance in barangay assemblies should be intensified, along with that, citizen’s participation and satisfaction right after the conduct of the assembly should have feedback mechanism, and based on the findings of our study we present policy implications and insights essential for the enhancing what is contain in Chapter 6 of the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

E-participatory Approaches in Urban Design

The phenomenon of planning involving citizen’s participation in planning literature has been from the second half of the 20th century. Indeed, different methods and techniques have been used in the process. However, participatory practices are time-consuming and negotiations are tiresome. Accordingly, the integration of developing digital technologies into participatory processes has been seen as a potential to reach large audiences and provide time-space independence. Within the scope of this research, a detailed literature review was done regarding e-participation, and ten (10) examples representing the upper levels at the ladder of participation were examined within the context of project, participation, and socio-technical criteria. SWOT analyzes were structured by grouping similar applications, and current trends for the use of e-participation in urban design have been revealed. The analysis showed that citizens e participation- participation tend to allow citizen design or location-based interaction, playful interfaces and game elements which can be sources for encouragement.

On the issue of citizen's participation in the protection of public order

the article presents the consideration of topical issues of citizens ' participation in the protection of public order and ensuring public safety, regarded as one of the political rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely: freedom of association. A comparative analysis of the experience of involving the population in the protection of public order in the Russian Federation and certain foreign countries has been conducted. The forms of participation of citizens in the protection of public order, as well as the methods of motivation of citizens for this type of activity have been analyzed. The suggestions for improving regulatory, social, organizational measures aimed to attract citizens to the protection of public order have been presented.

Silencing the Media and Chaining the Watchdog

Over the last two decades, Nigeria has been struggling to consolidate its democratic processes to ensure peaceful campaigns and free and fair polls. But electoral processes require the free flow of verified electoral information and citizen's participation – phenomena that only free media can guarantee. As enshrined in the nation's constitution, it is expected that freedoms of expression and press will be guaranteed during polls times and always. On the contrary, election times are often dejection time for Nigerian journalists. Hence, concerns are being raised about what factors are responsible for causing threats to journalists during poll times and how the menace can be mitigated. Drawing on the experiences of 12 journalists who were interviewed face-to-face, this chapter found aggressive journalistic practices, overconfidence, and breach of journalistic ethics responsible for threats to journalists' safety. The chapter concludes that professional incompetence is one of the critical factors exposing Nigerian journalists to threats.

Citizen’s Participation Level Analysis Dalam Pengelolaan Dana Desa di Desa Sukodermo Kecamatan Purwosari

In the implementation of Village Fund Management, the Village Government cannot be separated from the role of Participation and the Village community as one of the stakeholders. Community participation is needed in the management of village funds as a form of transparency and accountability aspects that are a reference of the village funds themselves. The purpose of this study was to analyze the degree of community participation in the management of Sukodermo Village Fund, Purwosari Subdistrict, Pasuruan Regency, and the impacts arising from community participation in the management of Village funds. The research method in this study is a qualitative method. The results showed that community participation in the implementation of Sukodermo Village Fund Purwosari Subdistrict Pasuruan Regency was divided into 3 main focuses, namely: first, the level of community participation in the process of village fund management planning, second, the level of community participation in the implementation of village fund management, third, the level of community participation in Evaluation of fund management. Abstrak Dalam implementasi Pengelolaan dana Desa, Pemerintahan Desa tidak bisa lepas dari peran Partisipasi serta masyarakat Desa sebagai salah satu stakeholders. Partisipasi masyarakat sangat dibutuhkan dalam pengelolaan dana Desa sebagai bentuk aspek transparansi dan akuntabilitas yang menjadi acuan dari dana Desa itu sendiri. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis derajat partispasi masyarakat dalam Pengelolaan dana Desa Sukodermo Kecamatan Purwosari Kabupaten Pasuruan, serta dampak yang muncul akibat partisipasi masyarakat dalam pengelolaan dana Desa tersebut. Metode Penelitian dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa partisipasi masyarakat dalam Implementasi dana Desa Sukodermo Kecamatan Purwosari Kabupaten Pasuruan terbagi dalam 3 fokus utama yakni: pertama, Tingkat Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Proses Perencanaan Pengelolaan dana Desa, Kedua, Tingkat Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pelaksanaan Pengelolaan dana Desa, Ketiga, Tingkat Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Evaluasi Pengelolaan dana.