This study explores the challenge of low citizen engagement and participation in e-Government in terms of lack of knowledge, experience, trust in e-Services and government itself. The research addressed the issues of factors that influence citizens' acceptance and adoption of e-government services in Libya, how to overcome the barriers, and determine serious games can promote citizen usage. This study applied an integrated approach utilising the Technology Acceptance Model and Trustworthiness Model theoretical models in a focused framework of intention to use. This research applied mixed research methodology, with exploratory sequential case study (quantitative) and qualitative investigation of the Libyan e-Government project and barriers to its implementation by semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, a quantitative survey questionnaire was used to validate the proposed framework, and a post-test questionnaire was also used to evaluate the effectiveness of the serious game. A conceptual framework was developed for all factors that may affect users’ intention to use e-Services and determine the adoption needs: the two main factors are e-Government adoption issues (including citizen trust in government, e-Services and the internet) and knowledge and experience. Using serious games is of a great value in learning and expanding knowledge, practicing and training, building self-confidence, and increasing security and privacy mechanisms. It would build trust between users and agencies by experiencing e-Services’ reliability, dependability, efficiency and capability, thus promoting adoption and use.

The thesis discusses the participatory governance establishment in Georgia and Ukraine with a focus on the elements of deliberative public participation. Through the analysis of the established practices of citizen engagement, the research attempts to find out whether Georgia and Ukraine managed to construct the system of the inclusion of the people in policy-making and set up the opportunities for deliberative public participation. The thesis contains the analysis of the legislative frameworks and the implemented Open Government Partnership initiatives in Georgia and Ukraine to find out which platforms of citizen engagement are set up in both countries and identify their character: do these platforms include the elements of deliberative public participation? If yes, to what extent? Each of the main mechanisms of citizen engagement is analysed according to the four categories defined in the evaluation framework. After identifying the level of deliberative public participation in both countries, the thesis discusses the environments both in Georgia and Ukraine to understand which factors underpinned the process of the development of deliberative public participation, and also, which factors held back the progress.

Public administration research strongly supports the argument for administrator-citizen collaborations and shows that Web 2.0 social media tools have the potential to increase these collaborations. Some public managers have fully embraced the adoption of social media tools to their fullest collaborative potential while other managers have chosen to limit their full collaborative potential. This study examines four environmental influences to determine if they are the cause of the diverse levels of social media adoption among public administrators. A survey of 157 department managers from 261 large cities across the U.S. shows that 82% of the respondents are currently using some form of social media tools to engage citizens. The results show that perceived organizational influences and perceived administrator preconceptions of social media tools are having the greatest impact on the respondents' decision to adopt social media. Provided that response rate bias is not occurring in this study, there are two possible explanations for the results. One possible explanation is that Web 2.0 social media adoption may be following a similar path as the adoption of earlier forms of Web 1.0 e-government tools. The other possible explanation is that managers may be operating within a rational environment when deciding whether or not to adopt Web 2.0 social media tools.

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease affecting millions of people worldwide, can vary in severity depending on individual triggers such as Carbon Dioxide, Particulate Matter, dust mites, tobacco smoke, and indoor household activities such as cooking, cleaning, use of heating, and window opening, which can have a negative impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Investigating the relationship between IAQ and asthma severity, a case study was conducted on five asthmatic participants from Bradford, UK. IAQ was measured using IoT indoor air quality monitoring devices. Indoor activities were recorded using a daily household activities questionnaire, and asthma severity was assessed using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ). Machine learning prediction models were used to analyse various IAQ parameters, such as particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels, to identify the most significant predictors of asthma severity with IAQ. The study aimed to develop targeted interventions to improve IAQ and reduce the burden of asthma. Results showed that higher asthma severity scores were associated with increased indoor activity and higher levels of indoor air pollution. Some interventions were implemented to improve ventilation hours, significantly improving IAQ and reducing asthma symptoms, particularly those with more severe asthma. The findings indicate that interventions targeting IAQ, and indoor activities can effectively reduce asthma severity, with up to a 60% reduction in symptoms for asthma patients.

