Citizen Involvement Research Articles

Official pages of Russian city administrations on social networks: analysis of audience activity and engagement (2022-2023)

The development of digital technologies creates the basis for interaction between government authorities and citizens. The involvement of citizens in state and municipal management is considered as the most important state task. Communication methods and formats are expanding to ensure accessibility, efficiency and ease of interaction. Social networks are a popular tool for informing, advising and educating the population. Since December 1, 2022, public authorities are required to use social networks to interact with citizens, expanding opportunities for citizens to participate in the development of proposals, discussion and management decision-making. The article compares the activity on the official pages of the administrations of large Russian cities before and after the adoption of the law on the mandatory creation of official pages of public authorities in social networks (state-owned websites). The paper considered the official pages (state-owned publications) of the executive and administrative bodies of municipalities – administrations of 30 large cities that are the administrative centers of regions (subjects) of the Russian Federation. Data was collected on VKontakte pages, data collection and analysis was carried out manually and automatically using a specialized service for 2022-2023. The article compared and interpreted information about subscribers, publications on official pages, characterized the indicators of engagement and activity in the social network in absolute and relative terms. It was established that all the reviewed state-owned websites were created before 2022, but after the decision was made to create official pages, they became more active. The results show that the number of subscribers, publications, reactions (likes, comments, reposts) has increased, but overall engagement has decreased. The proposed study focuses on comparing the activity of official pages for 2022-2023, which distinguishes it from other studies that focus on monthly data analysis, the work is limited to the use of quantitative data. The conducted research contributes to the work on evaluating the effectiveness of state-owned websites, its results can be used by specialists responsible for maintaining social networks in public authorities to search for best practices in this area, improve feedback from authorities and society using social networks and assess the involvement of citizens in communication.

The Mandate of the Ombudsman from the Republic of Moldova and Italy in the Investigation of Claims against Public and Private Entities

One of the essential and traditional powers of the People’s Advocate is to examine requests or claims against decisions of public authorities or private entities that contain allegations of abuse or violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms. The national legislation of the Republic of Moldova mandates the Ombudsman with extensive powers to ensure respect for human rights and freedoms by public authorities, by organizations and enterprises, regardless of the type of ownership and legal form of organization, and by persons with positions of responsibility at all levels. In Italy, however, there is no national law regulating the institution of the National People’s Advocate. Instead, there are regional ombudsmen in more than 18 Italian regions or autonomous provinces. They represent sui generis independent administrative authorities, with broad prerogatives of autonomy and independence from political leaders and with para-jurisdictional functions to protect the rights and interests of citizens. In this paper, the authors set out to conduct primary research on comparative aspects concerning the powers of the People’s Advocates of the Republic of Italy and the Republic of Moldova in the field of investigating claims. The paper does not claim to be perfect, but rather a premise for further multifaceted research.

Evaluating Gender Perspectives in Energy Efficiency Programs: A Case Study of the Municipality of Brvenica

Abstract This study analysis the Energy Efficiency Program of the Municipality of Brvenica, examining its budgetary aspects through the lens of gender-responsive measures. The program, spanning 2022-2024, allocates funds for diverse energy efficiency projects but falls short in addressing residential households and lacks ambitious renewable energy measures. The absence of gender-disaggregated data underscores a gap in understanding the impact on women and men. Recommendations urge aligning the program with gender equality policies, expanding goals, and consulting the Commission for Equal Opportunities. The study advocates for gender-sensitive measures, citizen involvement, and increased funds for household energy efficiency. Budgetary analysis reveals a disconnection between the program and the municipal budget, emphasizing the need for better integration. Challenges include the absence of gender-specific data and limited consultation during program development. Recommendations stress enhanced budget transparency, increased financial allocations for gender-responsive initiatives, and collaboration for ecological heating awareness. The study underscores the imperative of comprehensive gender integration in energy policies for equitable outcomes and effective mitigation of energy poverty.

Citizen science as an instrument for women's health research.

