Active Citizen Engagement Research Articles

Smart city governance: assessing modes of active citizen engagement

ABSTRACT This paper discusses how to govern smart cities that nurture and promote citizen engagement. By reviewing the emergent literature on the topic and rooting in a pluralistic – a descriptive and normative orientation, we identify three novel governance models: embedded, blended and networked. Our review indicates that the depth of citizen engagement varies between models based on the roles played by closely aligned resourceful actors. A collaborative environment driven by, for and with citizens seeks to build smart cities embedded in local realities. Drawing on examples from smart cities across the globe, we offer policy suggestions for building futuristic citizen-engaged smart cities.

Participation of Citizen as Social Capital in LAPOR! Application in Indonesia

Citizen engagement is crucial for the success of smart cities. In urban areas, communities as social capital has an interpersonal bond that unites people. Due to the complexity of urban issues like pollution, waste, and population density, citizens can monitor the government's work priorities to solve the problem. This article focuses on smart cities from a human-centered perspective, emphasizing the role of information technology. In Indonesia, citizens' rights awareness is facilitated by the National Public Service Complaint Management System (SP4N) or People's Aspiration and Online Complaints Service (LAPOR!), which acts as social capital. This article explores five key aspects of smart cities and smart citizenship: governance, citizen participation, infrastructure, public spaces, and urban livability. While ICT-driven approaches can swiftly transform cities, a community-based approach fosters long-term shifts. Meanwhile, limited citizen involvement contributes to ecosystem degradation in Indonesia and underscores the urgency and importance of citizen engagement in urban planning. In democratic societies, citizens hold power, and concepts of smart citizenship encompass civic intelligence and, at the same time, also value local knowledge. In Indonesia, LAPOR! reflects smart citizenship, enabling transparent reporting of aspirations and complaints. However, factors like limited access and education of citizens affect its use. This research used qualitative methods with content analysis methods. Qualitative content analysis is used to examine the textual content of websites. Using LAPOR! SP4N in Indonesia to see the implementation of the concept of smart society and smart city. Participatory processes should contribute substantially to urban planning and governance. Information technology serves as a temporary solution for long-term urban planning issues. Broader concerns like public policy and participatory democracy must also be considered. In conclusion, this article explores the dynamic relationship between smart cities and smart citizenship, highlighting the importance of active citizen engagement and the potential of technology to empower communities for positive urban transformations.

Promoting active citizen engagement in sustainable energy transitions: a co-creation approach

ABSTRACT The shift towards sustainable and decentralised energy production has encountered a notable gap between the need to establish energy communities and the existing technological and infrastructural basis provisions for their facilitation. A concerted effort is thus required to align capabilities with the requirements for fostering energy transitions. This paper introduces the ACeT method, a novel decision-making approach aimed at involving citizens in the context of sustainable energy transitions. The aim is to support the collaborative development of visions and roadmaps by citizens and regional/local authorities, who co-create strategies to mitigate broader societal impediments to the adoption of renewable energy. By addressing issues such as bureaucratic procedures, inequitable tariffs, and legal constraints, this approach offers valuable insights for stakeholders. Policymakers can further scrutinise and substantiate these insights and recommendations derived from this novel approach.

Political reconfiguration in the social space: data analysis and future perspective.

This paper aims to explore the complex and sometimes controversial relationship between social media and politics. The correlation between these two areas of research has always been less linear than a simplistic narrative might suggest, mainly because of the involvement of different scientific disciplines, such as sociology, political science, communication, social psychology and computer science. The decision to explore this topic is motivated by the persistent relevance of social media platforms in the current era. This growing centrality is also due to the accelerated digitization process that occurred during the pandemic phase in the digital ecosystem. In particular, the pandemic has contributed to a significant evolution of the concept of social networks. The methodology used is based on secondary data, and the work seeks to highlight the expansion of digital space resulting from the shift from a simple place of interaction to a digital space that reconfigured the mobilization and political action of Campania's governor Vincenzo De Luca. In conclusion, the study reveals important findings on the president's use of social media. For example, active citizen engagement strategies through direct interaction, timely information sharing, and mobilization of online resources are evident. Therefore, it becomes necessary to ask and understand whether the potential of new social technologies is being used to cultivate critical and massive citizen participation in democratic processes or whether it is being distorted for the sole purpose of increasing or consolidating consent.

