Citizen Engagement in ICT Design: The Challenge - Informing Digital Futures: Strategies for Citizen Engagement - page 131

7.2.3 Information Ecologies
Some of the concepts from sociotechnical systems theory, as well as from
Participatory Design (see below) are reflected in an emerging 'ecological'
approach to design. Proponents of this approach include authors such as
Nardi and O'Day (1999), who coined the term 'information ecologies',
and others such as Seely Brown and Duguid (2002). The ecological ap-
proach takes as its metaphor biological ecologies, “ with their complex
dynamics and diverse species and opportunistic niches for growth ” (Nardi
and O'Day 1999). They define an information ecology thus: “ an informa-
tion ecology is a complex system of parts and relationships. It exhibits di-
versity and experiences continual evolution. Different parts of an ecology
coevolve, changing together according to the relationships in the system.
Several keystone species necessary to the survival of the ecology are pre-
sent. Information ecologies have a sense of locality ” (Nardi and O'Day
1999).
Thus, the approach shares with sociotechnical systems theory the focus
on human activities that are served by the technology, rather than on tech-
nology itself (Nardi and O'Day 1999), and the recognition that there are
strong interdependencies between different parts of a system. It also shares
the belief that the value systems of stakeholders must be taken into account
in achieving acceptable, effective systems - and that a participatory design
approach - a “ collective, ongoing construction of enduring information
ecologies ” is the way to achieve this. (Nardi and O'Day 1999). The eco-
logical metaphor brings with it the notion of ecological failure due to envi-
ronmental destruction. Nardi and O'Day believe that similarly, there is the
possibility that unless we take control of our information ecologies and in-
ject our own values and needs into them, we will be overwhelmed by some
of our technological tools. They suggest that it is possible to gain benefi-
cial and positive uses from technology if we do not simply allow it to
'wash over us'.
Clearly the vastness of the potential stakeholder population makes a
nonsense of designing global systems with the participation of all citizens.
Achieving citizen engagement/participation in the creation of desirable
digital futures will depend on achieving the right scale for the process.
Adopting an information ecologies perspective to the design of sociotech-
nical systems helps to identify the appropriate focus and scope of initia-
tives in which citizens will be able to participate effectively. Locality is a
particularly important attribute in the concept of information ecologies.
For positive outcomes to result, decisions about the design and application
of technology need to be made in the context of settings in which the indi-
vidual plays an active role and has an active say it what happens: “ our