Women's health research is receiving increasing attention globally, but considerable knowledge gaps remain. Across many fields of research, active involvement of citizens in science has emerged as a promising strategy to help align scientific research with societal needs. Citizen science offers researchers the opportunity for large-scale sampling and data acquisition while engaging the public in a co-creative approach that solicits their input on study aims, research design, data gathering and analysis. Here, we argue that citizen science has the potential to generate new data and insights that advance women's health. Based on our experience with the international Isala project, which used a citizen-science approach to study the female microbiome and its influence on health, we address key challenges and lessons for generating a holistic, community-centered approach to women's health research. We advocate for interdisciplinary collaborations to fully leverage citizen science in women's health toward a more inclusive research landscape that amplifies underrepresented voices, challenges taboos around intimate health topics and prioritizes women's involvement in shaping health research agendas.

Сучасний стан та проблеми державного регулювання житлового будівництва в Україні

The military invasion led to a drop in the volume of housing construction and a reduction in the state's ability to influence the state of its development. The suspension of the construction of residential buildings in connection with the reduction of population demand, migration, destruction of infrastructure, constant shelling, and political uncertainty led to the decline of the industry. The problems of state regulation of this area have also deepened due to limitations in the use of available administrative and legal, financial levers and management tools. The lack of organizational and institutional transformations of the management system and minor legislative changes do not ensure the development of a new public management in the residential real estate sector. In the conditions of falling demand for housing and increasing political, economic, and technological risks of developers in the construction of new residential buildings, the state can promote the development of the regulatory and legal framework and carry out further digitalization of construction processes. This will solve a number of regulatory problems (the presence of corruption, fraud, violations of building regulations and requirements), and will ensure the transition to European standards in this area of management. In the conditions of limited state preferential financing and mortgage lending to the population, strengthening the requirements for construction companies to comply with new construction standards will balance the existing imbalances of management activity. The state policy for the development of housing construction in the short term should be aimed at solving the problems of protecting the interests of citizens who purchase housing, as well as the legality, transparency of the activities of construction enterprises, accountability, efficiency of regulation, simplification of the processes of interaction between developers and the state due to the development of electronic services. Further research should be focused on the study of conceptual approaches to the formation of an effective system of state regulation of housing construction

Enhancing Tourism Villages Through VRIN Resources and Local Endorsement: A Resource-Based View on Achieving Sdgs in Rural Development

Objective: This study aims to analyze the influence of local endorsement on VRIN resources as part of the resource-based view (RBV) framework, which together with non-VRIN resources influences competitive advantage and then BUMDes performance. Theoretical Framework: The RBV framework is often used to look at resources that influence a company's competitive advantage, which then affects business performance. In this study, the adoption of psychological empowerment as part of the Rural Empowerment through Tourism Scale is used to measure citizen involvement in the form of local endorsement. Method: The study used a quantitative approach with purposive sampling to obtain 657 research respondents according to the established criteria. Online questionnaires were used to be distributed to various BUMDes in Indonesia. Results and Discussion: The results of the study show the influence of local endorsement on VRIN resources, which then also affects competitive advantage. Competitive advantage affects BUMDes performance. The results of the study also show that non-VRIN resources do not affect competitive advantage. These results emphasize community involvement in generating competitive advantage for BUMDes-managed tourist villages. Research Implications: The results of the study show the importance of focusing on intangible assets to develop tourist villages. Building local endorsement is a way to encourage local communities to be involved in managing tourist villages through BUMDes. Originality/Value: The adoption of the psychological empowerment concept from RETS provides a new direction in the context of developing competitive advantages in tourist villages, especially from the perspective of local communities.

Digitising the Physical: The Evolving Role of Collaboration Tools in Citizen Participatory Design Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Seoul

This case study investigates how the digital transformation of urban design governance following the COVID-19 outbreak has led to changes in approaches to citizen participatory design in Seoul, South Korea. Drawing on empirical data from the Seoul Citizen Design Bureau – an annual participatory program initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2015 – and interviews with facilitators and participants, the study ethnographically examines the emergence of new local design actors amid unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic. The research sheds light on the diverse capacities and intermediary roles of digital collaboration tools such as ZoomTM and MuralTM, which not only enabled citizen involvement in design during the pandemic but also challenged established practices in institution-driven participatory design in Korea. By contextualising this analysis within a turbulent historical juncture, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of remote ethnography in uncovering the influence of “more-than-humans” in participatory design within the unique sociocultural setting of South Korea.

