CeDEM Day 1, afternoon, Track: E­‐Democracy and E­‐Politics, Main Hall, Chair: Reinhard Riedl

1. Partners:
Botswana
Speaks
Parliamentary
Ini5a5ve
is
a
project
co-­‐funded
by
With
the
collabora5on
of
Business
Sweden
Botswana
Speaks
Parliamentary
Ini4a4ve
A
Socio-­‐Poli5cal
Approach
to
eDemocracy
Ini5a5ves
in
Developing
Countries
Kheira
Belkacem,
eGovlab,
Stockholm
University
Vasilis
Koulolias,
eGovlab,
Stockholm
University
Cedem
2013
–
Krems
–
22
May
2013

2. The
Botswana
Speaks
Team
The
Parliament
of
Botswana
eGovlab
at
Stockholm
University
/
Department
of
Computer
&
Systems
Sciences
(DSV)
Gov2u
Swedish
InternaFonal
Development
CooperaFon
Agency
With
the
collaboraFon
of
Business
Sweden
Botswana
Speaks
Parliamentary
Ini5a5ve
is
co-­‐funded
by
the
Parliament
of
Botswana,
Stockholm
University
and
Gov2u
in
addi5on
to
the
funding
provided
by
SIDA.

3. Main
points
about
Botswana
Speaks
• Socio-­‐poli5cal
context
Ø Importance
of
offline
consulta2ons
as
part
of
the
project
• Partnership
rather
than
donor-­‐recipient
dynamic
• Sustained
capacity
building

4. Project
background
Ø Poli5cal
stability,
economic
development
Ø ChieRainship
system
-­‐>
consulta5ve
tradi5ons
Ø Policy
context
• Botswana
Vision
2016
• Na5onal
e-­‐Government
Strategy
2011-­‐2016
Ø IT
infrastructure
Ø Mobile
penetra5on
2011:
118%*
*
Botswana
Telecommunica5ons
Authority
2012
Mobile
Broadband
Internet
Subscrip4ons*
2011:
185,971
subscribers
2012:
259,486
subscribers
2011:
203,885
subscribers
2012:
279,429
subscribers

5. Ini5al
survey
results
(February
2012)
Ci4zens
(620
respondents)
ü 98%
own
a
mobile
device
ü 76%
never
communicated
their
concerns
to
their
MPs
ü 94%
willing
to
share
their
opinions
with
MPs
(online
and
offline)
Members
of
Parliament
(33
respondents
+/-­‐
60%
of
all
MPs)
ü 87%
have
used
the
Internet
for
work
ü 91%
willing
to
communicate
with
their
cons5tuents
ü 97%
interested
in
directly
informing
ci4zens

6. Botswana
Speaks:
Descrip5on
Fostering
communica2on
between
MPs
and
ci2zens
in
4
pilot
cons2tuencies
Who?
Where?
ü 4
MPs
ü Parliament
Services
ü Cons5tuency
administrators
ü Local
authori5es
ü Ci5zens
ü Bote5
North
ü Maun
West
ü Nata/Gweta
ü South
East
South
How?
When?
-­‐>
online
plaform
-­‐>
SMS
-­‐>
offline
cons5tuency
mee5ngs
Pilot
phase:
April
to
December
2013

7. Tradi5onal
Workflow
Na5onal
Assembly
Member
of
Parliament
Cons5tuency
Office
Local
Authori5es
District
Council
Land
Boards
District
Administra5on
Kgotla
(Chiefs)
Na4onal
Assembly
Ci5zens

8. Revised
Workflow
with
Botswana
Speaks
Na5onal
Assembly
Member
of
Parliament
Cons5tuency
Office
Local
Authori5es
District
Council
Land
Boards
District
Administra5on
Kgotla
(Chiefs)
Na4onal
Assembly
Cons5tuency
mee5ngs
Ci5zens
Legisla5on
introduced

9. Embracing
consulta5ve
tradi5ons:
Cons5tuency
Mee5ngs
Ø Modeled
on
Kgotla
mee5ngs:
o Take
place
in
the
4
pilot
cons5tuencies
according
to
parliamentary
business
calendar.
o Ci5zens
are
able
to
come
and
discuss
draR
bills
and
commikee
mee5ng’s
business.
o Ci5zen’s
input
gathered
during
offline
mee5ngs
is
then
made
available
on
the
plaform
for
Members
of
Parliament
to
consult

10. Botswana
Speaks
Plaform
Case/Issue
tracking
system
Submit
an
opinion/
a
request
for
informa5on
or
a
request
for
ac5on
to
your
MP
Ø Enhance
cons2tuency
services
Ø Direct
communica2on
between
ci2zens
and
members
of
the
parliament
DraJ
bill/order
papers
posted
on
the
plaKorm
by
Parliament
Services
Delibera5on
tool
Opinion
poll
Ø Involve
ci2zens
in
the
early
stages
of
the
decision-­‐making
process

11. Botswana
Speaks
plaform

12. Mobile
version
-­‐ For
all
mobile
devices
-­‐ Mobile-­‐friendly
version
of
the
plaform
for
ci5zens’
use
-­‐ As
a
result
of
deep
mobile
penetra5on
in
country
SMS
integra4on
-­‐ Dedicated
phone
number
for
each
pilot
cons5tuency
-­‐ Submit
an
issue/case
to
MPs
via
SMS
-­‐ Response
via
SMS
or
via
online
plaform

13. Capacity
building
as
a
key
factor
• Partnership
rather
than
donor-­‐recipient
dynamic
– Conceptualiza5on
– Implica5ons
in
decision-­‐making
process
– Design
and
interface
(feedback
Alpha
and
Beta
versions)
• Sustained
training/workshops
– With
MPs
– With
cons5tuency
administrators
– With
Parliament
Services
– With
ci5zens
in
the
4
cons5tuencies

14. Expected
outcomes
ü New
technologies
and
tradi2ons
work
together
ü Increased
ci2zens’
par2cipa2on
and
enhance
civic
culture
ü Ci2zens
involvement
in
decision-­‐making
ü Ci2zens
beKer
connected
to
representa2ves
ü Build
capacity
in
the
Parliament
and
among
ci2zens
in
4
pilot
cons2tuencies

15. Partners:
Botswana
Speaks
Parliamentary
Ini5a5ve
is
a
project
co-­‐funded
by
With
the
collabora5on
of
Business
Sweden
THANK
YOU
FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION
Kheira
Belkacem,
eGovlab,
Stockholm
University,
Sweden
kheira@egovlab.eu
www.botswanaspeaks.org