Importance of popular participation in the legislative process according to constitutional principles

Social participation plays a fundamental role in consolidating democratic principles and guaranteeing citizens' rights in the Brazilian context. In addition to periodic suffrage, the Federal Constitution recognizes the relevance of the contribution of individuals in the process of formulating and implementing public policies. Sectoral councils, for example, are established as mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation between the government and civil society. Social participation has a positive impact by expanding representativeness, strengthening transparency and fostering social control over government actions. In this sense, it is imperative to create appropriate spaces and promote strategies that value and strengthen social participation, with the aim of building a more just and democratic society. Within the scope of the legislative process, mechanisms such as public hearings and popular initiative bills play an important role in providing citizens with the opportunity to express their opinions and influence decisions. Furthermore, social participation is not restricted to the stage of drafting laws, but also encompasses their implementation and monitoring. The active engagement of citizens, through monitoring the activities of parliamentarians, contributes to the promotion of transparency and accountability and strengthens democratic principles. Active participation in the legislative process is a determining factor for more inclusive and responsive governance, thus seeking to build a just and egalitarian society.

Turn‐key research in food processing and manufacturing for reducing the impact of climate change

SummaryThis study addresses the critical need to report original and current findings on the global food system's ability to meet the growing natural resource demands of an estimated 9 billion global population. The objective is to provide guidance for researchers in developing strategies to reduce climate change risks in the food and beverage supply. To achieve this, we propose integrating innovative industry insights and digital applications into existing food system models as industrial demonstrators. Our research encompasses six impactful themes, demonstrating effective delivery methodologies. We highlight that human‐centred activities and practices, often overlooked in sustainability assessments, hinder improved security and sustainability in the food system. Through our work, we showcase how smarter food production processes, along with active citizen engagement, can achieve desired outcomes outlined in frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. A crucial aspect is the development of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, integrating workforce practices into manufacturing activities, and driving the necessary cultural changes for a sustainable food system. This study illuminates challenges faced by the global food system and provides actionable insights and methodologies to guide researchers and industry stakeholders in creating a more sustainable and secure future for food production and consumption.

Enhancing Political Awareness and Participation in Rural Communities: A Case Study of KKN Program in Asilulu, Indonesia


 
 
 
 
 
 This research investigates the effectiveness of the Real Work Lecture (KKN) program in increasing political awareness and participation among rural communities in Asilulu, Indonesia. The study aims to address the lack of political education and the prevalence of electoral fraud and voter apathy in the region. Through a community-based approach, the KKN program implemented various methods such as counseling, training, socialization, and group assistance. The study utilized qualitative data collected from government officials and community members, indicating a positive response and high active participation. The results highlight the success of the program in promoting a positive political narrative and combating practices such as money politics and abstention. The implications of this study contribute to the development of effective strategies for political education and encourage greater citizen engagement in political processes.
 Highlight:
 
 Community empowerment through Real Work Lecture (KKN) program
 Importance of political education in rural communities
 Promoting positive political narratives through socialization
 
 Keyword:
 Real Work Lecture, Community Empowerment, Political Education, Socialization, Active Citizen Engagement
 
 
 
 
 

Enhancing Political Awareness and Participation in Rural Communities: A Case Study of KKN Program in Asilulu, Indonesia


 
 
 
 
 
 This research investigates the effectiveness of the Real Work Lecture (KKN) program in increasing political awareness and participation among rural communities in Asilulu, Indonesia. The study aims to address the lack of political education and the prevalence of electoral fraud and voter apathy in the region. Through a community-based approach, the KKN program implemented various methods such as counseling, training, socialization, and group assistance. The study utilized qualitative data collected from government officials and community members, indicating a positive response and high active participation. The results highlight the success of the program in promoting a positive political narrative and combating practices such as money politics and abstention. The implications of this study contribute to the development of effective strategies for political education and encourage greater citizen engagement in political processes.
 Highlight:
 
 Community empowerment through Real Work Lecture (KKN) program
 Importance of political education in rural communities
 Promoting positive political narratives through socialization
 
 Keyword:
 Real Work Lecture, Community Empowerment, Political Education, Socialization, Active Citizen Engagement
 
 
 
 
 

Does citizen engagement improve development outcomes? A realist-informed systematic review of participation and accountability mechanisms

ABSTRACT Effective, accountable and transparent institutions, that engage in inclusive and participatory governance, are crucial for the sustainability of global development investments. However, there is a debate about whether effective approaches to improving governance processes operate from the bottom up (e.g. by enabling citizens to hold service providers accountable) or the top down (by enabling service providers to be held accountable by the State). This paper systematically reviews participation and accountability mechanisms in a range of sectors, drawing on principles of realist evaluation to develop and test middle-range theory using framework synthesis and statistical meta-analysis. We show that interventions promoting citizen engagement through participatory priority setting or accountability mechanisms are often effective in stimulating active citizen engagement in service delivery and realising improvements in access to services, where they facilitate direct engagement between service users and front-line service providers, such as in health care. However, citizen engagement interventions alone are not effective where services are accessed independently of service provider staff, for example road infrastructure. Interventions promoting participation by increasing citizens’ pressures on politicians to hold providers to account are also not usually able to influence service delivery.

