REDEM Workshop Reconstructing Democracy in Times of Crisis: A Voter-Centred Perspective. Strengthening Electoral Participation, 4 May 2022 More info: https://ictlogy.net/bibliography/reports/projects.php?idp=4678

1. Ethics and legitimacy of institutions
solving wicked problems:
the Catalan elections during the COVID-19 crisis
REDEM Workshop Reconstructing Democracy in Times
of Crisis: A Voter-Centred Perspective. Strengthening
Electoral Participation
Barcelona, 4 May 2022
Ismael Peña-López

2. Table of contents
2
 The problem: a wicked problem
 The approach to solutions:
o Splitting the problem into smaller parts
o Open Government
o The Administration as a Platform
 Strategies and instruments:
o Scoreboard, indicators and decision thresholds
o Dedicated task forces & coordinating devices
o Transmedia communication strategy

3. 3
A wicked problem

4. Elections and the COVID crisis: Catalan Parliament 2021
4
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 7-day rolling average.
Source: OurWorld in Data / Johns Hopkins University CSSE COVID-19 Data
Lockdown
Basque and Galician elections are postponed
Basque and Galician elections
newly called election day
Catalan president disabled
by Spanish Supreme Court
Catalan elections
are called
Election day
14 February 2021
Electoral campaign begins
Proposed
new election day
(didn’t happen)
Catalan elections
are postponed
Catalan Supreme
court suspends
postponement
Catalan Supreme court
cancels postponement
A big share of elections worldwide were held between the 1st and the 2nd wave
1st wave
2nd wave 3rd wave
4th wave
Initially scheduled
Basque and Galician
election day

5. A wicked problem
 There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem.
 Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
 Solutions to wicked problems are not true-or-false, but better or worse.
 There is no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution to a wicked
problem.
 Every solution to a wicked problem is a "one-shot operation".
 Wicked problems do not have an enumerable (or an exhaustively
describable) set of potential solutions.
 Every wicked problem is essentially unique.
 Every wicked problem can be considered to be a symptom of another
problem.
 The existence of a discrepancy representing a wicked problem can be
explained in numerous ways.
 The social planner are liable for the consequences they generate.
5
Rittel, H.W.J. & Webber, M.M. (1973). “Dilemmas in a general theory of planning”.

6. 6
The solutions

7. Splitting the problem into smaller parts
The health scenario
 Minimize the risk to vote
 Minimize the risk of taking part in the organization (esp. polling
stations)
The right to vote scenario
 Everyone has to be able to vote, no exceptions
 Prevent abstention for non-political reasons (e.g. fear)
The legitimacy scenario
 Maximize transparency and consensus about the electoral process
 Minimize boycott to the electoral institution, intended and unintended
7

8. Open Government
The transparency and open data component
 All data open: health, budget, protocols, procedures, minutes of
meetings… and also: doubts, dissensus, issues
 Minimize the risk of taking part in the organization (esp. polling
stations)
The participation component
 G2G, political parties, citizens
 Active listening
The collaboration component
 Co-design
 Co-management
8

9. The Administration as a Platform
Protocols
 Polling stations and voting procedures
 COVID Office (i.e. protection)
 Electoral campaigning
 Institutional communication and ways of voting
 Parties’ Table of Dialogue (political parties + government)
Tools for different profiles to foster autonomy and empowerment
9
Voters Polling stations
Infected and
disabled people
Elderly people
Local
administrations
COVID Officers
Representatives
of the
Administration
Candidates
Media

10. 10
The instruments

11. Scoreboard, indicators and decision thresholds
11
Scenario Goal Health Voting rights Legitimacy
Deliberation
Passive suffrage
Active suffrage
Operations
Effectiveness
Scenario Goal Health Voting rights Legitimacy
Deliberation Suspend
Passive suffrage
Active suffrage
Maintain
Operations
Effectiveness
Suspend Suspend
Scenario EPC21-Normal EPC21-Newnormal EPC21-Local EPC21-Stage4 EPC21-Tram3 EPC21-Stage2 EPC21-Stage1 EPC21-Stop EPC21-Lockdown
Mobility
Social Activity
Voting issues
Electoral Protocol COVID19
Progression according to
 Value of RT significantly and persistently varies
 Number of hospitalizations significantly and persistently varies
Health scenarios for elections
Tasks and risks scoreboard
Was of great inspiration: James, T.S. & Alihodzic, S. (2020). “When Is It Democratic to Postpone
an Election? Elections During Natural Disasters, COVID-19, and Emergency Situations”.

12. Dedicated task forces & coordinating devices
12
Procurement
COVID-19
Elections
Task Force
Electoral Office
Data and
information
Task Force
Communication
Task Force
Polling stations
Municipalities
National
COVID19
Task Force
Expat voting
Task Force
Technical
commission for
the COVID19
Election boards
Census office
Mail office
Parties’ Table of
Dialogue
Parliament

13. Transmedia communication strategy
13
Parties
Media
Experts
Citizens
Institutional
campaing
Twitter
Website
Polling stations
Municipalities
Data
Information
Updates
Protocols
Analysis
Government
bodies

14. Last thoughts
Three main phases
 Design: be open and collaborative, name, frame
 Implement: work consensus, empower actors
 Explain: be defensive (i.e. protect both team and project)
Keys for legitimacy
 Plan in (much) advance, master the issue
 Set the pace, tone and level
 Radical transparency, become authority
 Be quick to advance the issues, leave no room for doubts
 Own the higher ground, leave no room for mis-/dis-information
14

15. To cite this document:
Peña-López, I. (2019). Catalan ecosystem of citizen participation. Participation
infrastructures. European Week of Regions and Cities, 7 October 2019.
Brussels: Four Motors for Europe
http://ictlogy.net/presentations/20191007_ismael_pena-lopez_-_catalan_ecosystem_citizen_participation.pdf
To contact the author:
ismael.pena@gencat.cat
@ictlogist
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