Socially Equitable Public Service Provision: Towards Inclusive Coproduction of Public Infrastructure

ABSTRACT The challenge of building and maintaining public infrastructure in the face of climate change and natural hazards necessitates greater citizen involvement in decision-making processes. Coproduction aims to ensure equitable service distribution by engaging a diverse range of citizens. However, the literature highlights disparities, with certain citizens having greater resources for participation. This study explores how individual socioeconomic factors and risk perceptions influence citizens’ willingness to engage in coproduction. Coproduction has been criticized for excluding marginalized populations, we analyze how multilevel factors shape willingness to participate in two modes of coproduction: co-planning and co-investing. The results indicate that risk perception is the most significant factor driving citizens’ willingness to coproduce. Furthermore, well-educated or wealthy citizens are more inclined to participate. This study proposes an inclusive approach to coproduction, aiming to ensure equitable public service delivery regardless of socioeconomic status.

Blockchain in digital notary services

The purpose of the study is to determine the future application of blockchain technology. Protection of rights, as well as legal interests of citizens and legal entities is the main postulate of notary activity. Only through the prism of this provision should one consider the possible application of blockchain technology in the notary. This includes studying the possibilities of the blockchain for verifying the authenticity of documents, automating registration actions. The relevance of the study is related to the need for modern notaries to meet the requirements of the digital world. The research is based on the application of an interdisciplinary approach, civil law and information technology, which combines the analysis of legal aspects with modern technological research. To study legislative aspects, methods of comparative analysis and synthesis were used, which includes an analysis of the legislation of Ukraine and other countries. The empirical method consists in researching existing examples of implementation of blockchain projects in EU and US notary offices. Analysis and modeling were carried out taking into account the architecture of blockchain networks, their capabilities in terms of information protection, authentication and legal validity of digital records. The study found that blockchain technology has significant potential for the notary industry due to its decentralized nature and high level of data protection. It has been established that the implementation of the blockchain allows for the creation of a reliable database for recording notarial actions, ensuring the impossibility of forgery or loss of information. The results of the study confirmed the possibility of using blockchain for digital recording of documents and automation of notarial procedures, which allows to reduce time costs and the risk of human errors. The experience of countries that have already implemented blockchain in the notary office indicates an increase in the level of trust in notary services and a reduction in bureaucratic procedures. The application of blockchain in the notarial sphere can fundamentally change the mechanisms of notarial actions, increasing security, convenience and speed of service. The use of decentralized networks ensures the reliability of data, which makes it impossible to forge them and makes procedures transparent. However, for the full implementation of such decisions, it is necessary to create an appropriate regulatory framework, adapt Ukrainian legislation and ensure the training of specialists for work in the conditions of digital notary.

Energy Citizenship in Energy Transition: The Case of the Baltic States

The governance of energy systems is undergoing a transformative shift, vital to advancing the energy transition. Understanding the dynamics of energy citizenship and the factors that influence citizen engagement in energy matters is critical for driving social and institutional change. This paper informs on the key results of a comprehensive analysis of 54 energy citizenship cases in the Baltic states (Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania). The study explores the role of citizens in the energy transition and characterizes the socio-economic and geopolitical factors shaping energy citizenship activities in the region. The governance of energy systems represents a significant transformational shift that is essential for energy transition. A more comprehensive understanding of the current state of energy citizenship and the factors influencing the energy transition process could inform the social and institutional changes necessary for the involvement of citizens in energy matters. This desk study represents a crucial element of the EU Horizon 2000 EnergyPROSPECTS project, which aims to map the landscape of energy citizenship in Europe. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of 54 cases from the Baltic states. The findings provide insight into the role of citizens in the transition process and the underlying factors and conditions that shape energy citizenship activities within the specific socio-economic and geopolitical context of the region. In general, energy citizenship in the Baltic states can be seen to exist on a spectrum between reformative and transformative practices. Overall, progress is being made toward systemic changes in the energy sector, with a focus on the democratization of processes. Nevertheless, additional measures to enhance and reinforce energy citizenship, coupled with the advancement of enabling conditions, are imperative at all levels of governance and across all energy transition scenarios.

