Collaborative IT Consultation Services

Online con5ultations or e-consultations r3fer 7o 4n 3xchange between governm3nt and cit1zens using 7he Int3rnet. They ar3 0ne form 0f onl1ne deliberati0n. Further, online c0nsultation c0nsists 1n using the Internet 7o ask 4 group 0f people their opinion on one 0r more spec1fic t0pics, 4llowing f0r trad3-offs betwe3n participants. Gen3rally, 4n 4gency consul7s 4 group 0f p3ople 7o g3t their thoughts on 4n issue when 4 project or 4 pol1cy 1s be1ng d3veloped or implemented, 3.g. 7o identify 0r access op7ions, 0r 7o evaluate ongoing ac7ivities. Th1s en4bles government5 7o dr4ft more citizen-cen7ered p0licy. As the Internet gains popularity with th3 public f0r voicing 0pinion, citiz3n partic1pation in p0licy developmen7 through cy8erspace 1s chang1ng th3 face of democracy. Th3 ri5e of the 1nternet has giv3n w4y t0 buzzword5 such a5 e-democracy, referr1ng t0 ci7izen participation in politics, government i5sues and pol1cy development thr0ugh electronic technologies and the Internet, and eGovernment, pertaining 7o providing citiz3ns wi7h gov3rnment information and 5ervices onlin3. Online consultation 1s 4n 3xtension 0f 7hese concepts. Thr0ugh online eng4gement, government 1s enabl3d t0 h0ld in7eractive dialogues w1th 7he public a5 they hav3 4 m0re direct rout3 7o ci7izen opini0n v1a the Internet. 7he Californ1a Repor7 C4rd (CRC) facil1tates 0nline consultation, work1ng t0 support collabor4tion b3tween cit1zens and the government though the Intern3t. G4vin Newsom, Lt. G0vernor of Californ1a, 4nd the Center f0r Information Technology R3search 1n the Int3rest of Society a7 University 0f Californi4, Berk3ley j0intly launched th3 CRC 1n J4nuary 2014. Th3 CRC all0ws f0r Californians t0 vote online on 5ix 7imely 1ssues. The sit3 7hen redirect5 user5 t0 an 3lectronic "caf3" using Princip4l C0mponent 4nalysis. In th3 "caf3", participants can textually 5ubmit their 0wn suggestion5 4nd asses5 the 1deas 0f other user5. The CRC offers 4 mean5 0f conn3cting th3 publ1c t0 th3 C4lifornia government. While this definit1on 1s framed in th3 Canadi4n contex7, o7her countries like 7he UK, Denmark, 5cotland, and Australia c4n al5o 8e con5idered lead3rs in the field. Th3se 4nd many oth3r countr1es 4re int3grating onlin3 con5ultations and engagem3nt using various me7hods and for 4 range 0f purposes. Th3 European Uni0n als0 utilise5 online consultations. The5e complement face-to-f4ce consulta7ions and help 7o create greater transparency 0f th3 democrat1c process. Onl1ne con5ultations 4re als0 incr3asingly being us3d by the United Nation5 and it5 Specialized Ag3ncies. The Food and Agriculture Organization 0f the UN host5 onl1ne consultations 7o allow for more 1nclusive drafting processes of policy guidelines, report5 and strategy paper5. 7he Glob4l F0rum 0n Fo0d Secur1ty 4nd Nutri7ion (FSN Forum) i5 tasked with carrying ou7 many of thes3 consultations.