I’m picking this up again in the same spirit, but with a wider lens.
Coming posts will look at the intersection of technology and society more broadly, with particular attention to AI and digital sovereignty.
Restarting the snark
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So last month I finally defended my doctoral thesis. Here’s a short post to close that chapter, looking at the process, product, and next steps.
I read this for you: Experimental Evidence from 2,150 Brazilian Municipalities on how Research Affects Policy
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What is it: A 59pg Working Paper from NBER (inc. 6pgs of references and 29 pgs of tables and annexes). Presents the results of two field experiments, plus background and lots of methods. Includes a highly readable 4 page intro that summarizes everything. Produced by four solid academics doing rigorous work, with no institutional biases that I can see. Should you care: Maybe. It’s a cool and smart...
Sources for civic tech research
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Civic tech research is scattered widely across a messy web. Here's what I track to try to keep up to date, with a focus on Google Scholar search terms for academic stuff, research websites that sometimes address civic tech, and civic tech feeds that sometimes reference research.
Is OGP asking enough?: an analysis of civic participation norms and policies
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One of the ways we expect OGP to improve governance in member countries is by telling governments (how) to be more participatory. But a close read of the participation norms and policies promoted and adopted in an OGP context suggests that even if government’s did everything they were told, it might not be such a game changer for responsiveness and accountability.
Learning and socialization in OGP: a research gap and how to fix it
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Soft power and voluntary social dynamics are what make MSI’s like OGP unique. Yet these dynamics are almost completely ignored in the burgeoning body of research on public governance MSIs. This is probably because compliance and impact seem easier to measure, but research on how OGP facilitates socialization and learning is as feasible as it is important. This post presents findings from a case...
Measuring the effectiveness and impact of multi-stakeholder initiatives like the OGP
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This is the first a series of posts ahead of the OGP Summit in Ottawa, summarizing aspects of my doctoral research on OGP and civic participation. You can find some background on that research here. We spend a lot of time talking about whether or not global MSIs like the OGP are “working”. These conversations often take place against the backdrop of dissatisfaction with results and...
TAI’s guide to contextualizing learning and evidence
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TAI and the MIT GovLab have come out with a method and tool for better evidence reviews for program design, specifying context and hypothesis. This is an essential step towards better evidence for better programming.
The last limitless roundup: design matters, generalizing from Bahrain; more maps of bikes and beer.
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This is the last effort to round up *all the research*, and it’s packed with findings on participatory budgeting design, e-government transformation and the conditions for responsive and accountable government. You’ll also find meaty overviews of community contributions, methodological deep dives, useful research and a pile of case studies.
Snark spring cleaning
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There's some changes coming to the snark. Research roundups will be topical and episodic rather than comprehensive and regular. This will open bandwidth for more research reviews and summaries by request, and more writing about the role of evidence in civic tech design. Lastly, some news and links to articles from my doctoral work on OGP.