Bridging the Gap Between Citizen Participation and Administrative Action. Does Digitalization Improve the Exchange Between Political Actors, Administration and Citizens?

Online participation is increasingly used in the context of formal and informal public participation processes held by administrations, municipalities and public institutions. While new options for codetermination and the potential to generally improve communication and understanding between administration and citizens are evident, so are risks and undesirable side effects. We introduce a specific case, in which the design and implementation of an online participation tool were conducted and analyzed in the course of an EU-funded research project. First results indicate improvement of the interaction between administration, politics and citizens as well as organized interests. Still, applying the tool is demanding to the administration, as it necessitates additional management and coordination activities. In order to render the tool an interface between citizens and administration, thereby enriching existing modes of public participation, several challenges need to be met. For example, effectively implementing the tool requires additional qualification of the municipality’s employees as well as expenditures caused by installing, advertising and running the respective digital infrastructures. Also, public online communication might entail unintended effects (such as conflicts), which can be prove difficult to anticipate, oversee and control. Consequently, we assume manifold ameliorations regarding the inclusion of citizens’ perspectives and interests (e.g. targeted involvement). However, they come with various trade-offs (e.g. input legitimation and effectiveness). In general, online participation appears likely to increase and deepen exchange occurring between political actors, administration and citizens, since offline participation processes usually have a small, merely informational focus and the dissemination of information usually takes place via local media. However, the scope of an online tool should not be overestimated. Presumably, being or considering oneself affected by a certain measure or topic decisively influences individuals’ interest and willingness to participate in participation processes, irrespective of their traditional (offline) or digital nature.