Guide to Online Participation/2. Principles/Full story

Principles are fundamental assumptions, laws or requirements which form the basis for reasoning or action. They have the following characteristics when applied to public policy:

• they articulate the basis - the 'why?' - of the policies
• they reflect concerns, risks, issues and emphases
• adherence to them can be qualitatively assessed.

Source: New Zealand Government Trusted Computing and Digital Rights Management Principles and Policies

• what the issues and questions are
• how the process works
• the role played by government -- as the instigator, facilitator or observer of public participation
• how to make an impact on the process
• who will make the final decision, how they will make it and how they will inform participants about the outcomes
• the fact that disagreement is natural, but should also be cordial
• the time, energy and resources needed to participate effectively
• how to become informed about the issues.

• people for their contributions which reflect their own opinions, expert and experiential knowledge
• the unique knowledge and customs of the diverse peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand
• people's multiple roles in life (eg as parents, partners, students, professionals, farmers)
• terms and conditions for online engagement that promote civil behaviour, constructive criticism, active listening and discussion
• different viewpoints and perspectives
• different levels of ability and the need to use multiple channels when providing information and seeking engagement
• people's time by ensuring engagement with them is co-ordinated across government to minimise duplication and overlap.

• among government decision makers, for whom online participation is a relatively untested way of gathering information for developing policy and designing services
• by making it easy for people to engage online -- for many this may be a new and challenging channel
• in the technologies and in those charged with facilitating, moderating or supporting online interactions and deliberations
• by providing timely feedback and evidence that online participation can be an effective tool for meeting the needs of people, decision makers and stakeholders
• by evaluating online participation to learn from your experience and improve quality in the future.

• involving people in designing online participation and inviting their feedback on how it went
• how you build public awareness and encourage people to participate
• creating content that will hook people into your process
• making the most of technology -- audio, video, web, print -- and integrating it into online and offline engagement processes
• who you work with to mobilise resources and ensure success -- build sustainable relationships with community groups, civil society and others
• facilitating discussion--make every interaction worthwhile.

• taking a broad perspective of who needs to be informed and engaged
• being proactive and making particular efforts to reach a diverse range of people, especially those typically considered ‘hard to reach’
• recognising that Māori, as tangata whenua and by virtue of the Treaty of Waitangi,have a unique relationship with government. This requires government to ensure that Māori are involved in making decisions on matters that affect them and to take positive steps to ensure their interests are protected
• designing online participation to fit the needs of community members as well as those of agencies (eg providing information in other languages, favouring video over text to facilitate oral traditions)
• reducing barriers to online participation and adhering to Web standards for accessibility.

• the use of public funds in undertaking online participation
• ensuring that people's time has been well used and recognised
• fair and appropriate management of content generated by public participation
• the process of public participation and its outcomes
• actions and behaviour online given the terms and conditions established for online engagement (for the public) and the Code of Conduct for the State Services Standards of Integrity and Conduct(for State servants)
• decisions once they are taken, and for providing feedback to participants.

• explicitly recognising people's individual contributions and collective endeavours
• providing evidence that people's online participation is making a difference
• designing the online process to deliver immediate benefits in terms of knowledge, understanding, new skills and a sense of personal efficacy
• ensuring that online participation is tightly coupled to actions that lead to clear improvements in decision-making processes and outcomes
• highlighting the obstacles or challenges that online participation may help to overcome
• communicating and celebrating results.