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Local democracy and citizen involvement

Local democracy and citizen involvement. - Seminar – Reykjavik – the 6. of September 2010. PROGRAM. Presentation of us A situation report after the local government reform in Denmark The democracy program: Five challenges Citizen involvement - Danish style Democracy strategy in Gardabær

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Local democracy and citizen involvement

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  1. Local democracy and citizen involvement • - Seminar – Reykjavik – the 6. of September 2010

  2. PROGRAM • Presentation of us • A situation report after the local government reform in Denmark • The democracy program: Five challenges • Citizen involvement - Danish style • Democracy strategy in Gardabær • Developing local democracy and citizen involvement - Danish cases • Citizen involvement in Icelandic counties

  3. Anne Tortzen Master in Political science, journalist and process consultant Worked 20 years with public communication Author of book about citizen involvement Center for citizen dialogue: Advise and knowledge center about citizen involvement

  4. Søren Frilander Master in political science Political consultant in Local Government Denmark Work on the Democracy Program Teach democratic theory at the University of Copenhagen

  5. A situation report • - The local government reform and citizen involvement in Denmark

  6. AGENDA • The challenges from the reform • How has local governments reacted? • Where are we now?

  7. The Local Government Reform - A new public sector • From 269 to 98 municipalities • Average size increased from 19.000 to 55.000 • From 4577 to 2520 local politicians • More professional and viable municipalities • Vision: “One entry to the public sector” • Responsible for almost all citizen directed areas

  8. The reform and (local) democracy ”More tasks located in the municipalities will strengthen democracy because the decisions are now made locally. There must be made an effort to spread out democracy and involve citizens actively. The local governments of the future must find new ways to interact with citizens in the local decision making process” - From the agreement behind the reform

  9. How did it go….? • ”As a whole there is reason to conclude that local democracy is taken very seriously in the municipalities. The general picture appears to be a very healthy and active local democracy after the local government reform” • - Ministry of the interior status rapport on local democracy, june 2009 “The local government reform with its amalgamation of municipalities have been costly for local democracy since political confidence and self confidence has fallen in local communities” - KREVI, june 2009

  10. Who has especially been working on developing local democracy? Amalgamated municipalities Large municipalities developed a 37 % have developed a general strategy for democracy 32 % created a special committee to develop local democracy

  11. Which methods did they use? • 74% of the municipalities involved citizens in the amalgamations process • and the development of the new municipality Others Citizen meetings Informal dialogue groups Local councils Hearings of citizen groups

  12. Where are we now? Democracy committees E-democracy Strategy for local democracy Policies for volunteers Local Councils Social media Handbook for citizen involvement Citizen panels

  13. CRISIS!!! • Two scenarios • Less priority to citizen involvement • Citizen involvement as a tool to meet the crisis head on

  14. DEMOCRACY PROGRAM 2010-11 • - A work in progress New project focus on: • Citizen involvement in a time of crisis • Using case studies of citizen interaction as a tool in drawing up the budget • Examples how citizens dialogue can help local governments make economically sound decisions.

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