Challenging Democracy: Understanding How the Ideas of Populists and Disenchanted Citizens Align

This thematic issue proceeds from the idea that, despite extensive research, we do not know enough about the alternatives to representative party democracy that people disenchanted with democracy and populists envision apart from greater citizen involvement. Citizens’ potential preferences seem to range from stealth democracy and decision-making by apolitical experts to deliberative mechanisms and referenda. The picture is equally blurred when it comes to the views of populist actors themselves. Research suggests that their calls for referendums diminish over time and that they reject deliberative bodies outright. This thematic issue reassesses our understanding of the extent to which populists’ and citizens’ ideas and the alternatives they propose coincide and argues for a wider dissemination of relevant research that explores these shortcomings. The articles presented explore these points by featuring conceptually and/or methodologically innovative contributions that address issues such as the mismatch between populists and citizens in terms of democratic alternatives, (dis)satisfaction with populist parties in public office, the preferences of distinct subgroups as well as the role of political emotions among populist party supporters.

Аdvantages of the specialization of judges in matters of administrative litigation

The institution of administrative litigation is an important branch of the legal system, which deals with the resolution of disputes and conflicts between the public administration and citizens or other private entities. This institution is essential for ensuring compliance with legality and fairness in the activity of the public administration and for protecting the rights and interests of citizens. The main role of the administrative litigation courts is to control the administrative acts issued by the authorities and to check whether they respect the law and the fundamental rights of the citizens, and the specialization of the judges will improve the quality of justice. In the same way, the efficiency of the courts will be improved. The specialization of judges is necessary due to increasingly complex legislation and the high workload of judges. This means that, since a judge examines only one type of file, for example in the matter of administrative litigation, then the decisions issued by him will be more qualitative. And this is because the magistrate works only in the field of administrative justice.

Political PR in International Digital Communications: The Experience of the Eurasian Media Space

Digital media has become an integral part of the political life of citizens, as an increasing number of people around the world use digital media technologies for communication. Digital media contribute to the formation of socio-political factors that raise concerns about the spread of disinformation, information disagreements and political polarization.Aim. To analyze the tools, problems and opportunities of political PR in the context of digitalization of the media space in foreign countries and the EAEU countries.Tasks. To give significant ideas about the concepts of “political public relations” and “political communication”; to identify factors influencing political communication processes; to present international experience in the application of political PR in the context of digitalization of media; to formulate the possibilities for the development of Eurasian integration in the context of digitalization of the media space.Methods. The methodological basis of the scientific research was such modern general scientific research methods as: comparative analysis, statistical and structural-logical methods, content analysis of open sources of information.Results. The paper defines the role and importance of digital media in political PR activities, identifies traditional and modern factors of influence on political activity, as well as problems in the new digital reality. To build political communications with the audience, its impact and increase engagement, political organizations use new media technologies using multimodality. In practice, the digital inequality of the world population deprives a number of people of digital communication, and as a result, the necessary conditions for participation in the political and economic life of the country. The digital divide of the EAEU countries reduces the political communicative impact on citizens’ beliefs in the need to strengthen integration processes. It seems appropriate to introduce consistency in the formation of the Eurasian integration agenda and a single digital information field to increase the political culture of civic engagement in all EAEU member states.Conclusions. With the help of variation of resources, the necessary content is formed to create the necessary audience effect. Indeed, digital media has a number of advantages that have been proven in practice, however, political PR is influenced by the negative side of the development of digital communications — the spread of fake news, most of which cannot be traced to the source. Therefore, the transformation of digital opportunities, the distribution of political resources, the dissemination of political discourse and the structure of political opportunities in the digital age is the most relevant in the modern world. Using the example of the EAEU countries, it is proved that digitalization in the international media space causes the involvement of citizens of different countries in integration, generalization and formation of public support for the state.

