In light of the changes brought about by COVID-19, one frequently reads the argument that public participation isn't working at the moment. We can answer this with a resounding no. Rather, we've found that excuses no longer count!
We would like to illustrate this using our experiences from the "Villages and Regions" project. Due to contact restrictions, we have switched the preparatory meetings to the electronic whiteboard from Conceptboard. The idea is to use this platform to gather sufficient impressions and information for the on-site workshops.
Public participation, only after vaccination?
General information at the beginning: Yes, it is more complex to prepare, design, and moderate the dialogue. And also yes, there are groups that have difficulty with this approach. This is due to the technical foundations, the handling, or the changed social setting of public participation. Unfortunately, there are still regions in Germany that have poor internet connections and social media applications function inadequately there. This must be tested in advance with the participants. Ideally, the chosen solutions are familiar to the participants. We allow participants to try out new functions in a playful way in advance to gain confidence. We moderate a workshop with one or a maximum of two tools. This reduces the risk of media disruptions. Every medium, every technical solution, is potentially a barrier for participants and prone to disruption. It becomes more difficult when those responsible have general reservations about digital media. We look for solutions that also offer German-language menu navigation. Social media is redistributing the stakes in participation. Older men, who previously had the unchallenged say, found it more difficult than older women, who were more likely to raise substantive questions. Methods are always political.
The first step is the announcement: Events in real or digital space must be announced and promoted. In the digital world, this works differently, but you reach new groups or communities. If you fail to address them, the digital forum and whiteboard will definitely remain empty. No "usual suspects" to conceal the fact that the invitations were inaccurately addressed or the timing was poorly chosen. Public participation via digital media is even less of a sure-fire success than in the analog world.
After the workshop: A positive side effect of social media is the incredible speed of documentation. This happens as the process unfolds. All contributions are already available digitally and only need to be organized and distributed by the moderator. Participants receive the results of their discussions more quickly. The same applies to those who were unable to attend.
Yes, digital public participation is more complex to prepare because you have to think further ahead and make every step truly accessible. We're learning something new every day. But fundamentally, the same questions arise as with analog participation formats; problems and failures are just more apparent in the digital world.