ENGAGING CITIZENS: A GAME CHANGER FOR DEVELOPMENT?

“CIVIC ALERT” INITIATIVE

AUTHOR: Cătălina Popa

Romania

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OBJECTIVE This artifact aims to show shortly the main aspects about “Civic Alert” Initiative, launched as an NGO project in Romania.

This material is intended for policy maker, student, civil society representative, development professional, or citizen interested in engaging citizens for development.

This paper contains elements about: societal problem addressed, objectives of citizen engagement initiative, key actors, the tool used to reach the objectives, the risks and opportunities and the indicators used to evaluate success of the initiative.

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CONTENT

I. ABOUT “CIVIC ALERT” INITIATIVE: societal problem addressed, objectives of citizen engagement initiative, the risks and opportunities

II. KEY ACTORS

III. THE TOOL USED

IV. INDICATORS USED TO EVALUATE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVE

V. CONCLUSION

I. ABOUT “CIVIC ALERT” INITIATIVE

Civic Alert is a Romania based online platform ‐ that allows citizens to participate by reporting problems with local infrastructure to the authorities, this includes potholes, graffiti or broken streetlights, for instance.

Civic Alert automatically forwards the report to the relevant local authority, and the citizen is later notified if and when the problem is fixed by that authority.

The application works throughout Romania. Initiative turn any alert validate a formal complaint submitted to the appropriate authority.

I. ABOUT “CIVIL ALERT” INITIATIVE

Source: https://www.facebook.com/civicalert/

I. ABOUT “CIVIL ALERT” INITIATIVE The societal problem addressed refers to notify authorities about grievances encountered by citizens who do not have time to file counter complaints to the authorities.The objectives of the citizen engagement initiative are:

• to notify the administrative authorities about the problems people report them in the public space through three simple steps: shooting, geolocation to record the address and selecting the category they fall issue reported;

• to report and manage the relationship with the authorities is on via Call Center, where alerts are checked. Based on their official notifications are drawn up and submitted to the competent authority and followed the stages;

• to inform citizens about the response of the administrative authorities regarding the alerts.

I. ABOUT “CIVIC ALERT” INITIATIVE

• The risks of this initiative are the lack of response by authorities regarding the notification and lack of involvement of citizens by not sending the notification.

• The opportunities that could be leveraged to maximize the potential of the initiative refers to invite all NGOs dedicated to creating a civic space cleaner and more efficient to cooperate. Civic Alert will provide free relevant information about the cities.

• If you want to notify authorities about what displeases you in town but do not have time to write complaints and went to stop, Civic Alert mobile application is free of charge problem for you. All that is required is to take a photo and add a brief description.

II. KEY ACTORS The spearheading of this initiative is an NGO. Civic Alert app was

launched in beta on November 16, 2015 and is in development and optimization.Civic Alert has no political color and is not affiliated to any public institution. It's a civic initiative, arising from desire to live in a more civilized space.Adrian Stănescu, founder Civic Alert: "I started from the premise that the authorities empowered to solve citizens' problems do not always know of their existence. Civic Alert arose after two months I promised myself every day that I refer mayor about lack of traffic lights next to the park where I walk the kids. Few have time to make written requests and submit them personally. But we can take a picture with your mobile phone. "The target audiences are authorities empowered to solve citizens' problems, the citizens and the NGO’s.Civic Alert began collaboration with a community of cyclists. Adrian Stănescu, founder Civic Alert: "True VeloPrieteni are a community of 5,900 amateur cyclists who cycled already more than 28 million kilometers throughout the country. They asked us to add notifications in the menu and the most common problems encountered by cyclists in traffic. I said yes.”

III. THE TOOL USED

• Civic Alert is free mobile application that notifies the administrative authorities about the problems people report them in the public space through three simple steps: shooting, geolocation to record the address and selecting the category they fall issue reported.

• Reporting and managing the relationship with the authorities is on via Call Center, where alerts are checked and are drafted and submitted formal complaints to the competent authority in the shortest time and then pursued next steps.

• Management of referrals is through the most modern and powerful software solutions of the moment, and processes are handled in the most current professional standards.

• The authorities thus receive free, real-time information about issues resolved on the ground. A number of public institutions in various localities have already expressed enthusiasm for this communication tool that facilitates a better connection with citizens and greater efficiency in solving the problems they face in public.

III. THE TOOL USED

• Source: https://www.facebook.com/civicalert/

IV. INDICATORS USED TO EVALUATE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVE

Romanians report especially car traffic problems and traffic signs, streets and lighting, garbage or construction, but we are quick when it comes to operations, spills and illegal deforestation and poaching.Alerts were reported in 267 cities and towns, often in large cities, but more than 8% of all referrals come from rural areas.The most common complaints refer to the pits, waste and abandoned vehicles, damaged sidewalks, streets or dirty or unkempt lawn, dangerous or abusive construction, traffic signs and lights missing or defective and missing bins.In three months, over 34,000 Romanian Civic Alert have already downloaded and sent over 8,600 complaints. And because the application is evolving in response to the demands of those who use it, now there is a whole chapter just for cyclists.They can report any case faster track blocked or damaged, or signaling wrong or damaged.Civic Alert majority of users have phones with Android operating system (63.3%), followed by iOS (36.6%).

IV. INDICATORS USED TO EVALUATE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVE

Source: https://www.facebook.com/civicalert/

IV. INDICATORS USED TO EVALUATE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVE

Source: https://www.facebook.com/civicalert/

V. CONCLUSION

Behind Civic Alert application is a comprehensive platform that allows records and statistics. Now we are in a period of testing and procedures that optimize application and, although we found errors that we corrected or will correct the following revisions, the platform is functional. In the near future we will publish statistics on the use and application, and the responses of the authorities.They aimed to create a useful tool for those who want to get involved in city life, but, equally, a source of real information - an accurate picture of the ground - to the authorities concerned.

Bibliography: www.civicalert.ro and https://www.facebook.com/civicalert/

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