* Book: Towards peer production in public services: Cases from Finland. Editors: Andrea Botero, Andrew Paterson and Joanna Saad-Sulonen. Aalto University publication series Crossover 15/2012. Helsinki, Finland

URL = http://co-p2p.mlog.taik.fi/files/2012/06/p2p-public-services-finland-2012.pdf

Description

Andrea Botero, Andrew Paterson et al.:

”There are many challenges and opportunities in designing, developing and maintaining services for participatory modes of governance, not to mention their co-creation and peer-to-peer aspects. We ask what can be learned from current research, and what is happening already beyond academia? With the aim to increase the opportunities for dialogue between the Finnish scene and the international context, we gather this collection of articles that deal broadly with the relationships between peer-to-peer dynamics, and public services. Most of the cases presented are illustrative of recent developments and discussions in Finnish society, however, also included are broader international perspectives, giving historical reflection and future-oriented speculation on what might be the outcomes.” (http://snuproject.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/book-releasetowards-peer-production-in-public-services-cases-from-finland/)

Excerpts

Introduction

"This publication is a collection of articles that deals broadly with the relationships between peer-to-peer dynamics, and the design, production and provision of public services. Most of the cases presented are illustrative of recent developments and discussions in Finnish society, however other broader international perspectives which give historical reflection and future-oriented speculation on what might be the outcomes are included.

There are changes taking place in how the role of citizens in society is experienced– in terms of how they feel responsible for things happening–and also in what is expected from them. The last few years have witnessed a flurry of citizen-driven and organized activities that range from guerrilla gardening with aims to beautify unattended urban spots, and pop up restaurants to comment on impractical bureaucracy; as well as self-assigned urban planning initiatives to revive the local community. This has been especially visible in the larger urban congregations in Finland, such as Helsinki (Hernberg 2012).

These developments may be seen in the context of traditional and renewed spirit of Finnish talkoot1, as well as a combination of creative and information-sharing associational activity as an activist instrument (Paterson 2011). In many cases, self-assigned innovators and active people are taking some of their concerns into their own hands, strengthening their belonging and cooperation with others.

The Internet has been a supporting factor, bypassing the limited number of physical social-forum spaces. Especially, in the Finnish context, enthusiastic broadband and mobile data usage is a contributing factor, as the mainstream (and mobile) adoption of social media platforms, such as Facebook, have provided some groups with easy ways to communicate, forming online groups and self-defined information channels.

Hand-in-hand with these above local trends, we also witness the impacts of gobalized issues, such as the economic crisis, perceived stagnation of the welfare state, and the challenges of an aging population.

Taken together, all these developments set the ground for a more general debate on how our relationship with the state should evolve, and how to imagine and organise common affairs in new ways (Benkler 2006). There is no doubt that there is a renewed interest to understand processes, logics and incentives that can make possible new partnerships between the public-sector, private-sector, third sector, and citizens, in order to create and produce public services. Amongst the many aspects to consider, active forms of citizenship, broader public participation, and the role of ‘peers’ have emerged as key issues. Naturally these phenomena are not limited to Finland or Northern Europe, but are happening worldwide at different scales, speeds, and with different focuses .

We are, of course, not the only ones giving attention to related issues in Finland.

For example, the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) has commissioned several reports on similar topics, including one on the future of the welfare state in the time of communities (Mokka & Neuvonen 2006), and a more recent document providing an overview of contemporaty Finnish co-production projects building on the “talkoot” tradition (Aitamurto, Siivonen & Lovio 2012). From a different perspective our own Aalto University has also been involved in experimenting with new service design approaches involving both citizens and municipalities. The list can be expanded, but for now, it is suffice to say that there is a clear need to increase the understanding of the logic and incentives in these types of processes; this compilation is our contribution to this larger discussion.

We are interested in the underlying messages that these new trends and emerging weak signals are posing, and we are aware of the need for a multidisciplinary perspective. There are many challenges and opportunities in designing, developing and maintaining services for participatory modes of governance, including co-creation and peer-to-peer aspects. We ask, what can be learned from current research, and what is happening already beyond academia? With the aim to increase the opportunities for dialogue between the Finnish scene and the international context, we have gathered this collection of articles, with some providing more background information and introducing useful concepts; the others describe and reflect upon local ongoing grassroots or organized experiments. They all deal with the collaboration and engagement of “peers” in the ideation, creation or provisioning of services. We hope to offer something for academics as well as professionals engaged in media and service- design, socially-engaged processes, cultural production and public service management located both in small to large institutions, as well as for citizens wanting to do something. Thus the writing styles and formats within this compilation are a rather eclectic mix.

Many of the articles presented are the result of presentations and discussions that started in 2010 at the seminar we organized in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on the theme of co-creation, co-governance and peer to peer production of public services3. A summary report of the seminar is included as an Appendix in this publication. The other articles have been added in the process of organizing the compilation.

To summarise, the articles in this collection confirm that something is happening in terms of experimenting with peer to peer activities, and that new media and the Internet in particular, play an important role in making them visible and scalable. In all the accounts and reflections it is possible to see how historical conditions and local resources frame the ways in which these experimentations take shape.

There are many flavours emerging from diverse historical continuities, as well as from disruptive sprouts of new activities. Many of the authors have highlighted the challenges related to the organization of peer-to-peer networks and their working strategies; at the same time others have also proposed best practices and models. Several of the authors have also expressedly taken up the need for rethinking the role of the government in a reality where peer-to-peer support and organization is becoming more viable and efficient than previously. Michel Bauwens, for example, provides a clear vision for this new role, that of the partner state.

Pestoff also concludes on the need to think holistically about the policy implications, so that these developments will really support meaningful involvement and citizen empowerment. It is still early to state whether the peer-to-peer movement will gain weight, and to what extend it will change the way economic, political and social life will be organized in the future. This publication has merely but scratched the surface, and we hope it will trigger our readers to join us in asking: What are the possibilities for the future? What is the role of existing local socio-political contexts?

(We’d like to hear from and about other similar experiences in the world).

Ultimately, how do we find the right balance between the traditional forces of market, the state, and the emerging citizen-driven actions?"

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cover graphic, http://co-p2p.mlog.taik.fi/files/2012/05/Picture-41.png

Towards Peer Production in Public Services

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Description

Contents

Excerpts

Introduction

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