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Archive for January, 2010
Open Government Directions Site
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
How to use Twitter to make your next in-person dialogue better
Friday, January 15th, 2010
At its core, Twitter is a community-building tool. In this blog, we’ll share ways you can build a Twitter community around your in-person dialogue events so they are engaging, create a stock of shared knowledge and make the results more sustainable. (more…)
Online vs. face-to-face dialogues…
Friday, January 8th, 2010
A few important differences to think about
Because we facilitate both face-to-face and online dialogues here at Ascentum, people often ask us “how are they any different?” or “which works best?”
We’ve recently run an online dialogue with several partners in the US that showed some of the differences between online and face-to-face and why, in certain instances, online approaches can work better.
Ascentum worked with the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) to run an online dialogue to bring together 10 people from across America to think, talk and deliberate together on options for health care reform. Using Ascentum’s dialogue tool, participants posted comments, ideas, stories and questions over a period of two weeks to explore health care choices and identify what solutions they could, and couldn’t, agree on.
We’re working on an analysis of the dialogue, which we’ll be able to share with you in the next few months. In the meantime, here are some of our early reflections on how the dialogue went and what it taught us.
- Relationships are different online and in-person: While online dialogues can lack the “personal touch” of in-person dialogue, this physical distance actually made it easier for participants to respond to each other’s ideas without these being interpreted as personal criticisms or attacks.
- Online provided an opportunity for deeper dialogue: The online dialogue ran for 2-weeks, with participants contributing each day. This extended period time allowed for “offline reflection”. In addition, the dialogue tool made it possible for participants to share links (news items, articles, blogs, etc.) and bring new knowledge or perspectives to the table.
- Online allowed for more accurate and informed dialogue: Having a written record of people’s comments, together with offline time to do research, allowed participants to “fact check” statements and post corrections. This allowed popular myths to be debunked and inaccurate claims rectified.
- Different moderation approaches are required: The dialogue required more active or “present” moderation, through regular questions, polls, syntheses and daily summaries. Online moderators also faced the challenge of keeping participants involved and engaged over a 2-week period.
Ultimately, online and in-person tools have different strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, a process would have both and compare the dialogic outcomes of each.
That’s it for now. Stay in touch to get the full debrief of the health care dialogue later this winter!
- Ellis Westwood and Manon Abud -
Ascentum and Public Participation: Impressions of Our First Co-Op Student
Friday, January 29th, 2010
My name is Tristan Eclarin, and I’m currently working towards my Masters in Public Administration at the University of Victoria. This semester, I’m working here at Ascentum as a co-op student. I’m excited about the opportunity to learn everything I can about public participation and social media, and I’d like to share some of my first impressions:
1. We could be the generation that truly pushes civic engagement into the mainstream. I used to
struggle with the idea of social media as a means of getting citizens engaged. But when you consider the technology that has emerged over the past few years, how rapidly it develops and evolves, and how it has been integrated into our everyday lives, you can imagine the possibilities. The claim here is not that social media, by itself, can make citizens more engaged. But if we refine the ways we use it, the easier it will be for people to get involved in issues they care about. However, a lot of this depends on my next insight…
2. It’s all about using social media effectively. Social media is an undeniably powerful tool: it is used for a wide range of purposes, and by different kinds of people and organizations. So how do we use social media to truly engage citizens? Although context is a significant factor, the key is developing good strategy and being increasingly innovative. If there is a message you want to convey, remember a few things:
3. Developing and implementing consultation approaches is often a strategically demanding process. Engaging citizens in public policy decisions requires a high level of strategic and technical planning, attention to detail, and long-term commitment by the organizations involved. However, these challenges do not diminish the social importance of conducting public and stakeholder consultations. With the time, energy and knowledge, there is always a way to meaningfully connect with the public.
That’s it for now! I’ll be with Ascentum until the end of April, at which point I return to school in Victoria. I’ll be blogging between now and then and will make sure to post a final blog on what I’ve learned before I leave.
- Tristan Eclarin -
Tags: Asentum, Co-op, Consultation, Social Media, Tristan Eclarin
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