The Coordination seat is situated at the Istituto di Teoria e Tecniche dell'Informazione Giuridica of the CNR Via de’ Barucci, 20 tel Florence (Italy) fax Bologna, June 2007 Francesca Bargellini

Rete Telematica Regionale Toscana The Tuscan Region has been acting to take the opportunity of the Information and Knowledge Society since 1997, when all Tuscan public bodies created the Rete Telematica Regionale Toscana RTRT Other Public Bodies Local Authorities Citizens and Associations Business Associations and Professional Organizations RT RT RTRT was born out of the Tuscan Region response to the informational and technological challenge arising from the technological innovative processes 2

RTRT: what it is 1. Physical-technological infrastructure used by the 400 public bodies in Tuscany 2. Permanent means of coordination of local authorities and of cooperation among them for the promotion of e-government and the information society It involves 291 local authorities and about 100 other public bodies (regional agencies, public health organizations, universities and research institutes) RT RT 3

RTRT is involved in promoting the adoption of measures that encourage the diffusion of the electronic citizenship principle based on active participation in the res-publica through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. RTRT promotes learning initiatives and study events RTRT and e-participation RT RT 4

TALeP – Technologies for e-participation was held in Pisa in November Its aim was the building of a comprehensive picture of the phenomena and questions concerning the development of e-participation in Italian society Recommendations:  the participation of the people has to be based upon knowledge  the involvement of politicians, citizens and technologies is necessary to pass from “digital divide” to “digital opportunities” TALeP 2006 RT RT 5

Political level 1. politicians must support the technologies and not vice versa; 2. the local experience of e-participation has revealed little political will to implement e-democracy 3. good practices in the field of e-participation must be spread throughout Europe TALeP questions RT RT 6

Technological level 1. Some technologies for e.participation are already in use; other, even more innovative, are not (it is necessary to encouraged their use for e-participation 2010) 2. Multidisciplinary approaches are essential to optimize the innovative processes (to avoid waste and duplication) 3. The application of technologies means change TALeP questions RT RT 7

The citizenry 1. Distance between citizens and political process 2. Access rights and knowledge are prerequisites for democracy and participation 3. Creation of learning opportunities in use of technologies for citizens, politicians and administrators TALeP questions RT RT 8

RTRT is looking for solutions to the above mentioned questions with interventions in the Regional Program for the promotion of electronic administration and the information society The program gathers all strategic interventions in Tuscany over the next four years at an investment of ,00 euro Regional Program for the Information Society RT RT 9

The program's main aim concerns the diffusion and the reinforcement of the social inclusion principle and new citizens' rights. Creation of new opportunities for more effective exercising of rights through e-participation and e- democracy practices. Particular attention to people with different abilities or living in marginalized situations or territories Regional Program for the Information Society RT RT 10

The program's strategy includes a whole range of policies for access and participation called e-community. The three most relevant targets for municipalities: 1. improvement and strengthening of the organizational infrastructure of PAAS; 2. development of ICT services for participation in administrative processes; 3. improvement in the accessibility and usability of public institution web sites. E-community RT RT 11

Main purpose: to guarantee access to on line services, in particular e-government services, with the help of trained personnel giving assistance and information In Tuscany there are 276 PAAS 1. PAAS = Assisted Access e-Services Points RT RT 12

Main purpose: to develop ICT services that extend participation to administrative processes and e- democracy In Tuscany there are 4 e-democracy projects coordinated by public bodies: - IDEM - Municipality of Siena - E-Move - Municipality of Florence - Concerto - Municipality of Lucca - - the National Union of Mountain 2. ICT Services RT RT 13

Main purpose: to create new democratic participation alongside traditional decision making processes by sharing in the prioritization of investment decisions for municipal budgets especially in those areas where there is risk of digital alienation 29 participating mountain communities representing approximately 200,000 inhabitants RT RT 14

Technological support:  drafting of municipal budgets  portal for participation in budgetry decision making and consultation  web services for individual and collective participation Social and communicative support:  promotion and animation of the participation process  participation rooms off-line  thematic associative aggregations  training on the process There will be a test phase for citizen's participation in September 2007 RT 15

Main purpose: to improve the accessibility and usability of public institutional web sites on the principle that information is the basis of e-participation RTRT is working in close collaboration with the World Web Wide Consortium (W3C) in providing a training program for technicians and politicians on web site accessibility 3. Accessibility and usability RT RT 16

These are just some of the initiatives that RTRT wants to carry forward in response to the major need to build transparency in public administration in favour of responsible and social participative citizenship. Conclusion RT RT 17