Technology

We will not attempt to list here every Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that might be used within a public consultation. Instead we will explain a way you can go about selecting appropriate technologies for e-consultation.

Selecting technologies

E-consultation technologies by communication process

Each consultation is different. There are many patterns of consultation. An annual survey of the needs of people in a local authority area is different from a consultation on how to dispose of nuclear waste. However, it is possible to identify tasks that are carried out in many consultations, tasks that combined together can form any given consultation process.

We classified e-consultation technologies according to the type of communication process they support. We used that classification in our technology demonstrations in Letterkenny and Belfast in 2005. Here follows an expanded classification. Click on the titles to find out more about each. They are organised according to typical stages of a problem-solving process (as found in some types of consultation).

In other types of consultation, these communication activities may be ordered differently. You can design a consultation process that is task specific, to meet the specific needs of the consultation topic, the consulting organisation and the participants (both for a coonsultation and the management of ongoing relationships between consulting organisations and those consulted.

Defining the problem

Exactly what is the problem or issue to be discussed in a consultation? Can all the participants and the organisers come to a mutual agreement on what is involved? If not, they will be talking at cross-purposes, and no one will be satisfied with the outcome.

Telling the public

Often it is necessary to give the participants some information about an issue, or a proposed policy, before starting a consultation (as in a downloadable discussion document, or a web site). This is a form of one-way communications, like most of those seen on http://www.consultationni.gov.uk/ .

Identifying issues, collecting stories

What issues concern participants? What problems should the consulting body be looking at? What can we learn from participants experiences? These are questions often asked at some stage during a consultation (often, but not always, at the beginning). There are technologies to help collect these stories and issues, from e-mail addresses for complaints and compliments to story-telling blogs.

Exploring the problem

Given an agreed problem definition, participants can then start to explore the problem. They need the ability to see to heart of problem based on deep understanding of situation. As a group they can explore new ideas, develop new solutions, understand issues, disentangle ideas and so on.

Getting reactions, feelings, new ideas

To get spontaneity, people need to interact in real time, in face-to-face encounters, video or audio conferences, chat rooms and elsewhere.

Deliberation, dialogue and conversations

For more subtle, and less rushed deliberation, arrange ongoing discussions, rather than quick chats. Any technology that facilitates a relay of responses or conversations can be used. Dialogue can be public—in an open environment with multiple participants—or private—between two users. Many discussion forums include both, allowing participants to converse with each other outside the general discussion.

Mapping ideas

Where consultation participants work together to explore the ramifications of a problem, and plan alternative solutions (e.g. in a citizens' jury). Technologies supporting this task may facilitate brainstorming, a technique groups use to generate ideas on a particular subject. Whereby, each person in the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. The ideas are not discussed or reviewed until after the brainstorming session. From the results of the brainstorming, options are formulated which are then ranked or rated.

Choosing and developing solutions

Once participants have explored the problem, potential solutions, and their intended and unintended consequences, they need to choose, develop and write up the best solutions.

Creating solutions, writing reports

Consultees collaborating to write and edit documents.

Measuring needs and preferences

Finding out how many citizens have which needs, and what their preferences are between alternative options (e.g. through surveys, opinion polls, preferenda).

Co-ordinating and managing the consultation process

This is not a communication activity, but every consultation has to be managed, and some IT can help.

Older notes, not yet included in main text

1. What are the various technologies I could use to
   1. Publicise the e-consultation. (Email campaign)
   2. Stay in contact & update participants. (Mailling list, periodic newsletter)
   3. Get their views. (Online discussion forum, online line feedback forms)
   4. Collective writing. (Wiki pages, group report authoring tools)
   5. Conduct a survey. (Online questionnaire authoring tools)
   6. Organise meetings.
   7. Consult over long distnaces. (Online chat, audio/video conferencing)
2. What are the various technologies & what are they used for?

• Supporting one-way information transfer

  Convert consultation documents to PDF format, put them online and make them downloadable
  Convert consultation documents to web pages, make the content navigable
  Collect feedback from online form

• Supporting dialogues

  Realtime 'chat'
  - systems that allow people to converse with others at the same time, reacting immediately to each other, wherever they happen to be
  - e.g. chat rooms, text messaging, audio and video conferencing.

  Ongoing discussions
  - these allow people to take part in a longer discussion over several days or weeks, joining in whenever they have time
  - e.g. discussion forums, e-mail mailing lists, e-newsletter and virtual worlds.

• Exploring problems and planning solutions

  Use computer tools such as gropu support system to
  - organise an agenda-driven meeting
  - allow lots of people to brainstorm ideas at the same time, without having to wait their turn to speak
  - allow pseudo-anonymity, so people are less afraid of coming up with creative, but risky ideas
  - help map out the issues discussed and the options identified. 

• Measuring needs and preferences

  Use computer tools to publish online survey, collect and analyse results
  Use computer tools to conduct electronic voting

• Writing Documents

  A collaborative writing method   
  - with computer software running on a server
  - several people can work on the same document at the same time 
  - writing different parts of it, then editing each other's work

1. Where can I get information on the technology and technical knowledge that I will need in order to engage in E-consultation?

Technology selection process

• Define your needs (Why you need a consultation technology)
  • Define consultation case
    • Description: a short explanation of the consultation activity
    • Reasons: a description of the needs why this consultation activity should be taken
    • Assumptions: All the assumptions to make this consultation activity
    • Benefits: List of benefits for consulting organisation and participant
    • Cost: How much it cost to run this consultation activity
    • Investment: Can this consultation activity will be taken in future
• Define your selection criteria (Criteria for Technology selection)
  • Vendor stability and reputation (support)
  • Wide adoption in market
  • Does it require any possible changes to meet stack holders needs
  • Secure and mature/proven technology
  • Training and documentation
  • Actual implementation of the technology
  • Technology accessibility standards
• List of matching technologies
• Select the best suited for you
  • Good description of technology
  • Infrastructure required (network)
  • Platforms (operating systems, hardware)
  • Architectural Integrity (Interaction with other technology, Would it possible to integrate with other technology?)
  • Fitness for purpose (Is it meeting purpose envisaged?)
  • Expertise (What knowledge should be available in-house, Maintenance and support)
  • Maturity of Standard (Is the technology mature and well-proven)
  • User needs (Does the technology satisfy the user requirements and Matching stack holders requirements)
  • Preservation needs (Is technology is appropriate for long-term preservation)
  • Budget (time, money)