I takt med att städerna växer ökar även deras negativa miljöpåverkan, städerna står idag för cirka 70 procent av världens koldioxidutsläpp. Städerna och dess medborgare har en betydande roll i arbetet med att minska miljöpåverkan och uppnå en hållbar utveckling vilket tydliggörs i de globala målen. I Malmö är intresset för miljöfrågor stort och involvering av medborgarna i det lokala arbetet med Agenda 2030 pågår. Studien syftar till att bidra med ökad förståelse och kunskap om hur medborgarnas kunskaper, deltagande och engagemang inom klimat- och miljöfrågor kan hjälpa kommunen att komma närmare sina visioner om en hållbar stad. Genom att studera exempel från andra städers arbete med medborgarengagemang och dialog, har kriterier för ett strategiskt hållbart arbetssätt samt konkreta koncept för att involvera medborgarna i Malmö tagits fram. Det har även utförts intervjuer med kommunanställda på gatukontoret, stadsbyggnadskontoret och miljöförvaltningen för att styrka värdet av koncepten. Studien visar att det finns miljömässiga fördelar med att sprida kunskap samt involvera medborgarna i arbetet för att uppnå en hållbar stad. Studien visar vidare på behov av att ytterligare utveckla arbetet med att involvera medborgarna, samt ta vara på det engagemang som finns och säkerställa en kontinuitet i arbetet. De framtagna koncepten kan bidra till att öka medborgarnas kunskaper och medvetenhet kring deras miljöpåverkan samt bidra till ett ökat engagemang och deltagande i det gemensamma arbetet mot ett mer miljömässigt hållbart Malmö. Genom att involvera alla i stadsutvecklingen ökar vi chanserna att uppnå de globala målen och närma oss en miljömässig hållbar utveckling. / As cities grow, their negative environmental impact also increases, accounting for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, cities and its inhabitants have a significant role in reducing environmental impact and achieving sustainable development, which is embodied in the global sustainable development goals. An example of this is the study of environmental issues in the city of Malmö, and the efforts to involve its citizens in the ongoing local work for the 2030 agenda. The aim of this study is to assess, with qualitative knowledge, how citizens' knowledge, participation and commitment in climate and environmental matters can help the city of Malmö to reach their vision of becoming sustainable. By studying cases from other cities work with citizens' involvement and participation, six criterias and three draft concepts have been created for a strategical sustainable way of working. Testimonies were collected from municipal employees who worked with related issues, presenting the adequate questions to strengthen the value of the concepts. The study shows that there are environmental benefits by sharing knowledge as well as involving citizens in the work to achieve a sustainable city. Consequently, the study also supported the need to further develop the work towards involving citizens as well as, to utilizing existing commitment and ensuring continuity. The realization of the draft concepts will contribute to raising citizens' knowledge and awareness about their environmental impact and thereby raising their commitment and participation for a more environmentally and sustainable Malmö.

Air transportation is essential to our society. It enables global trading, brings people together, and lets travelers explore distant parts of the world. However, flying is a highly unsustainable behavior and accounts for roughly 2% of all carbon emissions; with industry and research forecasting constant growth in the coming years. The economic benefits rhetoric often prevails over the environmental costs, though; motivating governments to give incentives to airports and airlines. The Swedish Government, despite its green goals and pro-sustainability actions, is no exception, and both municipal and federal funds support the air route network. This thesis reports on the development of the Publikvitto, a system designed to help citizen make sense of the government's incentives to the flying industry. The process is based on research through design and inspired by reflective practices. The primary outcome are insights into the relationship between designer, social issues, and government's actions; and how these elements can be approached in order to design artifacts that motivate people to engage in political discussions. / Att transportera sig med hjälp av flygplan är idag en självklarhet. Genom att flyga kan vi upptäcka andra delar av världen, träffa nya människor och få till internationella uppgörelser. Att flyga är dock ett mycket ohållbart sätt att transportera sig och svarar för ca 2% av all världens koldioxidutsläpp, där forskning och utveckling av industrin endast visar att dessa siffror kommer växa. Eftersom flygindustrin är en viktig del av samhället är dock de miljömässiga konsekvenserna förbisedda, där staterna snarare upprätthåller industrin genom bidrag och skattelättnader. Trots sina hållbara mål är Sveriges stat inget undantag. Denna studie handlar om utvecklingen av Publikvittot, ett system som är designat för att hjälpa oss som medborgare att förstå regeringens stöd och skattelättnader gentemot flygindustrin. Processen av utvecklandet är baserad på “forskning genom design” och inspirerad av reflekterande förhållningssätt. Slutsatser av denna studie handlar framför allt om insikter om relationen mellan designer, sociala problem och statens handlingar och hur dessa element kan bli bemötta för att designa produkter som motiverar människor att delta i politiska diskussioner.

