DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE PETITION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Abstract : since 2000, various authorities like parliaments and government offices have introduced electronic petitions systems (e-petitions).
Compared to most other means of petitions made available by public institutions, e-petitions have moved past the test organization and are portrayed by a significant level of institutionalization and procedural development.
This research is proposed to design an e-petitioning system, to help the relationship between public institutions and petitioning, Internet-based. When fully implemented, this will help the public users to be able to use different internet channels to participate and petition government institutions.
The implementation of the Online Petition Management system will help improve accountability, organize and ease thousands of manual petitions made across the globe. The proposed system was developed using the HTML & CSS, and the PHP and mySQL programming language.
Online consultations offered by governments are much more common (e.g., European Commission5 , the Canadian federal government6 ). Yet, compared to e-petitions, e-consultations are usually not codified in law, and can generally be characterized as non-compulsory.
In short, e-petitioning has been implemented by a number of public institutions and is in many ways – compared to most other forms of formal e-participation – relatively mature.
Against this background, having a closer look at the developments during the past decade in the field of epetitioning seems to be particularly promising if the understanding of the relationship between public institutions and internet-based systems designed to make available additional and/or new channels for political participation is to be improved.
Security Risks:
Data Privacy: Handling personal information of petition signers can lead to privacy concerns. A data breach could expose sensitive information.
Fraudulent Signatures: Online systems are more susceptible to fraudulent or fake signatures, which can undermine the legitimacy of the petitions.
Technical Issues:
System Downtime: Technical glitches or server issues can prevent users from accessing the system or submitting signatures.
Compatibility Problems: The system might not work well across all devices or browsers, potentially limiting access for some users.
The online petition management system (OPMS) is designed to facilitate the creation, management, and promotion of petitions with efficiency and ease. At its core, the system will include a User Management Module for handling user registrations, logins, and roles, ensuring secure and personalized access.
The Petition Management Module will allow users to create, customize, and manage petitions, supporting features like multimedia integration and draft saving.
For Signature Collection and Verification, the system will provide mechanisms to gather signatures online, with built-in verification processes to ensure authenticity and prevent fraud.
Data handling will be streamlined through the Data Management Module, which will securely store all petition and user information, incorporating data encryption and regular backups.
Wider Reach and Accessibility:
Global Participation: People from all over the world can sign and support petitions, increasing the reach beyond local or national boundaries.
Convenience: Users can sign petitions anytime and from anywhere with internet access, making it easier to participate without physical constraints.
Efficiency and Speed:
Immediate Collection: Petitions can collect signatures in real-time, speeding up the process compared to traditional paper-based methods.
Automated Processes: Automated tools can handle tasks such as verification, data collection, and reporting, reducing administrative workload.
|