Enthoven, Guido

is a consultant with IMI, the Dutch Institute for Social Innovation. He set up and run electronic consultations for many of the ministries and local authorities in the Netherlands.

One of IMI's activities is consultancy and process counselling in projects of interactive policy. A special area of interest within these projects consists of 'digital debates'. In a digital debate citizens, civil servants, politicians, representatives of NGOs, scientists etc. are invited to contribute their ideas and opinions on a relevant policy question through the Internet. The debates are like newsgroups, but more intensively moderated and structured. IMI has organized several digital debates for the government. Examples include:

Nederland 2030

Debate about long term spatial planning in the Netherlands. The debate revolved around a discussion paper issued by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. The assignment was commissioned by the same ministry. The aim of the Internet debate was to enrich and deepen ongoing discussions and to provide input for a new spatial planning act. In 10 weeks 355 contributions were provided by 85 participants.

Agenda 2000

Debate commissioned by the Forum for Democratic Development. This Forum was instituted on request of the Minister of Internal Affairs with the aim to innovate democracy by involving citizens. Among the subjects of discussion were the following themes: family and community, education, interactive policy making, ICT and government, representativity. The debate produced theoretical reflections on democracy as well as concrete project propositions, of which several are being implanted by the Forum. The 74 participants produced 231 contributions.

Toekomst Overheidscommunicatie (Future of government communication)

The Commission Future of Government Communication is instituted to advise the government about the aims, means, channels and structures of government communication in the future. The wish of citizens to participate in and to be informed about government policy making is a major starting point. The aim of the Internet debate is to get reactions on preliminary results of the Commission, to elaborate on these results and to obtain public support for the advice that will be presented to the government.