To ensure the Joint Research Activity Program for DEMO_net continues to address the
major challenges facing eParticipation.
Research in the field of the eParticipation is scattered and fragmented, and it is impossible to
obtain a single point of access to the matter, due to the diversity of research disciplines involved.
This work package has provided an overview of current state of the art so as to better understand the gaps on our knowledge and the current challenges for eParticipation. This will provide initial input and direction for WP5 and WP6.
It has explained which research organisations and which researchers are specialising in which
aspects of eParticipation. Importantly, this has enabled government, at local, national and
European level, to find the experts and expertise they need when developing policy in this
domain.
The original DEMO_net challenges are based on the five OECD challenges for eParticipation,
namely: challenge of scale, how to build capacity and active citizenship, ensuring coherence,
evaluating e-engagement and ensuring commitment. As research progresses and as the results of this research are applied in real-world scenarios then new challenges will emerge. We aim to ensure that the work programme for DEMO_net is structured and the membership is such that we can identify these emerging research challenges at the earliest possible stage and feed this both into government policy and future phases of DEMO_net.