Enhancing democracy through ICT
In this information- and technology-rich age, what role does information and communications technology (ICT) have in the democratic process? It is a question that Andy Williamson is exploring for his doctoral thesis, "The impact of ICT in facilitating and influencing the democratic processes in a regional community".
A management consultant specialising in the impact of technology on strategy and policy, Andy says e-democracy is about allowing new models for doing things to emerge from community, rather than doing more of the existing "top-down" way of communicating. "Developing e-democracy is not just about converting what you already have into an online process. It's looking for other solutions and allowing solutions to emerge that you have not thought of."
Andy has been awarded a SPEaR Linkages postgraduate scholarship to support his doctoral research. Although he is based in Waitakere, he is completing his doctorate at Melbourne's Monash University via distance learning - appropriate given his focus on virtual communities.
The first phase of his data collection was a national survey of people involved in the community - be it voluntary work or working in local or central government or a non-governmental organisation - and who used information technology as a communication tool.
"The results show that technology is an extremely powerful tool for linking and supporting people in organisations, helping them to get access to information and build their own knowledge and capacity.
"People saw computers and the Internet as a means of short-circuiting the usual communications networks. It made it easier for them to talk to the person they needed to talk to, particularly email."
Organisations were also able to publish community views without having to rely on newspapers for getting those views across.
"The downside is that often people do not have the resources or money to get the technology, or if they do have it, they may not know how to make the technology fit with the processes in their organisation - how to make effective use of technology."
The second phase of the data collection involves interviewing individuals in Waitakere City on their use of technology. "It includes people involved in community and voluntary organisations, council staff and local body and national politicians. The aim is to get details of the pros and cons of using ICT, find out what is and is not happening, and what the barriers are."
"I'm using what's called 'grounded theory', so it's very much an iterative process. I talk to someone, go back and look at the data, and build up models or sets of categories around the processes that are happening. It involves making constant comparisons, and looking for themes to emerge from what people are telling you.
"There's a process of audit and rigour built into the methodology and it involves always testing what is said. It's a complex analysis process."
Andy says that although it is still early days, some patterns are starting to emerge, including the need to disrupt the existing balance of power so a new way can emerge. "For effective e-democracy to happen, there needs to be a political and bureaucratic agenda for change - there must be a political mandate for change, and a bureaucratic will to enable it to happen.
"It is a challenge to the existing balance of power - flattening of power. Ordinary people have more access, and in more timely manner, to information and they are more able to contribute. It's also an issue of how to make people aware of what they can do, of having access to the technology, and having the skills to use it."
Andy says that e-democracy is often viewed as trying to replace representative democracy. "But it's not. It's a strengthening of representative democracy - politicians can become more aware of the issues of importance to people and people are more easily able to raise issues and communicate their opinions. It creates an opportunity to build more deliberative decision-making around the system we have. It backs up the Local Government Act which legislates local authorities to be more involved in their communities - to have a role in the social, cultural and economic good of the community. It's an area where Waitakere is already doing a lot and is ahead of the game."
For more information, contact andy@wairua.co.nz
