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The WeGov project (Where eGovernment meets the eSociety) that aimed to improve the engagement between government policy-makers and citizens via popular social networking sites was officially launched in January 2010. After thirty-two fruitful months of vigorous activity, Gov2u member of the WeGov partners is pleased to announce they successfully reached the end of the project at the end of September 2012.

The final and most exciting period of the WeGov has been full of vigorous activity. Among the project's most remarkable highlights is the 2nd WeGov workshop "WeGov Toolbox - Politicians engage with Citizens" that took place within the IFIP EGOV 2012, on the 5th September 2012. The aim of the workshop was to demonstrate the final version of the WeGov toolbox to the scientific community of e-governance and e-government, showcase the implementation of the WeGov field trials (use-cases), present the implications of the WeGov solution for policy-makers, and explore potential use-cases and end-users. Overall the 2nd WeGov Workshop was successful, providing a fruitful discussion and impressive ideas; but mostly bringing to light wonderful opportunities for social media assisting policy-makers engagement with their citizenry and stimulated stakeholders' interest in future take-up.

WeGov partners successfully raised remarkable awareness of the project and its added value, via an array of dissemination channels & tools. Another activity that can be indicated as a major project highlight would be the organization of the Hansard Society/WeGov event "More heat than light? Can social media inform policy-making?" which took place on the 11th September 2012, in Westminster, London (UK). The event was embraced with great enthusiasm providing a fruitful discussion on the ways which social media could be utilized in the policy-making process. This event not only was deemed a great success, but also generated great exposure increasing the numbers of the members of the WeGov community of interest, and initiated much dialogue regarding the project in well-known media such as the BBC News (Article by Brian Wheeler) and The Guardian (Article by Nick Jones).

Four main news articles have been published by different media regarding the event and the project providing authors impressions.

• • Social media engagement myths, risks and lessons to learn from Whitehall, by Nick Jones (The Guardian)
  • More heat than light? Can social media inform policy making?, by Jenny Edwards (Fishburn Hedges)
  • Why not let social media run the country?, by Brian Wheeler (BBC News)
  • Can social media inform policy-making?, by Kevin Brennan (Kevin Brennan MP, Cardiff West)

During this exhilarating period, WeGov partners continued to raise awareness about the project. Towards these efforts WeGov partners have participated and announced their participation in different external events such as: PolitCamp12, CrowdSens 2012, ISWC 2012, SocInfo2012.

Find more about future and past external event that WeGov has participated in throughout its lifecycle here.

Find more about the activities carried out in this final period, latest information on the WeGov Field Trials, information regarding the WeGov toolbox's tools and components as well as collaboration activities with other FP7 projects, in the final issue of the WeGov newsletter.

Overall, WeGov partners are proud to acknowledge that they have successfully raised awareness about the project and its added value; stimulated stakeholders' motivation and encouraged their participation in the WeGov field trials; built trust, and contributed to the enhancement of the WeGov software solution's competitive advantage.

Find more on the finalized WeGov toolbox, the WeGov field trials & 2nd Workshop results, as well as WeGov Highlights in the final project press release published on the 16th October 2012.

Additionally after the WeGov Project Final Results & Highlights press release was submitted to the media, the Editiorial Team of ePractice published on the 19th October 2011, a WeGov featured news article with the title "Cutting-edge WeGov software solution supporting policy-makers in the analysis of SNS", adding to the great exposure the project has already obtained.

Gov2u as a proud member of the WeGov Consortium, would like to thank all the Gov2u Network of Collaborators that became a part of this exciting innovative project which explored new ways on how policy-makers and potentially other end-users can use the power of social networks to improve the policy- and/ or opinion- making process.

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Dora

Thursday, 01 November 2012

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