Ancitel Toscana, s.tavazzi@ancitel.toscana.it, miranda.brugi@libero.it, a.salilaj@ancitel.toscana.it
Abstract: The paper attempts to describe experiences in Tuscany concerning democracy and e-participation issues. In particular, after a brief analysis of the regional normative and institutional context in this topic, the paper illustrates goals and socio-technical features of the Assisted Access Point to Services (and Internet) Network - PAAS Network. The paper illustrates goals, socio-technical features and the evolution of the PAAS Network, which was born to break down every sort of digital divide (i.e. location, social and cultural provisions, age, origin) and it is open to everyone. The PAAS Network aims to guarantee access to information, in accordance with the objectives of regional laws and also to promote social inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged people, digital citizenship and participation in the regional system.
Keywords: e-democracy, e-participation, digital citizenship, e-services
Acknowledgement: The principal actors of the project are: the Tuscan Region, promoter and prime driver of the Network, Municipalities and other local governments, representatives of local organizations, Volunteer associations, who are all involved in the project as facilitators of digital inclusion.
1. Aim of the paper
he paper describes the experience of the Tuscan Region in the development of the PAAS Network in order to share it with other EU countries. In this paper we do not only aim to highlight the positive work of these five years, but we also aim to encourage the exchange of best practices with other similar networks (already active or in planning).
The empowerment of these kinds of services and the consolidation of our commitment in the fight against digital divide calls for stronger cooperation between the European public administration, therefore we look forward to getting in contact with other public administrations.
2. Territorial context and eGovernment policies
Tuscany is a Region of central Italy, and its territory is geographically varied; it has mountains, cities, rural areas, coast lines, and islands. The surface of the territory is 22,997 km2, where 25.1%
of it is mountainous, 65.5% is hilly and 8,4% is a plain area.
Tuscany has 3,730,130 inhabitants and 287 municipalities. 138 of these Municipalities have less than 5,000 inhabitants and they are often located in rural mountain areas.
In this geographical context, we can easily recognize the geographical issues that often affect people living in small villages, because in these areas the service supply – and not just in terms of technology – is weaker than in large cities.
Returning to the subject of our paper, the PAAS Network was born in Tuscany in 2005, as a regional initiative to guarantee access to information, e-services and the participation of everyone.
The Network was specifically designed to meet the needs of the territory. Furthermore, these needs were also identified in a statistical survey conducted in 2003 by the Tuscan Region.
The survey revealed that 45% of Tuscan families owned at least one PC, but only 36,6% of them had Internet connection.
This statistics survey was an opportunity to better understand how to implement the national guidelines for the development of the Information and Knowledge Society, issued by the national government in 2002.
The Tuscan Region created three action lines for the promotion of e-government and e-services:
one for the Public Administration, one for Businesses and one for Citizens: the last one aimed to increase access to services.
In particular, the Tuscan Region in 2004 approved the Regional Law 1/2004 for the promotion of electronic administration and of the information and knowledge society throughout the regional system. The law is an implementation of the Regional e-Government Programme “e-Toscana” and constitutes the first essential step on the realization of the Network.
3. Legal and institutional framework of e-democracy in Tuscany
The Tuscan public system has been dealing with the management of processes arising from the information society since 1997, when about 400 public authorities, lead by the Tuscan Region, created the Telematic Network of the Tuscan Region (RTRT)1, which became, at the same time, the apparatus for institutional co-operation for the information society in the regional public system and a public-private infrastructure connecting the whole region and offering public bodies advanced e-services and assistance for improving processes and services.
In 2004 the RTRT system has been the subject of a regional law about the promotion of the electronic administration and of the information and knowledge society throughout the regional system (regional law n. 1/2004). It was the first law concerning the information society in Italy and it established the principles and guidelines criteria for the management and programming interventions of public authorities in a regional context.
Since then, the Tuscan public system has been officially responsible for citizens’ involvement in the information society. The article 1 of the law quotes “the Region promotes the development of the information and knowledge society in the regional area in order to foster social development and quality of life improvement, personal and professional fulfilment as well as active citizenship”.