Using Citizen Science to examine health and access to health care of uninsured patients in Germany

Abstract Background Estimates suggest that numerous people live without health insurance in Germany. Existing evidence on uninsured patients’ health and care use is scarce, specifically in Germany. The present study involves citizens’ engagement to identify community perceptions of factors associated with health and medical care and to generate community-driven policy recommendations. Methods Representatives of civil society, affected patients and citizens (‘co-researchers') participate in a participatory health research project (MoveCitizenS) located in Bonn, Germany, using Photovoice and Community-based Mapping. The study is composed of five work packages over a 24-month period: (1) Photovoice workshops for co-researchers to produce, select and analyse photographs; (2) a series of workshops to conduct community-based mapping to identify barriers and facilitators of health care utilization; (3) workshops to co-design a cross-sectional survey of uninsured patients (n = 300); (4) project evaluation by co-researchers; (5) a dissemination strategy (e.g. advocacy event, exhibition) will be developed. Results Procedures to facilitate the active engagement of citizens and patients are discussed. Preliminary results on community perceptions of uninsured patients’ health and medical care and factors influencing health outcomes and care utilization are presented at the conference. Conclusions This is the first citizen science study which facilitates the understanding of barriers and enabling factors of good health and access to medical care for patients who lack health insurance coverage in Germany. This case study of a participatory project can be adapted to a range of settings to integrate local perspectives to improve population health for all. Key messages • Numerous patients in Germany are uninsured but evidence on their health and medical care is lacking. • Using participatory methods to address these key questions is an important approach to generate suitable policy recommendations to meet the needs of the community and improve population health.

Producing entrepreneurial citizens: Governmentality over and through Hong Kong influencers on Xiaohongshu (Red)

AbstractBuilding on Foucault's perspective of governmentality, this article focuses on how influencers in Hong Kong China (HK) operate as agents/mediators of governmentality and how “governmentality” occurs over and through lifestyle influencers as responsible, productive, and self‐disciplined citizen subjects on the Chinese biggest lifestyle sharing platform—Xiaohongshu (Red). By employing a collaboration of walkthrough and ethnographic methods, this article examines how Red's influencer governance, intersecting both HK and Mainland Chinese contexts, guides, trains, and controls influencers and users to become relevant to the practices of entrepreneurial citizenship, and how influencers and their followers act through, rely on and negotiate with the governmental practices and authoritative discourses. These practices and discourses motivate influencers to not only transform themselves into entrepreneurial citizen subjects who could produce individualizing knowledge about self‐care and self‐governance as techniques of disciplining the community, but also expand the key governmental strategies of reconstructing an entrepreneurial identity with their followers on behalf of the government. Although Red is not a mainstream influencer platform in HK, “the governmentality over and through influencers” on Red provides fruitful cases that demonstrate how HK's model of influencer governance is based on the bottom‐up networks through little ways in which management, guidance, and control occur with the active engagement of individual citizens, social organizations, professional associations, and businesses to meet the desired goals of the central and HKSAR government.

Exploring Pathways for Promoting and Scaling Up Climate-Smart Agriculture in Myanmar

This paper explores potential pathways for promoting and scaling up the uptake of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Myanmar, using qualitative methods. Key informant interviews with stakeholders from government, research institutes, international and local development agencies, and the private sector identified technology development as an important investment and action area. A desk review of policy documents revealed that considerations on climate change adaptation in agriculture are embedded in Myanmar’s international commitments and national plans, including policies on making the agriculture sector resilient. Moreover, climate change resilience has been framed as a key component of the country’s sustainable development plans. This means the basic framework for advocating and promoting CSA is already in place. However, policies on land, water, environment, seed, and fertilizer and pesticide management are poorly enforced. In addition, the extension system has an inadequate coverage and reach of the remote communities. In the current political context of Myanmar, the process of policymaking has changed. Thus, the impetus for shaping an enabling environment for scaling up CSA will likely shift toward more active citizen engagement via local nongovernment organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and independent academic institutions. There are opportunities for policy integration to effectively scale up CSA, but much remains to be done. Donors of Myanmar have a special opportunity to support the integration of CSA into their respective country program strategies. Likewise, local and international NGOs may take this opportunity to mainstream CSA into various conventional development programs, such as livelihood development, women’s empowerment, and food security and nutrition. On the other hand, academic institutions can pursue research opportunities to support the development of CSA technologies and approaches and to generate evidence for input to capacity development, advocacy, and policymaking.