It is a growing belief that transitioning towards sustainable cities requires a wide citizen engagement, yet many local governments are not able to define how citizen engagement should be done. This research was conducted to assess municipalities’ effort in engaging citizens when working for sustainability. This study focuses on creating a strategic guide for municipalities to use when engaging citizens to work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A systemic analysis approach was selected to examine the SDGs through the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, followed by a Value Stream Analysis for the SDGs. Then a mapping method used, where each SDG was linked to a level of citizen engagement on Arnstein’s ladder for citizen engagement (1969). A group interview for practitioners was held in Karlskrona Municipality in Sweden for an evaluation purpose. The results revealed a risk of misalignment for some SDGs, a relational matrix map was created where each SDG was related to a level of Arnstein’s ladder in a graphic visual, which can be used by the municipality as guide to choose the level of engagement for each SDG. A set of insights were revealed concerning the enablers and barriers for citizen engagement in municipal context.

Bakgrund: Klimatfrågan är ständigt aktuell och något som berör oss alla. Sverige har åtagit sig att genomföra Agenda 2030 och de 17 globala målen för hållbar utveckling men har i dagsläget svårigheter att uppfylla flertalet mål inom den utsatta tiden. Mål som Sveriges invånare många gånger har stor möjlighet att påverka. Kommuner är viktiga aktörer i genomförandet av Agenda 2030 då det många gånger är på lokal nivå som arbetet ska omsättas i praktiken. De anses ha ett stort ansvar vad gäller att främja hållbar utveckling i den egna verksamheten såväl som för kommunen som geografiskt område. Att förmå kommuninvånare att delta i hållbarhetsarbetet är därför viktigt.Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med en ökad förståelse för hur svenska kommuner som har ett framgångsrikt miljöarbete använder hållbarhetsredovisning och hållbarhetssektion på hemsida för att engagera kommuninvånarna i arbetet med hållbar utveckling. Studien belyser hur fyra sådana kommuner väljer att utforma kommunikationen i syfte att engagera intressentgruppen invånare i organisationens hållbarhetsarbete genom dessa kanaler. Studien kan främst vara av intresse för kommuner som har för avsikt att engagera sina intressenter i hållbarhetsarbetet.Metod: Genom dokumentstudier undersöktes uppmaningar till engagemang riktade till invånare i de fyra deltagande kommunernas hållbarhetsredovisning samt hållbarhetssektion på hemsida. För att få förståelse för hur invånarna engageras har även intervjuer genomförts. Morsing och Schultz (2006) kommunikationsstrategier för hållbarhet har använts för att undersöka vilken strategi kommunerna tillämpar.Slutsats: Studien visar att när kommunerna uppmanar invånare att engagera sig i hållbarhetsarbetet handlar det i huvudsak om att informera snarare än att uppmana till respons- eller dialog. På hållbarhetssektionen informeras invånare om hur de själva kan bidra till en hållbar utveckling men studiens resultat indikerar att kommuner som önskar engagera invånare i hållbarhetsarbetet bör föra dialog med invånare i de kanaler som invånarna föredrar exempelvis sociala medier, då det skapar större engagemang. / Background: Climate change is something that affects us all and climate action is urgent. The Swedish government has committed to Agenda 2030 and the 17 goals for sustainable development (SDGs) but faces difficulties in achieving several of these goals in time. Municipalities are important in the implementation of the SDGs and its citizens have a great impact on the country's possibility to reach the SDGs. Municipalities answer for the sustainable development within their own organization as well as for the municipality as a geographical region. It is therefore important that the citizens are encouraged by itsmunicipality to engage in the work towards a sustainable development.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute with further understanding of how Swedish municipalities with successful environmental work, use their sustainability report and sustainability section on their website to engage their citizens to participate in the municipalities work towards a sustainable development. The study can be of interest for municipalities that intend to engage their citizens in this work.Method: Content analysis of the sustainability reports and sustainability sections on the municipalities websites were conducted in order to study how these channels were used for different types of citizen engagement. Additionally, interviews have been conducted to gain a deeper understanding of how the municipalities in this study engage their citizens through these channels. Morsing and Schultz (2006) model of CSR communication strategies has been used as a framework to understand and describe which strategy the municipalities employ in these channels.Conclusion: When the municipalities encourage citizens to engage in the work towards a sustainable development, they primarily inform rather than ask citizens to provide feedback or engage in dialog. The municipalities use the sustainability section to inform citizens on how they can contribute to a sustainable development, however, the study indicates that municipalities who want to engage citizens trough two-way communication should focus on channels that citizens prefer, such as social media, as it creates more engagement.

