Collaborative Creation of a Citizen Participation Monitor (ARCRR0004)

Commitment ID

ARCRR0004

Commitment Title

Collaborative Creation of a Citizen Participation Monitor

Problem

Following global trends, in recent years there has been a proliferation of technological instruments used to promote citizen participation in our city. Despite successful experiences, the accession processes of citizens at this level have been weakened. Some of the causes of this situation are due to the fact that, on occasions, the mechanisms and participation formats are not clearly specified. Added to this situation is the challenge of communication, lacking at times the assertiveness necessary for the information to reach the citizen.

On the other hand, some people show a lack of interest in participating activities because, due to past experiences, their demands and proposals were not properly taken into account.

The pandemic has complicated access to participation, which caused many thematic agendas to be on hold and many spaces for participation to disappear.

Status quo

Our city has an online platform for citizen participation, called Rosario Participa, which was developed with Decidim technology. There are also the “Consejos Barriales” which are permanent meeting places between the Municipal government, the residents, the institutions and the private sector. They meet according to different geographical or thematic criteria. On some occasions, “Consejos Interdistritales” are organized, where they function as forums where issues that concern not only a district but the whole city as a whole are included.

Although Rosario has 20 years of experience in participatory policies, recently there has been a state of demotivation on the part of citizens and lower levels of commitment. This is because there have been some obstacles to developing projects, some such as economic or resource problems for implementation of planning and others social or political. This situation has led to a decrease in these processes due to non-compliance with the agreed projects.

Action

Our commitment is to create a Citizen Participation Monitor collaboratively. The commitment implies the generation of a multidimensional, dynamic and interactive instrument that allows to clearly disseminate which are the existing instances, in addition to establishing indices of citizen participation for its evaluation and improvement. And at the same time, co-design a Good Practice Guide for the realization of citizen participation processes that meet minimum standards, to obtain results and work on strengthening communication strategies, visibility and appropriation of participation mechanisms.

It is hoped that through the citizen participation monitor can know the ecosystem of citizen participation in our city, its strengths, weaknesses and potentialities to be able to take measures that encourage the participation of citizens in the processes of public policy formation. The overall objective of this commitment is to improve citizen participation in the city of Rosario.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The expected results are:

• A map of citizen participation: in digital format, with open data and interactive visualizations, including citizen participation initiatives of the state and CSOs. Seeking to know the existing instances, themes, functioning, ways to participate, agenda of activities and actors that participate.
• An index of citizen participation, with indicators of quality, diversity, accessibility and satisfaction on current mechanisms and instruments.
• A Good Practice Guide with methodologies for stakeholder mapping, tools for collaboration, among other tools to facilitate the process of making an instance of participation.
• Communication strategies, visibility and appropriation on citizen participation, with interest and incentive surveys for participation, motivation strategies, dissemination campaigns and a repository of experience registers on participatory spaces.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

This commitment contributes to our Strategic Vision of Open Government since it is framed in the decision of the current municipal management to accelerate the processes of digital transformation and deepen the construction of public policies based on data and evidence. Specifically, it provides in:

1. It addresses an appropriate management and opening of data, implying its publication and its internal use and by the citizens.
2. Improves both active and passive transparency by improving access to data.
3. Implement technological solutions and improve the capacities of state agents and citizens.
4. To generate greater transparency, participation, collaboration and agility in the interrelations between government and citizenship through the mechanisms of proximity of the municipal government.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Other/NA

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?