The CODIS project has opened up and highlighted key challenges in democratic decision-making, public consultation and the relationship between civil society and the state in the field of digital transformation policy in Slovenia. Project summary highlights significant activities and achievements, main outcomes and impact as well the follow-up of the project.
Table of contents
Main objectives of the project
Significant activities and achievements
The outcome of the project and its impact
Description of the European dimension and added value
Communication and dissemination activities
How will the results be used or further developed?
General information
| Project title: | Co-creating digital policies in Slovenia (CODIS) |
| Project duration: | 09/06/2023 – 09/12/2023 |
| Project country: | Slovenia |
| Project website: | https://www.inepa.si/tag/codis/ |
| Project leader/sole beneficiary: | Zavod Inštitut za elektronsko participacijo (INePA) – Institute for Electronic Participation |
| Project budget: | 7.000,00 € (20% co-funded by INePA) |
Main objectives of the project
1) Increased involvement of civil society organisations and individuals in the preparation of the National strategic roadmap for Digital Decade in Slovenia.
2) Better developed advocacy and watchdog role of civil society in the process of preparing proposals to the draft National strategic roadmap.
3) More supportive environment for strengthening civic dialogue and partnership building among civil society in the process of drafting National strategic roadmap.
4) Increased citizen awareness of EU rights and values relating to the Digital Transformation of Europe.
Significant activities and achievements
- Establishing a community of interest among civil society organisations and individuals (June/July). Member organisations and individuals of the National network of non-governmental organisations for an inclusive information society – Network NVO-VID (26 full members, 8 associated members and 5 individuals) were informed several times about the CODIS project via NVO-VID mailing list.
- The kick-off policy meeting of the community of interest (5 September 2023, on-line). The meeting introduced the process of drafting the National Digital Decade strategic roadmap as recommended by the European Commission, recommendations and proposed actions of the Civil Society Convention for the Conference on the Future of Europe Digital Transformation Cluster and objectives of the CODIS project. 3 representatives from Network NVO-VID full member organisations attended the meeting and identified 13 main areas of proposals to be included into the National Digital Decade strategic roadmap.
- The policy workshop with civil society organisations and individuals (19 September, online). Half day facilitated workshop introduced both the draft National Digital Decade strategic roadmap and the recommendations from the Civil Society Convention Digital Transformation Cluster (presentation made by ECAS). The Ministry of Digital Transformation refused to take part in a workshop. Initial proposals, identified as a part of Network NVO-VID kick-off policy meeting, were presented. 32 participants registered and 18 were present at the workshop (14 of them were not members of the Network NVO-VID). Workshop participants identified 35 contributions with supporting arguments and 2 additional measures and actions to the draft National Digital Decade strategic roadmap.
(19 September 2023)
- Consolidating policy contributions to the draft National Digital Decade strategic roadmap (21-26 September). Workshop participants were invited to supplement the draft document with policy proposals via e-mail. 5 participants provided additional inputs to the draft proposals
- Sending the proposals to the Ministry of Digital Transformation (21 / 26 September). 14 page document including 35 contributions and 2 additional measures / actions to the draft National Digital Decade strategic roadmap was send to the Ministry of Digital Transformation on 21 September and again with minor updates on 26 September.
- Press conference organized by the members of the community of interest (24 October, the Computer History Museum Ljubljana). The press conference “For a fair and balanced digital transformation!” promoted and disseminated civil society policy proposals relating to the National Digital Decade strategic roadmap. The lack of respect for the principles of public participation in the process of adopting the National strategic roadmap for the Digital Decade by the Ministry of Digital Transformation was also highlighted. 6 representatives from CSOs (4 not being members of the Network NVO-VID) presented the main policy proposals. Prior to the conference, a coordination meeting was organized with participating CSOs in order to harmonize the main messages. The press conference was streamed on-line (the press conference video currently has 108 views). Video statements were made by the speakers after the event (currently have 39 views). Press release was also prepared and disseminated.
- Assessment of the feedback from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the analysis of the National Digital Decade strategic roadmap submitted to the European Commission. The detailed account of the CODE project advocacy activities including the assessment was included in the Open letter to the EU Commission on involving civil society in the preparation of the National strategic roadmap for Digital Decade in Slovenia.
The outcome of the project and its impact
None of policy proposals deliberated by the civil society were included in the National strategic roadmap adopted by the government as well as two additional proposals to promote the digital transformation of the NGO sector and the improved and more advanced use of digital tools in democratic processes (crowdsourcing). However, the Ministry of Digital Transformation reacted to the formal letter prepared by Institute for Electronic Participation on consulting private and public stakeholders according to the Guidelines to the Member States by enabling 14 days period for providing e-mail contributions to the draft national plan. The ministry also reacted to the formal letter on public publication of the National strategic roadmap (pdf) by publishing the final version of the National plan on-line.
