Democracy and Digitalisation: How to Avoid Typical Pitfalls in Interventions
Discussion details
The process of digitalisation and the use of digital technologies provide an opportunity for democratic governance yet pose a potential threat to democracy. Digitalisation can bring institutions closer to the public and allow services to reach underserved populations. It can also enable organisations to advocate for positive change and bring about citizen empowerment. However, if not well-structured, digitalisation bears the risks of deepening existing inequalities and of being misused to undermine democracies and social cohesion; infringing on human rights.
The Democracy and Digitalisation Handbook - commissioned by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and published in January 2022 - attempts to bring together key aspects of EU policy and provides concrete examples of how to avoid making common mistakes in digitalisation projects. It also includes how to do digitalisation ‘right’, based on projects developed by DG INTPA, implementing partners and other international donors.
Digital development projects – Recommendations:
1. Do not focus too much on technology
A common pitfall identified in several initiatives worldwide was an overemphasis on the technology to be used, not the problem(s) it was trying to approach or solve. For projects to be successful, the focus needs to remain fixed on the problem. Technology is just one possible means to achieving effective results. Otherwise, the risk of developing elaborate digital solutions that have little or no practical use in daily lives increases significantly. Additionally, projects should not be about technology, as technology alone is never sufficient.
Overemphasising the technology is a typical pitfall in project development.
Share your experience with projects which fell in the trap to overemphasise technology!
It is necessary to engage people through capacity building, research and user testing, among other things. Therefore, regular strategies for project planning, design and implementation need to be in place. Knowing how to balance the use of technology while addressing and solving problems – and as a tool to extend the reach of the project and its positive impacts – is a challenge.
2. Avoid following technology trends not suitable to the local context
Digital technologies are often sold as miracle cures that will solve every problem in a country. Instead, they often produce poor results and are not implemented transparently. Various companies try to sell their product to local governments, which might end up with million-dollar bills. Furthermore, local governments might become dependent on such companies, having to pay considerable amounts of money for extra services. That is especially the case with heavily-promoted technologies such as blockchain, which can yield many positive results, but should not be used as a solution for any kind of problem. Extra caution is warranted for expensive solutions that do not respect minimum procurement standards, data protection, local law or international standards.
Technology trends not suitable to local context are often used.
Overall, technologies such as blockchain or artificial intelligence are trends that should not simply be exported to developing countries without ensuring that the necessary infrastructure and capacities are in place. Knowledge transfer requires a much broader ecosystem approach, rather than using technologies to provide solutions.
3. Technology’s usability and maintenance should not be forgotten
For technology to meet people’s needs – and therefore be useful – it is necessary to have a user-centric approach and invest in user research and testing. Additionally, establishing a digital project – for example, through developing an app – takes longer than usually estimated; an app, once developed, needs to be maintained and remain usable over time. Frequently, however, it is difficult to convince public administrators to properly test users and create a user-centric design, as they are strongly focused on being re-elected. Political interests and agendas are sometimes more important, and projects may not be developed in the best interest of the general public.
Overall, taking the time to develop a project and complete user testing and, possibly, randomised control trials to determine if a technological tool meets the needs of users is not as common as it should be. Furthermore, a good contingency strategy is necessary until a project is sustainable.1
4. Do not underestimate risks to human rights
The risk of state surveillance is often underestimated. The possibility that certain technologies, developed or implemented for specific purposes in a project, will be later misused to the detriment of the public cannot be excluded. For instance, digital civil registration systems can be used to persecute and/or exclude religious or ethnic minorities. Moreover, the use of technological systems in non-democratic and inclusive ways may lead to gender-based violence, persecution of minorities, undermining of freedom of opinion and expression on online platforms, discrimination through automated systems, increased risks to electoral rights, surveillance of human rights defenders identified as threats to the regime, as well as other risks to human rights and democracy.2
Risks related to human rights should be taken into account.
What risks related to human rights have you encountered in digital projects?
