Digital Participation Tool Ratings

People Powered's Digital Participation Tool Ratings evaluates 30 tools that have been used to support digital participation all over the world. This year’s ratings offer more information and insights on each tool to help you select a suitable tool for your context and needs. This year they also researched how AI tools and features fit into the current digital participation landscape.

What is a digital participation tool?

Digital participatory tools are digital applications or systems designed to enhance electronic participation or e-participation - the extension and transformation of citizen participation in policy-making processes.

From the Guide to Digital Participation Platforms:

"They help governments, civil society groups, and other institutions engage people in all types and stages of participatory processes, ranging from planning and budgeting to citizens’ assemblies and the drafting of legislation. 

While we often think of such technological platforms in the context of advanced democracies, they have been used to facilitate participatory decision-making in a wide variety of contexts.

At their best, platforms enable decision-makers or communities to manage:

• Community and stakeholder engagement.
• Collective deliberation and decision-making.
• Public communication.
• Project tracking and monitoring.
• Internal coordination."

From the site:

"With the influx of digital platforms, it can be challenging for government staff, civil society and non-governmental organizations, and others to find accessible and relevant practical information for choosing a tool. This is why we’ve developed this resource — if you’re looking to engage your community through a digital platform, these ratings are for you and your team! Use these as a guide when you are considering whether a tool: 

• Is cost-effective,
• Is reliable and appropriate for your context and program,
• Requires and/or provides technical expertise to be used effectively and efficiently,
• Offers support,
• Offers the features you require,
• Is accessible for your community, and 
• Is ethical in its data use, protection of personal information, and content moderation."

You can find more information about how to use these tools is available in their Guide to Digital Participation Platforms and Online Training on Digital Participation.