8 December 2005

Pilots of e-democracy projects in local communities are proving to be a great success in encouraging an interest in local politics.

The trials of the local e-Democracy National Project have taken place in twenty local authority areas, where different strategies aimed at getting people involved in local government have been tested out.

These include e-petitioning and e-panels to improve and modernise the way the public can provide feedback.

Through using the Internet, the project has aimed to make local government more inclusive, accessible and transparent.

An evaluation carried out by the Oxford Internet Institute and Napier University suggested that the projects showed great potential.

"The web traffic and responses to the engagement suggested the ground had been laid for strong and sustainable take-up," said professor Stephen Coleman from the Oxford Internet Institute and professor Anne MacIntosh from Napier University.

"There was evidence that the tools were already being actively used by hundreds of citizens in each of the local authority areas."

The local e-democracy National Project is one of 22 local e-government national projects organised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Each one of the projects aims to provide cost-effective services tailored to the specific needs of the council and the local communities.

© Adfero Ltd

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