These risks should always be considered, and necessary safeguards must be implemented to ensure that a rights-based approach remains possible even in a changing political environment.3
5. Projects should have institutional ownership
The lack of institutional ownership is another common pitfall. Broad institutional support allows projects to continue regardless of who started them, providing sustainability over time. It is essential to embed the project in existing institutions and processes, plugging into institutional decision-making. In addition, if governments carry out the projects, it is crucial that this institutional backing is perceived as neutral. In polarised political environments, it is critical to have support from different sides of the political spectrum. Otherwise, citizens might attribute the project to one side of the spectrum – which might become toxic, particularly in online spaces – and will therefore not be willing to participate.
Another significant risk is promoting the project only to the people who voted for a certain politician, thus disregarding everybody else. Consequently, instead of an exercise in enfranchisement and digital democracy, it leads to disenfranchisement. It is crucial to work on a level that is perceived as neutral – to be able to hear voices beyond those that are already heard – and to understand the expectations and opinions of different groups in society. This provides the project with more legitimacy, while reaching constituents who generally do not have a voice.
6. Be flexible
Designing for sustainability might cause a project to ultimately fail, as the technology needs to be flexible to adapt to innovation and avoid becoming irrelevant. Furthermore, a new technological innovation might come along that could simplify certain processes in the project. Remaining flexible and open to including such innovations is beneficial. This approach is sometimes discussed as an ‘agile’ approach to technology development. However, an agile approach can also struggle to set clear boundaries and red lines, as it involves constant adaptation during the development process. Although flexibility and an agile approach to technology are important, ensuring clear boundaries in technological development is equally important.
An ‘agile’ approach, flexibility and clear boundaries are crucial.
Do you have tips to share on how to use an agile approach in projects?
Finally, digitalisation projects, and especially project planning, will become outdated at some point. Thus, trial and error are important, as well as being able to visualise the process as a learning curve instead of a rigid plan. Failing is an essential part of the process, and it is necessary to be persistent. Therefore, it is key to think carefully about sustainability in digital technologies and adapt them to each specific project.
Read the full publication Democracy and Digitalisation Handbook.
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About The Democracy and Digitalisation Handbook
The Democracy and Digitalisation Handbook provides an overview of opportunities, challenges and threats related to digital technologies. The handbook looks at the impact of digital technology on democratic institutions while implementing international cooperation and development projects. It seeks to inform EU staff, in particular those based in EU Delegations, by providing them with:
- a short review of existing EU policies and an international framework of digitalisation for development;
- a presentation of key digitalisation and democracy projects;
- an analysis that will inform future EU projects supporting democratic governance with digital technology components;
- examples of good practices;
- a discussion of practices to avoid;
- a list of relevant implementation partners.
Resources
- Democracy and Digitalisation Handbook, European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (2022).
- Operational Human Rights Guidance for EU External Cooperation Actions Addressing Terrorism, Organised Crime and Cybersecurity: Integrating the Rights-Based Approach, European Commission (2015).
- Digital4Development: Mainstreaming Digital Technologies and Services into EU Development Policy, European Commission (2017).
- EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020–2024, Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, European Commission (2020).
- On the European Democracy Action Plan, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions, European Commission (2020).
- Applying the Human Rights Based Approach to international partnerships: An updated Toolbox for placing rights-holders at the centre of EU’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation, European Commission (2021).
1 Technological systems are powerful tools of control because, among other reasons, they enable the collection and storage of an incredible amount of data on citizens – most of which is personal and sensitive data, and can easily be misused if a government becomes more authoritarian.
2 An example of a lack of maintenance, user testing and usability is a project from sub-Saharan Africa. Websites for local towns were created to share information nationally and internationally. However, nobody in the administration felt responsible for these websites. They were neither maintained nor used. Social media platforms, for instance, are massively used by locals and could have been a useful tool to reach citizens. Maintaining an entire website has proven to be more effort that, ultimately, does not pay off and is not sustainable over time.
3 Here are a few examples of relevant safeguards:
- Avoid the centralisation of data.
- Ensure strong data governance procedures are put in place.
- Strengthen local civil society ecosystems to respond early to challenges and risks.
- Build transparency by design so that any significant changes are automatically evident.
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