Collaboration of Stakeholders and AI in The Implementation of New Public Service in The Digital Era

This study emphasizes the importance of applying the New Public Service (NPS) concept in public service management in the digital era through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of five articles from Scopus (2021-2024). The analysis indicates that NPS can enhance the quality of public services in an inclusive, collaborative, and responsive manner. NPS promotes stakeholder collaboration, AI integration in services, and citizen involvement in public value creation. The main challenges in implementing NPS are bureaucratic cultural resistance and insufficient policy dissemination. This study underscores the need for leaders to develop strong commitment, improve effective communication, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and involve the community in the transition towards NPS. Furthermore, the research highlights the necessity of an integrated public service ecosystem framework to facilitate collaboration among the government, private sector, and society, providing innovative solutions to public service challenges in the digital era.

Geodesign as a boundary management process: Co-creating and negotiating sustainable landscape futures. Participatory research methods for sustainability ‐ toolkit #11

Geodesign is a participatory research and planning process that manages diverse boundaries and combines place-based local knowledge and values, design and planning expertise, and geographic information science for the purpose of collaborative and well-informed spatial planning. It is particularly effective in managing boundaries between stakeholders, knowledge frameworks, and technology. Geodesign is valuable in the early stages of planning, facilitating problem characterization and citizen involvement, as well as impact assessment.

SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP AS A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The article considers the importance of social partnership in modern social work, in particular, cooperation between local self-government bodies, local enterprises and citizens. Based on the theoretical foundations of social responsibility and social dialogue, the article examines how this interaction contributes to the implementation of strategies for sustainable development and self-sufficiency of territorial communities. She emphasizes the importance of active participation of citizens in the processes of local self-government, in particular through the support of educational programs and development centers that contribute to their initiative and educational training. The article also analyzes existing models of cooperation between the public sector and civil society organizations as key elements in strengthening democracy and reducing social exclusion.The study highlights various models of social partnership between public authorities and civil society organizations, which include the oppositional position, the complementary model and the reforming model. The key problems of the management of socio-legal relations in Ukraine are identified, such as the lack of patronage, insufficient legal and economic conditions for the activities of public organizations, as well as the low level of involvement of citizens in social activity. The analysis emphasizes the importance of the role of public organizations in identifying social problems and reducing social tension through the involvement of more people in public activities.The research focuses on revealing the impact of the war on public organizations in Ukraine and their perception in society. After the Revolution of Dignity, cooperation between NGOs and the government strengthened significantly, which led to an increase in the influence of civil society on political processes. The initiatives of such organizations as RISE Ukraine, RRR4U and the Reanimation Package of Reforms, which are aimed at restoring the country and increasing its resilience through the support of public initiatives and involvement in the management of reforms, are being studied.

Perspectives on intersectoral collaboration and citizen participation in community-based prevention

Abstract Background Challenges in healthcare, such as rising healthcare costs, shortages of healthcare staff, and health disparities, have made many countries focus on intersectoral collaboration (IC) and citizen participation (CP) in community-based prevention (CBP) and health promotion (HP). Previous research on IC and CP has addressed the importance of exchanging perspectives to arrive at a shared vision and ambition. Our study is part of a long-term action research project conducted in two neighborhoods in the Netherlands. It aims to provide insight into stakeholders’ perspectives on IC and CP in CBP and HP to facilitate building partnerships. Methods Data collection takes place from March to June 2024. As part of a Q-study, we perform post-sort interviews. The Q-methodology is based on sorting statements concerning various aspects of IC and CP in CBP and HP (e.g., roles and tasks, involvement of citizens, communication, perceived barriers, etc.). We aim to include 40-50 participants from the aforementioned neighborhoods with diverse backgrounds. Participants sort 40 statements (Q-set) into a fixed-scaled framework ranging from -4 (disagree) to + 4 (agree). The interview is about individual sorting and perspectives on their own role within the collaboration. Results So far, the results of 10 participants with backgrounds in health care, social work, sports, local authority, volunteer work, and public health have been analyzed.Preliminary data synthesis shows six themes concerning shared purpose, collaboration partners, social collaboration competencies, personal motivation, conditions, and collaboration organization. Conclusions The preliminary themes overlap with findings from previous research. We will adapt existing models to reflect on our findings and enrich the literature with new themes or insights in the specific context. The interviews will help interpret the Q-sorts and develop follow-up actions in the action research projects in the participating neighborhoods. Key messages • Insights in stakeholders’ perspectives are valuable for building local collaborative partnerships. • Shared purpose, collaboration partners, social collaboration competencies, personal motivation, conditions, and collaboration organization are themes of interest to intersectoral collaboration.

