The Challenge

The Goal

Increase of participation of citizens in matters concerning their country and Europe.
Specifically, the project aims:

• To inform and raise awareness among citizens about the ways in which they can participate in decision making,
• To promote the concept of Active European Citizenship, 
• To improve conditions for democratic participation of citizens in the European Union, 
• To develop citizens' skills so they can participate properly and effectively in decision-making process,
• To establish collaborative relationship between European citizens and those who make the decisions in the EU,
• To understand the citizens of the policy-making processes in the EU, 
• To develop a framework where people can contribute to shaping the Future of Europe through crowdsourcing techniques.

Actions

1. Organization of seven Conferences - Workshops throughout Europe to achieve the following objectives:

• To reflect on the crowdsourcing and other e-participation experiences at national level by presenting case studies and lessons learned.
• To discuss technological, societal, cultural, political challenges for citizens, organizers and decision-makers when they use crowdsourcing techniques for politics and policy.
• To brainstorm a draft framework for an EU level pilot of crowdsourcing on the future of Europe.
• To reflect on both the most suitable policies to be crowdsourced at EU level and the most appropriate e-participation tools to be used based on the national experience.
• To identify and map influencers, supporters and promoters of crowdsourcing as an innovative, deliberative method of e-participation.

2. Desk research to collect data on how people utilize and exploit crowdsourcing for the purpose of an online repository (Knowledge Center for Digital Democracy). Repository will feature best practice cases, state-of-the-art knowledge and guidelines in citizens-crowdsourcing at the national and European level.

3. Analytical work for preparing policy recommendations on the EU perspective of crowdsourcing including the framework for the crowdsourcing pilot at the EU level based on conclusions from conferences and desk research findings on how (online) crowdsourcing can foster European citizenship, encourage participation of citizens at the Union level and support debate on the Future of Europe. The document will be presented and discussed with relevant EU decision-makers and interested stakeholders.

4. Stakeholders community building in the field of citizens crowdsourcing as part of strategic initiative of civil society organizations aiming to advocate and promote citizens oriented open government and digital democracy at the EU level.

The project is aimed at all citizens and the following groups:

• Youth
• Activists 
• Academics 
• Opinion Makers
• Politicians
• Media

Individuals and organizations of civil society dealing with:

• Rights of citizens 
• eDemocracy
• Public issues 
• Formulating policies at national and European level.

Partners

Expected Results

1. Improved awareness among project target groups, especially (young) European citizens and EU decision-makers, about the possibilities of using crowdsourcing as an innovative channel of e-participation in EU policy making-process.
2. Publicly accessible an on-line repository (Knowledge centre on Digital Democracy) of international crowdsourcing practices and state-of-the-art knowledge of citizen-crowdsourcing at the national and European level.
   
3. Policy recommendations based on national conferences discussions and best cases review on:
   
• The most suitable policies to be crowdsourced at EU level
• The most appropriate e-participation tools to be used in order to foster participation of citizens in debate on the Future of Europe
4. Draft framework for an EU level pilot of crowdsourcing on the future of Europe will include the general structure, modalities and practical steps.
   
5. Established community of practitioners and supporters including citizens, civil society and other stakeholders which have an interest in advocating and promoting the EU level crowdsourcing initiative as a part of the European open government and digital democracy development. 

The ultimate goal of this project is to create a sustainable group consisting of citizens and members of civil society which aims to support and promote citizens participation and electronic democracy at European level. 

Results

On Tuesday, 9th of May 2017 we hosted the International Conference: "Let's Crowdsource the Foture of Europe" in Athens and you can read the Final Report of the Athens Event here and ckeck the keypoints here: 

Finally, you can find project's results here or you can check the final reports here and here.   

Media

Presentation of DemocracIT (crowdsourcing tool) develoiped by SciFY at the 1st Eventfor EUCROWD Project, in Slovenia

Project website: www.inepa.si/eucrowd
Project social media: Twitter (@Razprave_EU), Facebook (European Citizens Crowdsourcing)
Project hashtag: #EUCROWD

Project ID

• Partners: Inštitut za elektronsko participacijo (Slovenia), European Citizen Action Service (Belgium), Stichting Netwerk Democratie (Netherlands), Science For You (Greece), ManaBalss.lv (Latvia), Open Ministry (Finland), Démocratie Ouverte (France), The Democratic Society (United Kingdom)
• Duration: 10/2016-03/2018
• Funding: Project “European Citizens Crowdsourcing – EUCROWD” has been funded with the support of the Europe for Citizens programme of the European Union.