Science for All: Boosting knowledge through communication

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation* - Aristotle The need for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to spearhead development has increased steadily, while communication and dissemination fall behind. In a world continuously influenced by scientific development, STEM communication grows ever more important to enable active engagement and participation of citizens in society. The intention is to engage society to increasingly recognize and illustrate the important of STEM for daily life, while boosting science motivation among students to learn STEM subjects, thus creating a critical mass of scientists, engineers and technologists for the world's tomorrow. This need is even more of a challenge in developing countries, like Namibia, where there is limited funding towards STEM. Since 2015, the National Commission for Research, Science and Technology, in Namibia, has engaged in science fairs, public talks, or participatory projects, including publications as channels on reaching and engaging underserved audiences of STEM. One such publication is this journal. Now in its fourth volume, a special collection of articles on applications of statistics is showcased in this journal issue. The articles, edited by Dr Opeoluwa Oyedele, a senior lecturer in the Department of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences - formerly Department of Statistics and Population Studies, in the School of Science, are drawn from a selection of research done by postgraduate students and staff in that department. The collection tries to showcase the breath to which statistical techniques and methods are applied in a real world. All case studies are drawn from the Namibian context. The list of the articles is: • Statistics: an intrinsic part of everyday life - commentary • Modelling state preferences among airline travellers in Namibia: a case study at Eros airport and Hosea Kutako international airport • Zero-augmented models for exploring the factors affecting the pass rate of 2016 grade 10 learners in Khomas region, Namibia • Assessing the impact of proximate and non-proximate determinants of fertility in Namibia: a structural equation modelling approach • Household poverty levels in Namibia and their associated sociodemographic factors: An empirical investigation of the 2015/16 Namibia household income and expenditure survey • An application of survival analysis on the determinants of employment longevity in Namibia: evidence from 2018 Labour Force Survey • Customer relationship management (CRM) and passenger loyalty in delivering high quality service at Air Namibia: A structural equations approach • Application of longitudinal analysis to crime Data: Windhoek case study {2011-2016) • Socio-demographic variations on age-sex mortality in Namibia: an analysis of the 2016 civil registration and vital statistics data • A logistic regression model to assess factors influencing schizophrenia symptoms in Namibia • An ecological adjusted random effect model for property crime in Windhoek, Namibia {2011-2016) This collection is the first of its kind, and we look forward to many more, in line with the four main goals of NJRST, which is to inform, innovate, educate and debate, hence boosting scientific communication. We invite our readers to appreciate the beauty of statistics as presented here.

Discussing around a virtual fire: Citizen engagement in a shared Decision-Making conference.

An online conference was organized to promote the Interprofessional Shared Decision-Making model and maximize its dissemination among stakeholders (citizens, health care providers, administrative staffs, policy makers, academics) in Canada. The goal was to enhance knowledge of and engagement in shared decision-making in a patient-oriented research, since shared decision-making has been hampered by reduced face-to-face contact, fear of infection, and overworked health professionals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we share a summary of what has been done to engage citizens in shared decision-making and to inform the interprofessional community about active citizen engagement in an online conference.

From impact assessments towards proactive citizen engagement in EU cohesion policy

AbstractEuropean Union (EU) policymakers and academics regard impact assessments as the primary mechanism for communicating the added value of EU Cohesion Policy to citizens. There is a need to look beyond impact evaluations and towards active citizen engagement in policymaking to increase support for EU cohesion policies. This article examines the benefits and different types of legitimacy that citizen involvement confers upon policymaking, before outlining recommendations for proactively engaging citizens within existing EU cohesion policymaking structures. It is argued that citizen engagement fosters greater input and throughput legitimacy into the process, which supplements the output legitimacy bestowed by impact assessments.

Co-creating Social Change through Citizen Science: Systematic Literature Analysis

Citizen science encompasses partnerships between professional scientists and society, opening opportunities for more active citizen engagement in co-creation of social change. Members of the scientific community and citizens are starting to experiment with digital and offline resources to collaborate with each other to solve societal problems. This article aims to discuss the possible role of citizen science in co-creating social change in society or local community settings. The article is based on systematic literature analysis. The findings* show that co‐created research might have a particularly strong impact on the wealth of society and wider outcomes in the local or regional settings. However, such cases are not very common yet. Although academic research on co-creative approaches to citizen science and stakeholder engagement is growing at a steady rate, it remains a relatively emergent domain.

