我國地方政府推動Join平台縣市專區之動機與現況

Abstract

公民參與是民主政治的基石，不僅能讓公共政策更符合民眾需求，還能增強政策的包容性、正當性和對政府之信任度。隨著資訊普及，現代民眾期待在決策過程中擁有更多話語權，許多國家因此尋求創新和多元的公民參與方式。我國於2015年推出「公共政策網路參與平台」(以下簡稱「Join平台」)，旨在促進民眾與政府的對話。2016年推出的「Join平台縣市專區」，則進一步鼓勵地方政府參與，整合中央與地方的服務，讓民眾更便捷地參與公共事務。自「Join平台」推出以來，學術界對其進行了多方面研究，主要集中於行政院及所屬部會的層面，對「Join平台縣市專區」的研究相對較少。 公民參與被視為對政府決策體系的挑戰，尤其是對權力結構的重新分配，電子參與工具之崛起，雖然為政府與民眾之互動帶來新契機，但推廣上仍面臨許多挑戰，例如官僚體系慣性與內部阻力，而地方政府在政策問題上扮演關鍵角色，透過公民參與能直接反映民眾需求，提升政策切合度。 據此，本研究主要聚焦於「Join平台縣市專區」的兩項功能—「提點子」與「眾開講」，並以「公民參與階梯」及「民主立方體」分析兩項功能之理論定位，並以截至2023年7月31日加入「Join平台縣市專區」之地方政府為對象，探討其使用動機與使用情形。 研究發現，「提點子」和「眾開講」均屬於「諮詢」，制度設計對地方政府的制約力有限，民眾參與結果對政策影響力薄弱。本研究將訪談對象分為兩組：案量多的B組和案量少的C組。地方政府使用「Join平台縣市專區」之主要動機包括：達成首長政見：為實現首長選舉承諾、提升資源運用效率、平台功能符合需求、擴大公民參與、與外部環境影響等。使用情形差異方面，B組較為主動，將平台融入決策流程，並透過管理來督促使用。而C組則認為機關認為既有管道已足夠，且縣市民眾習慣既有參與方式。 本研究提出以下政策建議：為提高「Join平台縣市專區」之運用獨立性與穩定性，建議地方政府建立制度，將執行要件明確化，例如在修訂影響民眾權益的地方自治法規時，應進行「眾開講」諮詢並公開回應民眾意見。將「Join平台」與實體參與活動結合，並利用電子參與蒐集數據資訊為實體參與提供參考，發揮綜效。另外，地方政府應勇於將參與結果納入決策過程，並提高決策透明度與回應責任。建議國發會定期舉辦地方政府聯絡人會議，建立技術反饋管道，以明確功能需求。

Citizen participation is the cornerstone of democratic politics. It not only allows public policies to better meet the needs of the people but also enhances the inclusiveness, legitimacy, and trust in government. With the widespread availability of information, modern citizens expect more voice in the decision-making process. Consequently, many countries are seeking innovative and diverse ways of citizen participation. In 2015, Taiwan launched the “Public Policy Participation Platform” (“Join Platform”) to promote dialogue between the public and the government. The “Join Platform - County Zone,” launched in 2016, further encourages local government participation and integrates services between central and local authorities, enabling citizens to engage more conveniently in public affairs. Since the launch of the “Join Platform,” academia has conducted various studies, primarily focusing on the Executive Yuan and its affiliated ministries, while research on the “Join Platform - County Zone” has been relatively limited. Citizen participation is seen as a challenge to the government's decision-making system, particularly in terms of redistributing power structures. The rise of e-participation tools, while providing new opportunities for interaction between government and citizens, still faces numerous challenges in promotion, such as bureaucratic inertia and internal resistance. Local governments play a critical role in policy issues, and citizen participation can directly reflect public needs, enhancing policy relevance. Accordingly, this study primarily focuses on two functions of the “Join Platform - County Zone “—"Propose” and “Public Discussion”—and analyzes the theoretical positioning of these functions using the “A Ladder of Citizen Participation" and "The Democracy Cube." The study examines the motivations and usage of local governments that joined the “Join Platform - County Zone " as of July 31, 2023. The findings reveal that both "Propose" and "Public Discussion" fall under “consultation,” with limited constraints imposed on local governments, and the impact of citizen participation outcomes is weak. The study categorizes interview subjects into two groups: Group B, which has a high volume of cases, and Group C, which has a low volume. The main motivations for local governments to use the “Join Platform - County Zone” include: achieving the mayor's political commitments, enhancing resource efficiency, the platform's functions meeting needs, expanding citizen participation, and the influence of external environments. In terms of usage differences, Group B is more proactive, integrating the platform into decision-making processes and managing its usage, while Group C believes that existing channels are sufficient and that citizens are accustomed to traditional participation methods. To enhance the “Join Platform - County Zone,” this study recommends that local governments clarify execution requirements and conduct "Public Discussion" consultations for regulations affecting public interests. Combining the platform with physical participation activities can optimize engagement. Local governments should integrate participation outcomes into decision-making and improve transparency. Additionally, the National Development Council should hold regular meetings with local government contacts to establish feedback channels and clarify needs.