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Digital tools for online participation

News / 24 March

 

At the Andaira cooperative we would like to provide our clients, organisations and people with whom we collaborate, with a practical and functional digital tools directory for different work purposes. With this and other measures that we are taking as a company, we are committed to fostering a greater resilience in the face of such complex circumstances, y provide solutions so that we can continue with the processes of participation, research and organisation using the advances we have in technology and programming. Citizen participation is a necessary condition in the search for solutions and improvements to any social problem, and we need the will, the resources and the tools to make it possible. 

Digital tools are all software resources and programmes that make everyday life and work easier, and allow the connection with other people for multiple types of activities. They allow the use of knowledge and skills related to the development of elements and processes; also to apply the skills, knowledge, abilities and aptitudes of the users to use, in an effective and efficient way, the technological tools and resources.

These are programmes, applications and instructions to perform tasks in a simpler way; among the multiplicity of tools there are some whose implementation is applicable to online or digital participation and offer new possibilities for broadening participatory processes. For example, making information about processes more accessible, establishing different channels for sharing ideas, proposals, needs, priorities and preferences, voting, etc., are opportunities, but also challenges in terms of implementation, considering - among other issues - the digital divide. 

We share this directory along with another no less important one that our Tangente partners, Altekio, have put together on how to hold successful online meetings.: https://altekio.es/reuniones-online-satisfactorias/.

The selection of tools we have made is based on their functionality and accessibility, indicating whether they are free or proprietary software. 

 

 

1- Internal communication

Functional tools for internal communication and organisation in groups and collectives, they allow the efficient and rapid transfer of information, shortening distances. We distinguish between audio, audio and image and text:

 

  • CALLS AND/OR VIDEO CALLS
    • Whatsapp: https://www.whatsapp.com/
      Communication tool, useful for holding meetings of up to four people, sharing documents, etc. Does not allow calls from the computer. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Telegram: https://web.telegram.org/
      Communication tool, practical for group meetings, sharing and exchanging documents and information in multiple formats. Does not allow calls from the computer. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Skype: https://www.skype.com/es/
      Software that allows users to communicate through video calls, instant messaging and file sharing with other people who own this software, anywhere in the world. License: Proprietary software.
    • Go to meeting: https://www.gotomeeting.com/es
      Tool for online meetings via video call. Trial period of 14 days, after which the fee is €19/month.      . Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Jit.si: https://meet.jit.si/
      Useful tool to hold meetings of more than four people without downloading programs, directly with an access link. License: Free software.
    • Whereby: https://whereby.com/
      Simple to use tool, allows free of charge up to 4 participants on the mobile or computer, just share a URL with the person(s) you want to talk to. License: Proprietary software.
    • Google Hangouts: https://hangouts.google.com/
      Tool that allows conversations between two or more users. It is possible to video calls with up to 15 people on a computer and 10 people on a mobile phone. Conversations are archived in the cloud, allowing them to be synchronised between different devices. Files can be sent and shared during conversations. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Zoom: https://zoom.us/
      One-way or multi-way videoconferencing for up to 100 participants. The free version limits the time of group videoconferences, while the paid version allows the generation of small collaborative work groups. Allows large and small group methodologies sequentially. It allows videoconferences, presentations and workshops through the screen-sharing function, as well as real-time surveys among a large number of participants, making the results immediately visible. Licence: Proprietary software.
  • INSTANT MESSAGING
    • Whatsapp: https://www.whatsapp.com/
      Individual messages, groups and broadcast lists of up to 256 participants. Photos, videos, files, audios, links, contacts and location can be attached. Initially for mobile phones, it is possible to download to a computer. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Telegram: http://telegram.com.es/
      Individual messages, groups of up to 200,000 participants, pin and password protected secret chat and broadcast channels for larger audiences. Allows attachment of photos, videos, files, audios, links, contacts, video messages and location. License: Proprietary software.
    • Google Hangout:  https://hangouts.google.com/?hl=es
      Videoconferencing, chat or communication system, within Google GSuite and gmail. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Slack: https://slack.com/intl/es-es/
      Operation and integration of external applications, management of the tool with independent groups and threads with labels that divide work teams or project channels that are executed. Team communication with chats, thematic work areas, folders, etc. License: Proprietary software.
    • Twist: https://twist.com/?lang=es
      It is intended and configured as a natural replacement for Slack, focused on productivity and communication for teamwork, with a focus on remote work. License: Proprietary software.
    • Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/
      It includes video meetings with up to 250 participants and live events up to 10,000 people; recording and screen sharing, unlimited chat, integrated group and individual audio and video calls, 10 GB of team file storage and 2 GB of personal file storage per user. You also get real-time collaboration with Office web applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Licence: Proprietary software.

