Formative Evaluation to Foster Civic Participation Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey

Background

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey The look back telephones in the German Reichstag Today A complex, socio-technical multi/cross-media communication infrastructure which is evolving Communication spheres with multi-purpose tools, services and applications with rules and conventions users, stakeholders and environments/arenas

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Personal experiences: empirical case studies Participatory Systems Design – Democracy in Working Life Focus on development of socio-technical systems Case studies of systems design: (design, implementation, and evaluation)  School Information Systems: Including parents, pupils and teachers in design;  Citizen Office of a Municipality: Supporting access of citizens to services;  ICT to assist members of Parliament;  ICT to assist the responsiveness of ministries to citizens.

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Personal experiences: components and modules of Groupware „Democratic technology in use“: Groupware und Community Systems which assist democratic features Democratic design principles: 1.Self-organization 2.Awareness 3.Visualization 4.Transparency and control 5.Accountability, Responsiblity 6.Knowledge sharing 7.Participation 8.Open for unprecedented use, evolving, malleable, usability oriented

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Evaluation methods: formative methods – quantitative measuring means documenting the past Formative methods feed gathered information back into design and use! Evolving participatory design and use: Action research in niche projects, Participatory observation, Scenarios, probes Advocacy planning, Stakeholder interviews, Expert and user workshops, Documentation, Online questionnaires …..

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Conclusions Beneath the hype?  History of socio-technical systems in the public spheres over 100 years old  Currently the hype is created to attract attention and funding - as usual  Internet as a key opener for change fuels evolution but not revolution  Do not look at applications but on design principles and functionalities Overcoming barriers?  Change creates a new segmentation of power  Existing systems in use cause reluctance  Capacity and costs  What is in it for me!

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Conclusions c‘td Measuring impact: Why? What? How?  Use a combined approach: -Statistics of use -Human-Computer Interaction -Cooperativity Evaluation -Critical Success Factors  Quantitative measuring in niche projects produces frustrating results  Quantitative measuring neglects the evolving use caused by social learning, technological development and changing environmental demands  Formative evaluation fosters civic participation to develop and use socio-technical tools

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Vision: Socio-technical Infrastructures for Public Spheres according to Habermas

Prof. Dr. Peter Mambrey Thank you for your attention