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Guy Rubin of the Greater
London Authority and Rob
Hughes of Vantagepoint Management Consultants presented different aspects of how local authorities
communicate with their customers. e-Democracy Guy Rubin's focus was on his work at Lewisham Council
implementing "e-democracy". Lewisham has for some time enjoyed a
deserved reputation as one of the most go-ahead authorities for delivering
services online. Where other authorities have tended to exhibit a
high degree of caution, Lewisham has steadily been implementing online
consultation and democratic participation. Key aims have been:
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testing and evaluating different ways of involving citizens
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improving the quality of decision-making
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encouraging active citizenship.
Initiatives have included:
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online Citizens' Panel - providing PCs and Internet access to
members of the Citizens' Panel so as to consult them on specific issues
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Young People's ICT project
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online "Quickpolls" - to give instant feedback on key
policy issues
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online surveys
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online Question Time - live question-and-answer sessions with
elected members
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"hearing the messages" database, where you can search
an archive of consultation
In many ways these are still early days, but getting on and
using their website in innovative ways will enable the development of new
services and initiatives. For further information see the Lewisham
Listens website |
