This document summarizes a study comparing the use of e-participation tools by public agencies and nonprofit organizations to promote citizen engagement. The study measured the online presence of 11 public organizations and 19 nonprofits using evaluation tools and analyzed the results with t-tests. It found that nonprofits are currently utilizing social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to a greater extent than public organizations. The implications are that nonprofits have more potential to facilitate online interactions between citizens and organizations, which could give nonprofits increased legitimacy in the policy process. The next phase of research will analyze online technology use in more depth and explore how stakeholder engagement online relates to using feedback for policy, strategy, and program development.

1. Public Agencies or Nonprofit
Organizations:
Which sector is maximizing its
e-participation tools to promote
citizen engagement?
Georgette E. Dumont
Assistant Professor
University of North Florida

2. Theoretical Grounding
New Public Management
New Public Service
Dialogic Theory

3. Research Question
Given that the third sector has become a de
facto third-party government, do they allow
for similar citizen engagement/interaction via
new technologies as public agencies?
Exploratory study

4. Methodology
Measurement tools:
e-Governance index (Holzer, et al. 2008)
Nonprofit Virtual Accountability Index (Dumont, forthcoming)
Social Media metrics
Data Collection:
11 public organizations
19 nonprofit organizations
Data Analysis: t-tests

5. Findings

6. Web site
Public Nonprofit

7. Social Media Adoption

8. Facebook

9. Twitter

10. YouTube

11. Implications
Currently, nonprofits are utilizing social media to a
greater extent than public organizations
Public agencies not practicing New Public Service
principals, at least not via technology
Nonprofits have to potential to become more of a
conduit for people to interact
Nonprofits seek to advocate for their stakeholders as
well as sector as whole
Nonprofits’ engagement of stakeholders, at least
online, provides them with increased legitimacy in the
policy process

12. Next Phase...
Deeper analysis into online technology
utilization (both Web sites and social media)
Explore the relationship between engagement
of stakeholder online and use of feedback
for:
policy proposals
organizational strategy
program development

13. Thank you