The CODIS project had several positive effects:
- The process of developing policy proposals has brought together civil society organisations and individuals in the field of digital transformation, who have not collaborated together before;
- During the process of developing and communicating policy proposals, CSOs from different area of digital transformation have listened to and learned from each other’s views and supported them in joint proposals (deliberative effect);
- The poor practice of public involvement by the Ministry of Digital Transformation in the preparation of the National Plan was publicly highlighted;
- CODIS project policy workshop demonstrated an example of the implementation of public consultation standards;
- The workshop, which was primarily aimed at civil society organisations, attracted the participation of the Community of Municipalities of Slovenia, Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia and the Ministry of Public Administration (cross-sectoral impact).
In addition, the European Commission was presented with the experience of the consultation in Slovenia and a proposal was made to reflect on the existing guidelines for Member States.
In this respect, the CODIS project has opened up and highlighted key challenges in democratic decision-making, public consultation and the relationship between civil society and the state. It is now the responsibility of the Ministry of Digital Transformation to listen to these reflections and to significantly improve the consultative and discursive practices in the public deliberation of national strategies and plans that will lead to a just and good digital transformation of our society.
Description of the European dimension and added value
Recommendations and proposed actions of the Civil Society Convention for the Conference on the Future of Europe prepared by the Digital Transformation Cluster were presented at the kick-off policy meeting of the community of interest and at the policy workshop with civil society organisations and individuals. In several cases the CSOs directly aligned their policy proposals to the EU convention proposed actions such as introducing mandatory computer science and information technology topics within the formal education, connecting green and digital transition, promoting the digital transformation of the NGO sector, promoting open formats and open source within public administration and more advanced use of digital tools in democratic processes. As a part of the Open letter send to the European Commission, Institute for electronic participation outlined the shortcomings of the public consultation and suggested reconsidering existing guidelines to the Member States for consulting private and public stakeholders in the process of preparation of the national Digital Decade strategic roadmaps. The proposal was in line with the latest EU Commission recommendation on promoting the engagement and effective participation of citizens and civil society organisations in public policy-making processes.
Objective not fully achieved
The aim of the project to establish deliberative dialogue among the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the CSOs in the field during the process of preparing the National Digital Decade strategic roadmap was not achieved.
Communication and dissemination activities
Communication and dissemination activities included e-mail, web sites and social media dissemination. The main target groups were civil society organisations (non-governmental organisations in the field of information society), individuals (experts, members of the public, journalists, private persons, people interested into digital transformation) and government officials. In addition, other stakeholders were also informed about the project activities (media, local municipalities, academia, SMEs, EU institutions in Slovenia and politicians). Target groups were contacted by the Institute for Electronic Participation via e-mail list of 600+ contacts in the field of information society and digital transformation, Facebook (1300 followers combined), Twitter (920 followers combined) and Linkedin (personal followers) profiles of INePA and Network NVO-VID and YouTube.
The follow-up of the project
The EC DG CONNECT responded to the open letter on the Slovenian National strategic roadmap for Digital Decade. DG was interested to meet with the CSOs and discuss different aspects of the EU policy on digital transformation (Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030, State of the Digital Decade 2023 Report and the Slovenian National Digital Decade roadmap). The fact-finding meeting took place in Ljubljana on 13th February 2024 and INePA coordinated participation of representatives of the CSOs involved in CODIS project. During the meeting CSOs shared views and recommendations relating to the digital transformation policy in Slovenia (pdf). The results of the meeting were communicated to the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
How will the results be used or further developed?
The policy proposals created by CSOs during the CODIS project will be used for the preparation of the next years’ Digital Decade report. INePA will continue collaboration and networking of the CSOs involved in CODIS project within the National network of non-governmental organisations for an inclusive information society (Network NVO-VID).
The overall experience with the participation of the civil society in preparing National strategic roadmap for Digital Decade will be reflected at the experts discussion organized by the Slovenian Political Science Association in March 2024. INePA will continue its advocacy efforts oriented towards the Ministry of Digital Transformation to enable a deliberative form of public consultation on the next edition of the National Digital Decade report.
Network NVO-VID is actively looking for possible funding of its advocacy and policy oriented activities at the national and the EU level. These activities will be also aligned with the European Citizens Action Service efforts in the field of digital transformation.
CODIS project summary was prepared by mag. Simon Delakorda, director at the Institute for Electronic Participation (INePA)
Disclaimer
The project “Co-creating digital policies in Slovenia – CODIS” received funding by European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) in the framework of the EURECA 2023 project, which is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or ECAS. Neither the European Union nor ECAS can be held responsible for them.