Individual food choices have a considerable impact on public health and the environment. The incidence of nutrition-related diseases has been continuously increasing during the last decades. Diets higher in plant-based foods have shown to be healthier and more environmentally sustainable.Many urban social innovation projects based on citizen engagement and community building are able to influence food consumption habits. However, there is a large variety of projects, which target specific population groups and focus on different sustainability issues. To understand how social innovation projects located in Germany, and especially Berlin, use citizen engagement and community creation to encourage nutritious and sustainable food choices, the research team conducted a qualitative research study consisting of semi-structured interviews and participant observations. The results were compared and validated using different social change, social innovation, network and leadership theories. When people with various backgrounds come together over a shared purpose and interact with each other, they can influence each other’s opinions and behaviors. A physical community setting was shown to be efficient to create awareness about sustainable and nutritious food choices. In order to include all population groups, citizens need to feel heard and understood, and have to be directly engaged in the decision-making process. A need for a leadership figure or a democratic leadership group is highlighted, and a combination of ‘transformational leadership’ and ‘authentic leadership’ styles proved to be the most effective. Urban food social innovation projects tend to cooperate with each other, as well as with other leaders and organizations, influencing them and serving as role models. These findings can help social innovation projects that implement citizen engagement and community building practices to efficiently promote nutritious and plant-based food choices among an urban population. Since this study is based on a limited number of organizations in Berlin and other regions of Germany, further research in other urban and/or rural environments is needed.

Optimizing meaningful engagement of older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers as partners in health care research / Background: The importance of engaging older adults (> 65 years) with multimorbidity and their caregivers as partners in health care research has been widely recognized. Inclusion of patients as research partners has resulted in largely positive effects. However, little is known about how best to engage and support them in this role. The objective of this study was to examine how to optimize meaningful engagement of older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers as research partners. Methods: The research objective was addressed using the persona-scenario method. Study participants were older adults with previous experience as a research partner or a research participant. Participants worked in pairs to create a persona and a scenario about how their persona(s) was involved on the research team. Analysis was conducted in two phases: (a) identification of themes, subthemes, and codes using a qualitative descriptive approach, and (b) interpretation of themes and subthemes into design specifications (actions and products). Results: Four persona-scenario sessions were held with 8 patient participants. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) recruitment of patient or caregiver research partners (PCRPs); (b) planning for meaningful engagement; and (c) establishing collaborative relationships. These major themes contained 15 corresponding subthemes, and design specifications (52 actions and 37 products). Findings highlight key factors influencing the engagement of older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers as research partners, such as the need for: early engagement of PCRPs; clarification of PCRPs’ roles and responsibilities; a flexible patient-centred approach to PCRP involvement; identifying and addressing barriers to their engagement (e.g., caregiving support, transportation); training about research; and continued dialogue and feedback to clarify roles and manage expectations. The results are important for identifying ways to promote greater patient engagement in research and ensure that the research reflects the needs of the patients it strives to serve. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The importance of engaging patients with multimorbidity and their caregivers as partners in health care research has been widely recognized. However, little is known about how to best engage and support them in this role. The objective of this study was to examine how researchers can best engage and support older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers as research partners in health care research teams. The persona-scenario method was used for participants to create fictional stories. These stories were analyzed to shed light on specific strategies that can support older adults and their caregivers as partners on health care research teams, such as a patient-centred approach, identifying and addressing barriers to engagement, and clarifying roles and responsibilities on the research team. The results from this study can be used to inform research, policy, and education on supporting older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers as research partners.