Achieving a Culture of Participation and Engagement - Informing Digital Futures: Strategies for Citizen Engagement - page 206

and assist in innovation. Successes with starting small means that such par-
ticipation can evolve into something bigger. In the Jhai Foundation project
described in Chapter 4, the importance of a gradual process is emphasized:
“ Jhai helps create change that is sustainable, because it is locally con-
ceived and implemented to be that way, with minimal interference and
direction from outsiders. And we always try to start slow, making sure
everyone is on board, building momentum as we go ” (Jhai Foundation
n.d.).
10.7 Conclusions
Shifting the focus of ICT development processes to incorporate a variety
of design approaches and especially to engage citizens in these processes
will have a transforming effect. It is an immense undertaking with many
ramifications and it is worth reminding ourselves of the challenge of major
change, described vividly in 1505 in the words of Niccolò Machiavelli
(1469-1527), Italian historian, statesman, and political philosopher: “ there
is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more
dangerous to carry through than initiating changes…the innovator makes
enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only luke-
warm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the
new. Their support is lukewarm partly from fear of their adversaries, who
have the existing laws on their side, and partly because men are generally
incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them
by experience. In consequence, whenever those who oppose changes can
do so, they attack vigorously, and the defence made by the others is only
lukewarm so both the innovator and his friends are endangered together ”
(Machiavelli, originally published c.1515).
This quotation sums up eloquently some of the likely obstacles that are
likely to crop up. In this chapter we have considered some of the ways to
begin the shift. We are fully cognisant of the complexity, the scale and
effort involved in making the changes we suggest. We are equally cogni-
sant of the unsatisfactory nature of current design practice. Working -
sometimes as researchers and sometimes as consultants - with ICT project
managers, designers and developers and users in many different contexts
over many years has given us first hand experience of the realities. We
have seen the enormous effort and technical skill committed to improving
the user experience and ability to carry out work tasks. Too often we have
witnessed the distress caused to the designer when users criticise and