National outreach - Denmark
Tag Del is a platform that enables collective problem solving as a way of addressing current challenges in local communities. Individual citizens, youth clubs, pensioners, NGO’s, enterprises, public sector institutions, can use the platform to pose a challenge or problem they need help to solve. People can engage by offering practical help, ideas, previous experience or knowledge of the area. In sparsely populated areas, Tag Del can be a forum for communities to take collective action and to find solutions for small and big issues relating to demographic challenges and local development.
Enhancing user-to-user dialogue
Tag Del is an online platform that facilitates dialogue among users with the aim of solving various societal challenges. Users have three options; they can establish challenges, find solutions or carry out actions supporting and/or addressing the challenges. Participation is open to both citizens and public institutions and associations.
Social site facilitates collective action
The site enables people to share their ideas about societal challenges no matter where they are. By involving the power of many people in generating ideas, as well as in the action phase, new solutions arise. The organisation is a non-profit, focusing on social and environmental challenges, rather than a private enterprise, delivering solutions for companies facing commercial problems.
Encouraging participation and active citizenship
For municipalities in rural areas Tag Del is a platform which has the potential to foster discussion about development initiatives and, through this process, identify social capital. This in turn supports local development which can mitigate outmigration in demographically challenged areas. One example includes Tag Del’s work engaging educational institutions. At Vallekilde Folk High School they facilitated a workshop discussion about how to support and be something for the communities located nearby.
Combining technological advancement with democratic and participatory approaches
By using technology as a gateway to active citizenship, Tag Del capitalises on societal trends towards increased time spent online as well as growing interest in participation in social issues. Tag Del’s work has two main functions:
- Providing a platform where citizens, civil society associations or public institutions can post challenges, participate in debate about these challenges and take actions towards a solution.
- Providing consultancy services that combine digital interaction with workshops that bring people together to solve small and big challenges – an approach that has proven highly effective for communities in Denmark.
Private support for public interests
Tag Del came to life thanks to financial support from two private funds. Long term economic viability is assured through the consultancy services the initiative provides to national associations and public institutions who wish to solve challenges through extended user involvement. These services were developed through a partnership with Copenhagen Project House.
Key learnings for municipalities
For Tag Del, municipalities are users who take advantage of the Tag Del platform. Several municipalities have reported interesting results through the platform, particularly with respect to including civil society even more through a combination of physical meetings and online communication, leading to a broader outreach locally. In Egedal municipality they used the Tag Del platform as part of encouraging citizens and volunteer organisations to take more responsibility for local challenges as well as a mean of supporting the social bonds among the people living in the area.
Learn more
Download the full case study
Page last updated September 2016.