This document summarizes research on using online civic technology platforms to strengthen civic participation in Paraguay. It describes 3 case studies of online platforms used to generate ideas on topics like public services, education, and parks. Surveys and interviews with participants found that they were motivated by civic duty, learning, and contributing solutions. While some ideas directly influenced policies like a recycling pilot program, participants generally had high but unrealistic expectations for impact. Key lessons included discussing daily topics, promoting engagement through public figures, being responsive to participants, clearly communicating process goals, and organizing binding civic processes.

1. Strengthening Civic
Par/cipa/on in
Paraguay Through
Online Technology
The Impact of Civic Technology
Conference (TicTec) 2018
Jorge Saldivar, Ph.D.

2. PARAGUAY
CONTEXT
Emerging
democracy
Voting and protesting

3. Technology
is facilitating
new spaces
of civic
engagement

4. How can technology
facilitate impactful
processes of civic
engagement in
developing countries?

5. CASE STUDIES
Topic: public services
Topic: education
Topic: public park
RENOVA EL
PARQUE
CABALLERO

6. Oct-Dec’15
organizer
Political Party
duration
VOZ Y VOTO, PUBLIC
SERVICES INNOVATION
7 themes
Garbage and recycling,
infrastructure, urban
mobility, etc.
engagement strategies
Promotion via the Facebook profile of the
candidate, newspaper, radio

7. MULTI-CHANNELS
OF PARTICIPATION
7

8. 154
participants
36
ideas
88
comments
429
votes
26%
submitted ideas
48%
only observed
VOZ Y VOTO, ACTIVITY

9. Sep-Feb’17
organizer
Catholic University
of Asuncion
duration
PARTICIPA EN TU EDUCACION,
INNOVATION OF THE PARAGUAYAN PUBLIC
EDUCATION
3 themes
School attendance,
teacher training,
education infrastructure
platforms
Ideascale and
Facebook
engagement strategies
Scheduled weekly
Facebook posts and ads

10. 67
participants
7
ideas
13
comments
37
votes
4
submitted ideas
73%
only observed
PARTICIPA EN TU
EDUCACION, ACTIVITY

11. April’18-Present
organizers
Civil Society ORG
duration
RENOVA EL PARQUE CABALLERO,
INNOVATION OF A PUBLIC PARK
9 themes
Infrastructure, security,
landscaping, sports, etc.Catholic University
of Asuncion
platforms
Appcivist and
Facebook
engagement strategies
Offline events,
alliances, facebook ads,
posts in popular blogs

12. QUANTITATIVE/QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
Online surveys
33% of response rate
demography
motivation factors
expectation
Platform
activity logs
# of ideas
# of votos
# of comments
# of users
timestamp of activity
Semi-structured
interviews
10 participants

13. PARTICIPANTS’
PROFILE
Half men and half women.
Young, between 25 and
34 years old. Well
educated. Living in the
capital and in middle- to
high-class
neighbourhoods.Technology
savvy and content
consumers. Socially but
not civically active

14. MOTIVATIONS TO
PARTICIPATE
Contribute solutions
Learning
Civic duty
Socialization
Pass time
0 22.5 45 67.5 90
83%
51%
46%
29%
4%
The participants could choose more than one option

15. PARTICIPANTS’
EXPECTATIONS
32%
believed their ideas will
serve to inspire others

16. PARTICIPANTS’
EXPECTATIONS
31%
expected their ideas
to be studied
32%
believed their ideas will
serve to inspire others

17. PARTICIPANTS’
EXPECTATIONS
31%
expected their ideas
to be studied
26%
expected their ideas
to be implemented
32%
believed their ideas will
serve to inspire others

18. MEANS TO FACILITATE THE
ENGAGEMENT OF PEOPLE ABROAD
The technology allows the people living abroad to be
engaged in discussions oriented to address issues in their
home countries
13%
of the participants
reported not living
in Paraguay

19. MEANS TO ENGAGE THOSE
NOT CIVICALLY ACTIVE
X
44%
of the participants did not voted
in elections in the last years
The technology fosters the participation of people that
reported not being civically active in the last years

20. MEANS TO DIRECTLY
INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICIES

21. MEANS TO DIRECTLY
INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICIES
Idea about garbage recycling and
classification
1

22. MEANS TO DIRECTLY
INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICIES
Idea about garbage recycling and
classification
1
Pilot plan
“Asunción Limpia”
implemented in 2

23. MEANS TO DIRECTLY
INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICIES
Idea about garbage recycling and
classification
1
Pilot plan
“Asunción Limpia”
implemented in 2
+20K kg. of recycled
garbage
has an impact
3

24. 5 LESSONS LEARNED

25. 5 LESSONS LEARNED
Discuss day-to-day topics. People show to be
more willing to participate when the topics affect their
daily life than when the discussion is around broad
themes, such as Education
1

26. 5 LESSONS LEARNED
Discuss day-to-day topics. People show to be
more willing to participate when the topics affect their
daily life than when the discussion is around broad
themes, such as Education
1
Promote personally and through public
figures. Personal promotion through public figures
show to be more effective in attracting participants
than structured weekly and impersonal ads in social
media
2

27. 5 LESSONS LEARNED
Discuss day-to-day topics. People show to be
more willing to participate when the topics affect their
daily life than when the discussion is around broad
themes, such as Education
1
Promote personally and through public
figures. Personal promotion through public figures
show to be more effective in attracting participants
than structured weekly and impersonal ads in social
media
2
Be responsive. People show to expect feedback
from the organizers regarding their proposals. Be
close to the participants throughout the process
3

28. 5 LESSONS LEARNED
Communicate clearly the process goal.
People indicate that they want to see clearly
communicated what will happen with the participants’
proposals
4

29. 5 LESSONS LEARNED
Communicate clearly the process goal.
People indicate that they want to see clearly
communicated what will happen with the participants’
proposals
4
Organize binding civic engagement
processes. People show to be more committed to
the process when there are on board actors with the
power to put in practice the proposals
5

30. Thanks!
jorge.saldivar@uc.edu.py
@jorgesaldivar
Funded by
PROGRAMA PARAGUAYO PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA CIENCIAYTECNOLOGIA