From the perspective of e-democracy, the law n. 1/2004 integrates its principles and goals with other two laws, regional law n. 40/2009 (Law about simplification in Public Administration) and regional law n. 54/2009 (Law about coordination of infrastructures and services to develop an information and knowledge society).
These laws aim to promote the economic and social development of Tuscany, by promoting information, a knowledge society, digital administration and citizenship.
1 See http://www.rtrt.it - the official website of RTRT that includes all documents and information about activities and events concerning the governance and coordination of the regional system.
E-Democracy & E-Participation 161 The laws also aim to simplify relationships between citizens, business, and public administration and promote the use of digital services. In order to do this, The Tuscan Region provides infrastructure, knowledge and interoperability systems and supports information circulation to local administrations.
Another important law promoting digital citizenship is the regional law n. 69/2007, approved in 2007, for the promotion of participation in regional and local policy-making.
The law does not prescribe the use of specific e-participation tools, in order to guarantee full autonomy to local participation dynamics, but it stimulates institutions and citizens to practice participation throughout ICT applications and innovative methods.
In order to effect the principles contained in the mentioned laws, the Tuscan Region promoted the Regional Programme for the development of electronic administration and information &
knowledge society for the period 2007-2010.
The Programme contains interventions in favour of digital citizenship and aims to support the management and development of the technological infrastructure in Tuscany.
The specific actions oriented to e-democracy are included in the Programme's main goal “e-community”. Through this goal, the regional system attempts to guarantee digital citizens' rights and support to the creation of new forms of citizen participation, particularly by spreading out the Assisted Access Points (PAAS) project. This project allows customers to use e-government services and to participate in decision-making processes, with the perspective of promoting social inclusion, and to fight against the digital divide.
4. The PAAS Network: against the digital divide, for digital citizenship
A concrete application of Regional Law for the promotion of an electronic administration and the information society throughout the regional system is the PAAS Network2 (in Italian “Rete dei PAAS”), a network of over 270 Assisted Access Points to Services (and Internet) spread out all over Tuscany, in main cities, in medium and small municipalities and in rural villages as well. An Assisted Access Point (PAAS) is a place where groups made up of volunteers guarantee to citizens free assistance in accessing the on-line services of local governments; it is a place equipped with tools, as well as technological and electronic resources where everyone is able to access on-line services and have assistance in internet browsing free of charge.
The PAAS Network, promoted by RTRT, is funded by the Tuscan Region, that supports the general organisation and provides the technological infrastructure, and by Municipalities that are in charge of the local organisation over PAAS in their territory. Municipalities entrust the management to volunteer associations, which deal with the organisation and realisation of animating the activities and providing basic training. Volunteers assist and help citizens in acquiring knowledge and developing and improving users’ autonomous access of the internet and also using informatics tools. Volunteer associations have a fundamental role in this project: they are the cultural mediators between governments and citizens. The project aims at involving digital divide affected
citizens, for which approaching
new technologies is difficult (even impossible) if started independently.
Regarding this aspect, PAAS really differs from Internet Points in identity, functions and in its goals. Their position (they are often located in mountain and rural landscapes), their place (in which generally other activities of the volunteer associations managing PAAS are developed too), the involvement of volunteers (who assist users and promote e-services and other activities), give
2 See http://www.e.toscana.it/paas
a relevant social value to PAAS, getting people in contact with local government electronically and improving participation and social integration in the local information society.
4.1. Some numbers of the network
The PAAS Network was born on 2005, and many citizens have been involved since its first months of activity.
At the moment the regional project can boast:
• 159 involved Municipalities against 287 municipalities in Tuscany
• 274 active PAAS
• Over 260 Volunteer groups
• Over 1.300 Volunteers
• Over 50.000 citizens registered
• Over 500.000 accesses registered by regional monitoring system
Figure 1: Distribution of Assisted Access Points in Tuscany (downloaded from project portal)
The Tuscan Region has created a portal for The PAAS Network, where everyone can find general information about the project. The portal also publishes a reserved access section (directly managed by Tuscan Region) for volunteer operators, where they can find specific information and documents.