 

2- Project management tools

Project management tools enable collaborative and deliberative work; they are a powerful resource that can be easily adapted to different needs and objectives. It is possible to work distinguishing simultaneous or interdependent projects, teams and multitasking, linked or not to an email or user. 

 

  • G Suite environment = Google [and all its functionalities]: https://gsuite.google.es/intl/es/features/
    Storage drive and tools panel to work collectively on texts, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, maps, etc. License: Proprietary software.

 

  • WORK ORGANISATION 
    • Asana: https://asana.com/es/
      Project management system by tasks, the kanban method, set workflows or visualise their progressions, it also has a highly advanced internal system of projects and progress, integrates conversations and has a mobile application for iOS and Android. Licence: Proprietary software. 
    • Trello: https://trello.com/es
      Manage projects through the kanban method [work progressively by moving the elements or tasks of a project along different columns], but a bit limited if you want to develop more specific tasks. License: Proprietary software.
    • Basecamp:  https://basecamp.com/
      Complete system for project management and focuses on the team's line of communication as the central axis for solving projects. Proprietary software.
    • Todoist business:  https://todoist.com/es/business
      It is very simple to use and has integrations in different browsers, as well as native applications for most existing operating systems, useful for carrying out daily tasks and project management for small teams. License: Proprietary software.
    • Monday.com: https://monday.com/lang/es/
      It facilitates project planning, schedules the delivery of parts of the project and allows each member to know the time of the process and the part to manage or perform. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Minutes: https://minutes.io/welcome
      Free tool in case you need a simple and professional interface to create quick results of a meeting. The template can be adapted and made more complex according to your needs. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Cryptpad: https://cryptpad.fr/
      Generation of encrypted collaborative documents. Free and stable software. License: Free software.
    • Redmine: https://www.redmine.org/projects/redmine
      Project management tool, which with its various functionalities allows you to work on different projects, monitoring and organising them. License: Free software.
    • Kanban: https://kanbantool.com/es/tablero-kanban
      Tool for assigning tasks, attaching comments, descriptions, links and files. Licence: Proprietary software.

 

  • ONLINE PRESENTATIONS 
    • Canva:  https://www.canva.com/es_es/
      Free online tool that can create and publish a variety of concrete and simple designs, such as: presentations, infographics, posters, publications for social networks, logos; it has a library with more than 1000 images and allows you to create and publish a wide range of images.       sharing designs. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Prezzi: https://prezi.com/
      Online tool for displaying content dynamically and visually, similar to concept maps. Text, images, videos and other presentation media can be grouped in frames. The free version has limited access, the presentation cannot be downloaded or printed and Adobe Reader is required to play it. License: Proprietary software.
    • Mentimeter: https://www.mentimeter.com/
      Tool for making presentations in real time and interactive, allows feedback with small and large groups of audiences; useful for public presentations, teaching, participation, teamwork, etc. Also a survey tool. License: Proprietary software.
    • Slides: https://slides.com/
      Presentation creator with an open source format.

 

  • MEASURING TIME 
    • Toggl: https://toggl.com/
      To measure time and efficiency in the performance of each task or project, you can integrate up to 5 teams and have a global report of the time spent per project. License: Proprietary software. 
    • Harvest: https://www.getharvest.com/
      Very similar to Toggl, it allows you to keep track of all projects and the performance of each team member. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Rescue time: https://www.rescuetime.com/
      Application that allows you to count the time you spend on applications, web pages, etc. All automatically, without the need to do anything. License: Proprietary software. 

 

  • SURVEYS 
    • Doodle: https://doodle.com/es/
      Useful for arranging meetings, appointments telematically in groups of more than 4 people. Licence: Proprietary software.  
    • Google polls: https://www.google.es/intl/es/forms/about/
      It allows you to plan events, send a survey, ask questions or collect other types of information easily and efficiently. A form can be created from Drive or from an existing spreadsheet. License: Proprietary software.  
    • Mentimeter: https://www.mentimeter.com/
      Survey creation system, allows you to launch different types of questions and collect and present information in multiple formats [voting, coordinate axes, word cloud, spider web, etc.]; fast, free and requires no registration. Licence: Proprietary software.

