Process diagram to analyse participation procedures in media mix

To have an adequate method, the process diagram to analyse participation procedures has been developed by ifib. With this method, a participation procedure including different tools and measures is described along the time scale and distinguishes different ways of communication both to conduct the participation procedure (e.g. meetings, stakeholder groups, online discussion forum, website) and to get the attention of addressees by the “meta-information” and to report on the (interim) results. Arrows are describing whether one method or process initiates or prepares a following process, e.g. if the results of a future workshop are discussed in a discussion forum. Dashed arrows are describing the combinations of meta-information and elements of the participation procedure, e.g. if a flyer announces a public meeting or if a newspaper reports about interim results of an online forum. If possible, also the relevance of combinations within the process is described (by the breadth of arrows). Beside these consecutive media combinations also parallel media combinations are possible, e.g. if a questionnaire is delivered through a website, by snail mail and personally by a street worker (multi channel communication of identical content).

In this process diagram, means of communication are clustered into five groups (see the legend on the bottom of figure 1):

• mass media (e.g. broadcasting, newspapers);
• group communication without media in a narrower sense (“traditional” ways of participation such as public meetings, committee sessions but also informal means of participation such as future workshops, focus groups;
• media-delivered group communication such as an online discussion forum or a questionnaire delivered to a specific target group;
• individual communication without media in a narrower sense (“traditional” ways of participation such as the counter in an office, a street worker who visits people directly at their home, and
• media-delivered individual communication such as a civil servant contacted by telephone or a letter written by an agency addressed to a participant in a formal procedure.

The example illustrates that the Internet is a hybrid means of communication – it can be part of the procedure as well as a means for meta-communication, e.g. to announce events or to publish their results.

The next step is to analyse the relationship between reports in the media and the use of online tools (the dashed arrows between meta-information and methods within the procedure (and vice versa) which is described as an ideal-type: If the URL of the e-participation website is reported in the media (e.g. newspaper, newsletter and TV), the pikes are higher than in other times.

References

Kubicek, H., Lippa, B., & Westholm, H. (2006). Empfehlungen für Verwaltung und Politik zum Methoden- und Medieneinsatz bei Projekten der Bürgerbeteiligung. Schlussfolgerungen aus dem Projekt: Medienmix in der lokalen Demokratie. Die Integration von Online-Elementen in Verfahren der Bürgerbeteiligung. (Entwurf) Bremen (available via the authors).

Westholm, H. (2006). Integration von Medien in die Kommunikation politischer Beteiligungsprozesse. In R. Neuhaus, Information erleichtern – Partizipation ermöglichen – Integration fördern. RaumPlanung? spezial 10 (forthcoming).

Description of a participation procedure including different tools and measures along the time scale