E-Democracy & E-Participation 163
Figure 2: Home page of the web site of the project
Every PAAS publishes a webpage of their own accessible on the Internet which can be personalised by volunteer operators with photos, news, activities and other information concerning the single Assisted Access Point.
Figure 3: Example of personalized web page
4.2. The role of the Network in the regional system
Functions and activities developed by PAAS can be divided into two classes:
• general functions comprising the common identity of the PAAS Network;
• Individual functions and activities. This is due to many factors, such as localization, centers in which the single Point is located, local needs, attitude and specificity of the associations attending the Point.
Concerning general functions, the PAAS Network was born to break down every sort of digital divide (i.e. location, social and cultural provisions, age, origin) and it is open to everyone. The project aims to guarantee access to information, in accordance with the objectives of regional laws and also to promote social inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged people and digital citizenship and participation in the regional system.
4.3. The key actors involved in the PAAS network The PAAS Network has many actors, at regional and local levels:
• A regional “steering committee” for political decisions: it involves members of the Tuscan Region, the Association of Municipalities in Tuscany (Anci Toscana), the Association of Mountain Communities in Tuscany (Uncem Toscana), the Association of Provincial Administration in Tuscany (UPI Toscana), and of the Associations for social advancement (Arci and Enaip)
• A regional “operative staff” for technical management: this also involves members of Tuscan Region, Anci Toscana (representing also Uncem Toscana and UPI Toscana), Arci and Enaip
• Ten local promoters: they know all the PAAS and volunteer operators, and promote regional strategies and policies to make the network stronger
• Municipalities: they have local organisation and competence over PAAS in their territory and they choose the volunteer associations to cooperate and manage the project. Municipalities also have the responsibility of the project to regional Administration
• Volunteer Associations: they are a natural aggregation of places for citizens and they promote services
• Volunteer Operators: they assist users and also develop many activities to promote services, such as educational, animation, mediation and counselling services.
4.4. Digital divide and its peculiarities
With regards to peculiar functions, PAAS have many locations and many kind of users: Points are located in Association's offices, in libraries, in senior citizens or young people centers, in “Red Cross” points, in tourist information centers or in governments offices. In relation to the different locations, users are distinguished by target (senior citizens, migrant people, consumers, young people, tourists, students, women, citizens) and age.
Target users and specific functions characterise the identity of each PAAS. In order to realise these peculiar functions and services, the Tuscan Region wants to strengthen several thematic networks inside the Network in order to characterise the PAAS by theme or target and so the Tuscan Region made a notification of financial support for the development of projects. The projects promote the exchange of best practices and experiences and also to promote the diffusion of existing e-services and the creation of new ones.
These thematic networks are related to specific targets (senior citizens, migrant people, consumers, young people, etc.) and their services for end users particularly support disadvantaged people.
For instance, the elderly need basic computer support, because often they have no knowledge at all and they need help on how to use the keyboard and mouse.
E-Democracy & E-Participation 165 On the other hand, migrants can often use informatics tools very well, but they have speaking and understanding difficulties, especially with bureaucratic language.
Young people can easily access the Internet, but they may have difficulties with consulting institutional web sites for job search purposes.
Consumers would like to better know their rights and where to address their complaints and legal claims.
In small villages, Assisted Access Points help people to socialize and create communities, becoming in this way places that promote social integration and participation. Access Points are often located in public libraries or in public offices because hosting them in other places is difficult.
While, in large cities Access Points are located in association centers, where volunteer associations manage their own activities as well.
In small villages, Points often make up for infrastructure deficiencies of the territory and address all citizens and tourists as well. While in big cities Points concentrate and organize their activities based on specific target groups (defined by age, gender, nationality and so on). The
“specialization” of Points is mainly related to the association’s management of the Point. It also depends on the level of cooperation between the Municipality, Public Offices and Associations.