Energy citizenship in the Netherlands: The complexities of public engagement in a large-scale energy transition

The Netherlands aims to transition to a gas-free built environment by 2050, with meaningful public engagement considered central to success. We investigated how local government stakeholders – the primary facilitators of the transition – perceive the role of citizens and energy citizenship in achieving this transition at household level. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with officials from nine municipalities. Our data show mixed perceptions as to citizen interest and financial willingness and/or capacity to adopt gas-free alternatives. The cost of alternatives and practicalities of citizen engagement are considered the main barriers to the gas-free transition. Two alternatives are considered most appropriate in the municipalities that participated in our study: a collective heat network and an all-electric approach. We find that these alternatives do not offer equal opportunities to foster energy citizenship. A collective heat network, while socially inclusive, represents a passive form of citizen engagement due to its central and distant nature, though this can be mitigated by developing local heat cooperatives. In contrast, all-electric installations are more socially exclusive (due to high investment costs), but implementation requires active citizen engagement. Combining these two options could represent a viable option for a gas-free transition that represents a form of sustainable development.

Mongolian democracy: key challenges and opportunities in modern environment

In the last three decades, views about democracy in Mongolia have transformed from high expectations and hopes to perceived failure in performances in political and economic terms. A national and international researchers concluded that at the initial stage of democratization, Mongolians were guided by the general concepts and values of democracy such as human rights, liberty, and freedom of association and expression. Later, these values shifted to more in-depth notions that can be summarized as “democracy is a process for ensuring accountability and justice based on the active engagement of citizens”. This article explores the factors that contributed to democratic challenges and bottlenecks drawing on experts’ interviews conducted by the author and a review of various public opinion surveys assessing democratic performance in Mongolia. The article uses methodologies and tools designed by International IDEA and assesses the applicability of different democratic models to the Mongolian context. It argues that the evaluation of democracy in Mongolia should use additional criteria reflecting Mongolian characteristics. It concludes by suggesting that the enhancement of the democratic mechanism of accountability of public institutions is a key opportunity to consolidate democracy. The experts participating in the assessment viewed the frameworks of executive, pluralist and protective democracy are more suitable for democracy development in Mongolia, and communitarian democracy.

ICT, citizen engagement and the governance of extractive resources in Tanzania: Documenting the practice and challenges

Citizen engagement is one way of improving the governance of extractive resources and overcoming the resource curse. Academic research on Tanzania's extractive resource governance has shown that meaningful offline citizen engagement remains a troubling area mainly because of how it is framed by the government and the measures it takes to suppress organised community initiatives for engagement. Can government use of ICT promote citizen engagement? This paper asks one major question: how do governments deploy ICTs to create and/or constrain opportunities for active citizen engagement in extractives decision-making and governance processes? In answering this question, the paper examines how the Tanzanian government uses ICTs to engage with citizens in extractives decision-making and governance processes and whether this engagement really empowers citizens to influence resource governance decisions. The paper shows that much as the government uses ICT to inform the public about extractives development, it equally takes measures-political and legal- to ensure that meaningful citizen engagement does not evolve. This calls for a nuanced analysis of the potential role of ICT in promoting citizen engagement in governance processes.

Citizen Engagement Challenges in Urban Disaster Management Programs with Special Reference to Fire, Waterlogging and Pandemics

The main objective of this study is to explore the challenges of engaging citizens in urban disaster management (UDM) in the urban fire, waterlogging, and pandemic like COVID 19. A qualitative research approach, mainly in-depth interview method was applied to gain insights from different government officials of civil defense, police force, and ward councilors of Dhaka and Chattogram City Corporations, who were experienced in working at the field level UDM. The study tried to investigate the challenges faced by the officials during disaster rescue operations with special reference to the role of urban citizens. The findings of the study capture, in detail, the challenges faced by different personnel involved in UDM operations. While citizen engagement is expected to be a positive notion, in most cases, citizens themselves become the main obstacle of disaster management, due to their ignorance, negligence, and lack of patience in the given disastrous and pandemic situation, and thus, hinders UDM operations and crisis management. The lessons learned from contemporary urban disasters like fire and the COVID 19 pandemic are recorded elaborately. Based on that, different recommendations are made to ensure the active engagement of citizens to facilitate UDM activities in an orderly manner.