citizens` participation in the legislative procedure

PARLI@MENTS ON THE NET VII - 2009
CITIZENS‘ PARTICIPATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE
– GOOD PRACTICE
Cláudia Ribeiro
Citizens’ Participation in the
legislative procedure
 Advantages and disadvantages
 Citizens’ Participation in the parliamentary
legislative procedure – fiction or reality?
 Participation in the Portuguese Parliament
 Participation Models
 Good Practice
Citizens’ Participation – advantages:
•Enfoque
na transparência
• Focus on transparency,
effectiveness and efficiency
eficácia/eficiência
• Legitimação do Parlamento
• Legitimacy of Parliament
Enquadra-se
na avaliação ex ante
••Framed
in ex ante evaluation
Maior the
complexidade
do processo
legislativo
••Balances
complexity in the legislative
procedure
Citizens’ Participation - disadvantages:
••Need
for suitable human
and materials
Necessidade
deresources
adequar
os recursos
humanos e materiais
••Greater
delay
in legislative
Maior
demora
doprocedure
processo
legislativo
a uma
cadabyvez
exigência
• •Conduz
Leads to increasing
demands
thosemaior
represented
dos representados
Citizens’ Participation in the parliamentary
legislative procedure –
fiction or reality?
 A transparent legislative procedure
To whom does it interest/what are the objectives
 Instruments available
website/forum/email/online petitions/
web TV/Databases
 Efficiency/limits of participation
Information/Consultation/Participation
 Communication should take into consideration the
target audience, concerning not only the channels
but also the layout and contents – online information
creates special responsibilities;
 Consultation should make all the information
available in a clear format;
 Participation
requires
work
following
the
consultation, so as to integrate information and
feedback.
Consultation/citizens’ participation – the risks
Ignorar
o
Ignore
resultado
the results
das
of the
consultations
consultas
Não
dar
Not giving feedback
feed
back
Perda de
Loss
of confidence
confiança
inno
the processo
consultation
process and in the
de consulta
institution
e na
instituição
Communication with citizens at the Assembly
of the Republic
Reform of Rules of Procedure - 2007

Publicising of meetings became a rule

Committee documents, which do not contain
confidential information, are available on the website

Acts and documents which must be published or
where the production of the same is imposed by the
Rules of Procedure, are available on the website in
real time
Citizens’ Participation
European Affairs Committee –
Strategy: to bring Europe closer to citizens
• 2005/2006 – debate on the future of Europe (involved 200
public and private institutions which answered a
questionnaire and participated in a discussion about the
results)
• 2007 – Cycle of conferences, outside the Parliament, with the
participation of national and international politicians and
university professors
• 2008 – cycle of decentralised conferences on the Lisbon
Treaty
Citizens’ Participation in the legislative
procedure
Hearings and audiences;
Petitions;
Correspondence sent to Committees;
Public Debate on Initiatives;
Legislative Initiative of Citizens
Legislative Initiative of Citizens
 Members’ Bill no. 183/X “Architecture: a citizens’ right, a
personal responsibility of Architects”
 Public assessment (1 month) – contributions/opinions and
hearings of tens of entities
 The Work Group held hearings, the audio of which was
recorded and is available on the intranet
 Forum on the Assembly of the Republic website (between
26.03.2008 and 06.02.2009) – 8 contributions
 Committee’s Replacement Text – approved in May 2009
Models for citizens’ participation in the
legislative procedure
Mandatory
(Constitution, Law and
Rules of Procedure)
Institutional
(Professional Organisations,
Ombudsman)
Not Mandatory
Not Institutional
(Specialists, NGO,
Associations)
Hearings, Petitions, Legislative
Initiative of Citizens
Models for citizens’ participation in the
legislative procedure
Através das
By Conventional Means
formas
convencionais
Com
recurso
By Making
use of ICT
às TICs
Audições
Hearings,
Audiences,
Petitions,
Audiências,
Petições,
Correspondence
Audições Audiências,
Hearings, Audiences,
Petitions,
Correspondence
Petições,
Expediente
Expediente
IniciativaInitiative
legislativa
Legislative
of
Citizens cidadãos
de
Discussão Pública
Public Debate, online
Forum on line,
Forum, email
email
GOOD PRACTICE
 To plan and predict the possibility of integrating all
information systems;
 Ensure information is collected from all mandatory
hearings, and that the list is published;
 Establish minimum criteria for participation;
 Suitable deadlines;
 Clear and simple communication;
 Provide information about objectives;
 Clear, accessible language;
Balanced composition of target groups;
Publication and single access point (information/participation/results);
Time limits for participation;
GOOD PRACTICE
 Use a check list instead of a complete version;
 Global integrated information (1 access point with
information, participation and results);
 Choose target groups which are suitable for the
consultation;
 Make facilities available to citizens on the website
such as advanced search engines and subscription of
contents;
 Create lists of specialists;
 Give feedback.
Challenges of the participation
models
Mudança
de Paradigma
Paradigm Change
• Organização vertical e
• Vertical
hierarchical
hierarquizada
•organisation
Serviços públicos
• Electronic Public Services
electrónicos – Web 1.0
– Web 1.0 I-Government
I-Government
A Participação
dos
Citizens’
Participation
Today
Cidadãos hoje
A Participação
Citizens’
Participation dos
Tomorrow
Cidadãos amanhã
• Organização transversal
em rede Organisation in
• Transversal
•network
Web 3.0 e 4.0
• Web
3.0 and
4.0
Serviços
transaccionais
e
• Transactional
Services and
Cidadania electrónica
• Electronic Citizenship
C-Government
• C-Government
What makes the future so
engaging is the fact that we can
shape it.
Charles
Handy