 

  • DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT IN THE CLOUD 
    • Google G Suite: https://gsuite.google.com/intl/es/
      This all-in-one system from Google incorporates such useful tools as: Gmail, Google Drive [documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the cloud], Google Meet, Google Calendar and other options that can make project management easier. License: Proprietary software. 
    • One Drive [Office 365]: https://onedrive.live.com/about/es-es/
      Pone of all Microsoft tools in the cloud to make your work easier, equivalent to Google G Suite. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/
      Cloud storage, a place where you can easily synchronise documents and files. It has tools such as Dropbox Paper, which allow content management similar to Google Drive. Licence: Proprietary software. 
    • We Transfer: https://wetransfer.com/
      Cloud-based application specially designed for file transfer. It is an easy, fast and effective way to send particularly large files to one or several people via email. License: Proprietary software. 

 

3- External communication

Functional tools for external communication and organisation on an individual, group and collective basis. They allow, in an efficient and fast way, the dissemination of information and knowledge generated. 

  • Help scout: https://www.helpscout.com/
    It is a system that allows to have a fluid conversation, with two objectives: to have an optimal follow-up of advances [opportunities], as well as to be able to report each of the conversations. Licence: Proprietary software. 

 

 

4- Tools for citizen participation

Applications to facilitate the participation of all people in collective processes. They allow to share projects and texts, make mind maps, join agreements and disagreements, reconcile proposals or positions, etc..;

 

  • ONLINE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION 
    • Government: https://gobierto.es/modulos/participacion/
      Extend and amplify offline engagement initiatives. Creates an online collaborative space to gauge preferences, generate ideas, and capture expert opinion. License: Free software.
    • Consul: http://consulproject.org/es/
      Software that allows collaborative texts and, on the other hand, an interactive space for proposals and initiatives. License: Free software.
    • Participacloud: https://participa.cloud/
      Platform for participatory democracy made in free software for cities and organisations. License: Free software. 
    • All Our Ideas: https://www.allourideas.org/
      Participatory brainstorming. Licence: Free software.
    • Pol.is: https://pol.is/home
      Creative deliberation in large groups; makes degrees of agreement and disagreement immediately visible, providing information on the points of greatest consensus or divergence. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Bubbl.us: https://bubbl.us/
      Online tool for the creation of mind maps, based on diagrams or brainstorming. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • XMind: https://www.xmind.net/
      Collaborative concept mapping tool [web in English]. License: Proprietary software.
    • Mindmeister: https://www.mindmeister.com/es
      Application for the generation of collaborative mind maps in real time [allows large groups]; useful for the systematisation of large volumes of concepts and ideas in a simple, intuitive and visual way, generates categories that allow successive incorporation of new contributions and ideas. License: Proprietary software.
    • Mindmup: https://www.mindmup.com/
      CCollaborative mind mapping. Licence: Proprietary software.
    • Liquid feedback: https://liquidfeedback.org/
      Free opinion-forming and decision-making programme that allows for both direct and representative democracy. Allows direct voting or proxy voting. License: Free software.
    • Lime Survey: https://www.limesurvey.org/es/
      Enhanced surveys to receive and synthesise feedback. License: Free software.

 

  • MASS VOTING AND DELIBERATIONS 
    • Appgree: https://www.appgree.com/appgree/
      Application that allows mass voting and deliberations. License: Proprietary software.
    • Discourse: https://www.discourse.org/
      Large group discussion and deliberation. Licence: Free software.
    • Loomio: https://www.loomio.org/
      Tool for written deliberation in small and large groups. It allows conversations in forum format, voting [explaining why the vote was taken], proposals, prioritisation, debate, coordination for meetings. License: Free software.
    • Sli.do: https://www.sli.do/
      Tool for instant evaluation of dynamics, facilitates the decision-making process in large groups, allows the introduction of new voting options and voting on options presented by others, synchronously and simultaneously. It allows to show preferences and to organise the proposals according to the evaluation obtained. Easy access via mobile phone with access code. Licence: Proprietary software.

 

5- Resource mapping tools

Applications with territorial maps that allow to indicate a location, signpost an action or activity, routes, mark distances, geolocate geographical points, places of interest, historical data of a given area, based on available online mapping data. They use collaborative participation for their elaboration.

 

  • Ushahidi: https://www.ushahidi.com/
    Collaborative geolocation and interactive mapping tool to publish and geolocate citizen reports on a map in real time. Open source software and participatory reporting. License: Proprietary software.

 

6- Tools repository

Tools for storing, organising, maintaining and disseminating digital information. Typically archives that can contain participatory methodologies. 

 

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