5. From digital divide to e-participation and digital citizenship
5.1. The evolution of the PAAS Network
The PAAS Network was born to break down every sort of digital divide (which can depend on many conditions, as location, social and cultural provisions, age, origin, etc.) and it is open to every kind of citizen.
PAAS are characterised by the social contexts in which they exist. Senior citizens, young people, migrants, tourists, citizens, each with their different needs, can all find in local PAAS to help them identify the suitable solutions they need.
At first, the PAAS Network aimed to guarantee access to information to the greatest number of people, in accordance with the objectives of regional laws and in particular of regional law n.
1/2004, and also aim to promote social inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged people.
The promotion of access to information and social inclusion has lead to a greater awareness of citizens’ rights therefore the PAAS Network has spontaneously followed the evolution of citizens’
needs and every PAAS has been “specialized” for specific targets (senior citizens, migrant people, consumers, young people, tourists, students, women, citizens) and consequently in particular activities related to each target.
In order to support these activities, the Tuscan Region issued a notification of financial support in 2007 for active PAAS, who had to present small projects concerning the promotion of electronic administration, as well as information and knowledge societys. Projects could deal with many specific themes, such as the creation of new web services or the promotion of existing ones, activities against digital divide (in general or for a specific target of people), dissemination of open source technologies, etc.
These projects provided input to the Tuscan Region for the development of thematic networks because the PAAS network is close to citizens and can gather information about social needs.
Since these small projects have been realized by PAAS, in 2009 the Tuscan Region issued another notification of financial support promoting the development of thematic networks for active PAAS, who benefitted from it by joining forces and building partnerships for the creation of wider projects and on line services based in specific themes or targets.
This financial support allowed the creation of 16 thematic networks concerning e-participation and social inclusion, digital citizenship and digital rights, consumers’ rights, migrants’ rights, diffusion of open source technologies. Every project was aimed at the promotion of the use of new technologies in its specific sector and of the information access simplification.
Every project could promote and disseminate existing on line services or create, promote and diffuse new on line services.
Projects had to be developed by at least 8 PAAS from at least 2 different Municipalities and possibly different provinces and also volunteer associations had to be involved in the implementation of the projects.
5.2. The PAAS Network as a Living Lab to promote participation and a digital citizenship
Besides supporting projects created by PAAS, the Tuscan Region can use the PAAS Network as a Living Lab to test and disseminate new technologies and platforms.
For instance, on may 2008 the Tuscan Region selected 20 PAAS all over the region (2 PAAS from each province) and involved them on a project funded by the European Community called Tell Me. Recruited PAAS discussed the knowledge and approval levels concerning the participation in the Tuscan regional law, testing an experimental platform (with a discussion forum), which was simultaneously used by other Living Labs all over Europe in discussing other issues of local interest.
Another interesting activity that involves several PAAS is the Electronic Town Meeting, a participation experience that the Tuscan Region organizes every year. The Tuscan Region includes some PAAS to discuss selected issues (participation into the regional law, health public spending, climate change, urban security, territory and landscape architecture). The experience has been possible thanks to the infrastructure of the Tuscan Region, which allowed the connection between PAAS and headquarters by videoconference and the actual participation by tele-voting.
The Tuscan Region is distributing to every citizen the “electronic health card”, a smart card containing general and health information (patient summary data, prescriptions, pathologies, etc.) of the smart card holder: the PAAS Network is going to be used as an instrument to inform citizens, to promote the use of the smart card, to test that it is working correctly and also citizens’
acceptance of it.
The smart card can also be used by citizens to access the regional portal, a portal in which citizens can pay their regional and local taxes, can see the deadlines for payments of taxes or other obligations, can find information about their wage slips (if the enterprise uses this service) and can send certified (registered) emails to the public administration.
5.3. PAAS-Telep@b project: citizens participate to municipal budget plan
In 2009, the Tuscan Region funded the opening of 36 new PAAS in many mountain municipalities.
In 2009, the Tuscan Region funded the opening of 36 new PAAS in many mountain municipalities.