Ispra (IT)/Brussels (BE), November 2007 - The b-involved platform is an Internet application that enables a small group of up to ten people to have a focused discussion about a pre-defined issue. Developed by the European Commission - Joint Research Centre and the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, it went online at the end of October.
The platform was inspired in the traditional face-to-face focus groups from social research methodology, being particularly useful when public debates take place among participants who live far away from each other. The aim is to enhance eParticipation processes, hence providing the means for active involvement of society in public policy making.
Each venue has at least one moderator and several participants, who meet in a virtual environment that offers the means for an informed debate online. The main features of the platform are:
Currently the b-involved team is looking for organizations or individuals who are interested in using the platform and providing feedback on their experience and in how to improve it.
