Designing for participatory governance: assessing capabilities and toolkits in public service delivery
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is yield insight into how cities can optimize citizen involvement in the co-development of citizen services by providing the rights tools, knowledge and resources.
Design/methodology/approach
By conducting a case study analysis of the city of Ghent, this study investigates how users are engaged in the development of mobile applications on a city-hosted platform.
Findings
Findings show that public service delivery, related to the urban space, can be co-designed between the city and its citizens, if different toolkits aligned with the specific capacities and skills of the citizens are provided.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected between August 2012 and December 2013. Some preliminary findings are presented on the (design of the) dynamic co-creation ecosystem and the citizens’ capacities to participate on the city-hosted platform. In addition, while the examination is still ongoing some insights can be offered in the learning dynamics underpinning how the cities are setting up such a bottom-up process and how local participation for different citizen groups can be optimized in the context of design capabilities and the design space.
Originality/value
This study yields relevant insights for policymakers, city administrations, as well as Living Lab practitioners into how public service delivery, supported by an inclusive participatory governance by design framework at the local level, can be co-designed between the city and citizens, if different toolkits aligned with the specific capacities and skills of the users are provided. By providing tailored tools, even ordinary citizens can take a much more active role in the development and appropriation of their urban space and generate solutions from which both the city and citizens’ everyday life can possibly benefit.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study is a joint effort, funded under CIP-ICT- PSP.2011.5.1- Open Innovation for Future Internet-enabled Services in “Smart” Cities (no. 297188). The authors’ gratitude goes to the entire Citadel […] on the Move consortium. In particular, the authors would like to thank the pilot lead Thimo Thoeye (Ghent) for his continuous effort and support, and also the reviewers for their insightful comments on an earlier version of this work.
Citation
van der Graaf, S. and Veeckman, C. (2014), "Designing for participatory governance: assessing capabilities and toolkits in public service delivery", info, Vol. 16 No. 6, pp. 74-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/info-07-2014-0028
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited