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To access links, see Steven Clift's blog: http://dowire.org/notes/?p=327 Post: Report - UK Digital Dialogues Case Studies Part One Ross Ferguson from the Hansard Society in the UK alerted me to their new report. Thanks Ross. Steven Clift http://e-democracy.org http://dowire.org From: http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/programmes/e-democracy/digital_dialogues The purpose of Digital Dialogues is to assess the capacity of ICT to support central government�s communication and consultation activity (principally with the public but also with internal stakeholders). Digital Dialogues takes technology as its focus and seeks to build the capacity within central government for setting up, managing and evaluating digital technology�s contribution to promoting public participation in the policy process. Digital Dialogues has the additional objective of promoting collaboration and exchange between departments. Digital Dialogues is a practical application of the theoretical framework that emerged from the 2002 consultation paper ?In the service of democracy�. It is also a forward-thinking and timely investment by the government ahead of Britain�s ?digital switchover� scheduled for completion by 2012. The pilot was initially scheduled to run between November 2005 and June 2006. Based on the value of longitudinal evaluation, the need to test guidance and to sustain the interest generated to date, Digital Dialogues has been extended to incorporate an additional second phase. Phase two of Digital Dialogues will build on the networks, practices and processes established during phase one: attempting to broaden these across central government and test the guidance material produced from phase one. New case-studies will be combined with a number carried over from phase one to allow the longitudinal evaluation vital to establishing sustainable practise. New case-study leaders will be offered the tools utilised in phase one of Digital Dialogues � blogs, forums and webchats. In addition, phase two will make available applications that are beginning to see mainstream use � wikis, podcasting, file-sharing directories, audio-visual blogs, mapping software, virals. New case-study leaders will also be encouraged to combine applications � for example, converging polling software with forums, or photo-sharing with mapping tools. Any applications will be offered the opportunity to make use of one or more of these platforms in isolation from or in parallel to conventional, offline techniques. Phase two of Digital Dialogues will be completed in early 2007. An interim report from phase one is available to download: Download Digital Dialogues Interim Report [PDF 817kb] The Hansard Society was commissioned by the DCA to oversee and evaluate the case-studies. Besides our track record of promoting democratic engagement, an important factor for the DCA was the Society�s independent, non-partisan status. For more information about this pilot, please contact Ross Ferguson via [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phase One case studies which have been completed: * DfES Survey Site [live] � www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations; * DWP Welfare Reform Forum � www.welfarereformforum.net; * DCLG Forum [live] � www.dclgforum.net; * DCLG Webchats � www.tcrwebchat.net; * Food Standards Agency Forum � www.food.gov.uk/sfbbforum; * David Miliband ministerial blog [ODPM] � www.davidmiliband.defra.gov.uk. *** Democracies Online Newswire - http://DoWire.Org *** To comment/for links: http://dowire.org/notes/?p=327 To network: http://groups.dowire.org Submit posts: http://dowire.org/submit Member profile for Steven: http://groups.dowire.org/main/contacts/stevenclift ----------------------------------------- Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail: http://groups.dowire.org/main/groups/newswire Replies go to members of Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail with all posts on this topic here: http://groups.dowire.org/topic/600435 For digest version or to leave Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail, email [email protected] with "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in the *subject*. Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail is hosted by Democracies Online - http://dowire.org.
