Digital citizen participation and organizational transparency in local governments: A systematic review of platforms, impact and barriers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16372953Keywords:
Digital citizen participation, local governments, digital platformsAbstract
Online participation in local governments has become an essential component to promote democratic leadership and encourage citizen involvement in public management. In a context of accelerated technological advances, it is essential to understand how digital platforms are implemented, their real effects and the barriers that limit their effectiveness. This article aims to systematically analyze the scientific evidence on the use of these platforms in citizen participation at the local level, addressing three key dimensions: platform characteristics, impact on effective participation, and frequent obstacles. The PRISMA method was applied to conduct a systematic review, with rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search was carried out in recognized academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO and Google Scholar), obtaining a final corpus of 15 articles published between 2020 and 2025. The studies come from Latin America, Europe and Asia. The findings reveal benefits such as greater transparency, collaboration in decision making and strengthened sense of belonging. However, challenges remain, such as the digital divide, low trust in authorities, low digital literacy and lack of inclusive public policies. It is concluded that it is necessary to design strategies that promote a more equitable and sustainable digital participation.
Downloads
References
Adnan, M., Ghazali, M., y Othman, N. Z. S. (2022). E-participation within the context of e-government initiatives: A comprehensive systematic review. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 8, 100015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2022.100015
Babel, M., Willburger, L., Lautenschlager, J., Völter, F., Guggenberger, T., Körner, M. F., Sedlmeir, J., Strüker, J., y Urbach, N. (2025). Self-sovereign identity and digital wallets. Electronic Markets, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-025-00772-0
Bastos, D., Fernández-Caballero, A., Pereira, A., y Rocha, N. P. (2022). Smart City Applications to Promote Citizen Participation in City Management and Governance: A Systematic Review. Informatics, 9(4), 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics9040089
Bayat, A., y Kawalek, P. (2023). Digitization and urban governance: The city as a reflection of its data infrastructure. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 89(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523211033205
Benlahcene, A., Awang, H., Mansor, N. S., Nadzir, M. M., Yamin, F. M., y Haruna, I. U. (2024). Citizens ’ E-participation through E-government services : a systematic literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2415526
Beno, J., Silen, A. ., y Yanti, M. (2022). Gobierno digital y participación ciudadana: percepción de funcionarios públicos sobre el rol de la municipalidad peruana. Braz Dent J., 33(1), 1–12. https://www.academia.edu/123246336/Gobierno_Digital_y_Participaci%C3%B3n_Ciudadana_Percepci%C3%B3n_De_Funcionarios_P%C3%BAblicos_Sobre_El_Rol_De_La_Municipalidad_Peruana
Bono Rossello, N., Simonofski, A., y Castiaux, A. (2025). Artificial intelligence for digital citizen participation: Design principles for a collective intelligence architecture. Government Information Quarterly, 42(2), 102020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2025.102020
Casillas, M. G. A., y Avilés, V. H. V. (2024). Digital social networks and the right to citizen participation; [Redes sociales digitales y derecho a la participación ciudadana]. Nuevo Derecho, 20(35), 1 – 12. https://doi.org/10.25057/2500672X.1630
Charnock, G., March, H., y Ribera-Fumaz, R. (2021). From smart to rebel city? Worlding, provincialising and the Barcelona Model. Urban Studies, 58(3), 581–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098019872119
Golan, O., Satran, C., y Bord, S. (2025). An individual’s trust in government is a major determinant in the decision to voluntarily join a public health initiative. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 14(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-025-00671-x
Goñi, J. (2025). Citizen participation and technology: lessons from the fields of deliberative democracy and science and technology studies. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04606-4
Ji, H., Dong, J., Pan, W., y Yu, Y. (2024). Associations between digital literacy, health literacy, and digital health behaviors among rural residents: evidence from Zhejiang, China. International Journal for Equity in Health, 23(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02150-2
Lim, S. B., y Yigitcanlar, T. (2022). Participatory Governance of Smart Cities: Insights from e-Participation of Putrajaya and Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Smart Cities, 5(1), 71–89. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5010005
Muñoz, A. V., Huaraz, C. B. R., Rosadio, R. J. A., y Cadenas, D. I. V. (2024). Gobernanza participativa. Estrategias para la inclusión ciudadana en la gestión pública. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia: RVG, 29(12), 1544-1557. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9948344
Nam, H., Nam, T., Oh, M., y Choi, S. (2022). An Efficiency Measurement of E-Government Performance for Network Readiness: Non-Parametric Frontier Approach. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8010010
Narrea Laura, F. M. (2017). Modelando el e-gov: factores que explican la evolución del diseño de la política de gobierno electrónico del Perú desde inicios del siglo XXI. [Tesis de Pregrado, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú]. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12404/9843
Ramos Chávez, A. (2024). La ciudadanía en tiempos de datificación e infocracia. Revista General de Información y Documentación, 34(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.5209/rgid.90150
Sánchez-Hernández, M. I. (2024). Strengthening Resilience: Social Responsibility and Citizen Participation in Local Governance. Administrative Sciences, 14(10), 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14100260
Shi, Z., Du, X., Li, J., Hou, R., Sun, J., y Marohabutr, T. (2024). Factors influencing digital health literacy among older adults: a scoping review. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1447747
Shin, B., Floch, J., Rask, M., Bæck, P., Edgar, C., Berditchevskaia, A., Mesure, P., y Branlat, M. (2024). A systematic analysis of digital tools for citizen participation. Government Information Quarterly, 41(3), 101954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2024.101954
Suárez, M., y Noboa, A. (2024). La participación ciudadana online en los gobiernos locales: Un análisis del mecanismo Ideas de Montevideo Decide y los Presupuestos Participativos de San Lorenzo y Vicente López. Revista Prisma Social, (44), 274-306. https://revistaprismasocial.es/article/view/5184
Tejedo-Romero, F., Araujo, J. F. F. E., Tejada, Á., y Ramírez, Y. (2022). E-government mechanisms to enhance the participation of citizens and society: Exploratory analysis through the dimension of municipalities. Technology in Society, 70, 101978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101978
Teng, J., Xiao, X., Zhang, N., y Yang, S. (2025). Impact of internet use on pro-environmental behaviour mediated by environmental concern. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 5899. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90445-x
Van Twist, A., Ruijer, E., y Meijer, A. (2023). Smart cities y citizen discontent: A systematic review of the literature. Government Information Quarterly, 40(2), 101799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2022.101799
Valentín-Sívico, J., Canfield, C., y Egbue, O. (2022). Push them forward: Challenges in intergovernmental organizations’ influence on rural broadband infrastructure expansion. Government Information Quarterly, 39(4), 101752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2022.101752
Villafán, C. (2024). Blockchain e identidad. Oportunidades de implementación para la Ley de Ciudadanía Digital de la Ciudad de México. Estudios En Derecho a La Información, 18, 155–177. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9613484
Zhao, T., Ma, Y., Ding, J., Yang, X., y Sheng, D. (2023). A survey on the digital skill status of rural elderly groups under the digital village strategy: an example from Sichuan, Gansu and Zhejiang provinces. BCP Business & Management, 42, 28–32. https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpbm.v42i.4557
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.