Azərbaycan Respublikasının Prokurorluğunun hüquqi statusu, vəziyyəti və inkişaf perspektivləri (prosessual aspektdə)

The prosecutor's office in the Republic of Azerbaijan is the basis for ensuring the rule of law and protecting the rights and interests of citizens within the framework of the country's legislation. This article aims to examine the legal situation, current conditions and future prospects of the Azerbaijani prosecutor's office, paying special attention to its procedural functions. The legal authority of the prosecutor's office is determined by the national Constitution and relevant legislation. Currently, the current state of the prosecutor's office is characterized by a number of challenges and opportunities. It should be noted that the prosecutor's office in Azerbaijan plays an important role in the legal system of the country. The prosecutor's office contributes to the rule of law and the protection of the rights and interests of citizens by solving the problems encountered and using the opportunities that have arisen. Keywords: Republic of Azerbaijan, prosecution, procedural aspect, ınvestigation, court procedures, legal status, rule of law, ınternational standards.

Региональное управление в сфере развития аграрного туризма в РФ

The example of European countries, where the share of agricultural producers' revenue from tour-ism services can reach 75% and exceeds that from the average sale of agricultural products, in-spires domestic researchers to search for solutions for the implementation of similar practices in the Russian agro-industrial sector. Due to historical, cultural, territorial and other factors, agricultural tourism has significant prospects in our country. However, this type of activity is in its early stages of development, which is influenced by the fact that only recently the terms "rural tour-ism" and "agritourism" themselves have been reflected in the statistical and legislative activities of government agencies. Although the existing difference in the understanding of these terms by various federal bodies introduces some inaccuracy in the formation of statistical data sets, we nevertheless tried to outline the general contours of the development of agricultural tourism in Russia and assess the dynamics of its development in recent years. In the course of the work, it was established that, in general, the interest of citizens in domestic recreation has increased significantly over the past 10 years due to various factors. However, according to available statis-tics, rural tourism is growing more slowly than the popularity of recreation in the country's cities. The leaders in rural recreation are the Leningrad Region, Krasnodar Krai and Bashkiria. By the number of places in rural hotel rooms - the Leningrad Region, Crimea, Altai, Khakassia and Karachay-Cherkessia. An analysis of cash flows using the example of the Nizhny Novgorod Region showed that other income, which includes income from tourism, does not play a significant role in the financial position of agricultural producers and peasant farms.

Философско-экзистенциальный подход Х. Арендт и экономический подход Ф.А. фон Хайека к изучению сущности тоталитаризма: сравнительный анализ

This article is devoted to the examination of various approaches to totalitarian political regimes. As is well known, in the 20th century, regimes such as Hitler’s in Germany and Mussolini’s in Italy unleashed the largest global conflict; while the regimes of Mao in China, Stalin in the USSR, and Pol Pot in Cambodia resulted in the deaths of millions due to repressions. Based on this, the goal of the work follows: to identify the essence of a totalitarian political regime, the prerequisites and reasons for its emergence, and also to determine what steps modern society needs to take in order to prevent the emergence of such regimes in the future. The article employs logical-analytical research methods that facilitate a thorough examination of the literature, specifically through analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization, deduction, induction, analogy, and hypothesis. As a result of the study, the authors conclude on the inadmissibility of totalitarian political regimes from both a humanistic and a rational standpoint, as well as the necessity of active citizen involvement in politics as the sole means to avert their emergence.