In our view public policy means solutions to public issues. Thus we want to focus our efforts on finding those solutions that are feasible, valuable and sustainable and which have a strong impact on our lives. We also want this process to be based on citizens’ opinion, providing the optimal solution.
It is well known that we have a limited influence in the public life. We are usually called to exercise our right to vote and thus to influence public policies for the next four years, but during an innings that does not have effective ways to influence important decisions affecting the communities to which we belong, whether local, regional or international.
In Romania, as in other countries, we are confronted with limited access to decision making that concerns our everyday life. This is due to the lack of effective means to offer our input in addressing issues of public interest, but also personal factors.
We can propose solutions to the community problems by participating in meetings of the City Council, County Council, of the central institutions, to audiences, by sending letters, e-mails, fax to the authorities, or using Media. These means are rarely effective and often demoralizing.
However we do not get involved in community life also because of our socio-economic situation, the lack of impact on the decision-making process, lack of time and money, of information and knowledge on the problems we want to solve, and the lack of confidence in our ability to be effective.
SMART Development Center is proposing a new method to bring our contribution to community problems, using www.PoliticiPublice.ro. This site allows us two important things:
- To report a problem to which we want to find a feasible, valuable and sustainable solution.
- To propose a solution to the problems already posted on the site.
After gathering a sufficient number of propositions we will take the following steps to support and promote the best solutions:
1. We will analyze each solution separately and recommend the feasible, valuable and sustainable one. A feasible solution cand be performed by a particular organization or in collaboration with other ones. A valuable solution must bring benefits to citizens of a community and a sustainable solution attracts public support and the authorities, so they decide to finance it.
2. After the determination of the right solution, we elaborate an “Open Letter” which provides an analysis of the problem and which recommends the solution. We will also give credit to those who have contributed to the discovery of the solution.
3. The open letter will be sent to the authorities in charge to put into practice the solution.
4. We will also post the letter on the www.PoliticiPublice.ro website, from where it can be sent to anyone who might contribute to the implementation of the solution.
5. Soon we will also launch “SolveNet Webcast”, which basically is a short online TV show, where we explain and promote our resolution.
6. Since the proposed solutions come from citizens, we will also promote those who have brought a substantial contribution to it’s discovery.
We believe that if we follow all these steps we will be more likely to favorably influence policies at local, regional and national levels. Using the Internet in a constructive way and this website in particular will allow us to involve citizens in providing valuable, feasible and sustainable solutions to public interest issues. Thus we will be able to generate together “public policies made by citizens!”.
For more details:
PUBLICATIONS
Link here >>> E-PARTICIPATION
