Initiatives are distinguished from the other participation spaces because they are participatory tools or mechanisms promoted by citizens. In other words, the initiatives are mechanisms for semi-direct democracy through which citizens can promote a certain action of common interest to the authority, by collecting a specific number of signatures.

In this case, what the authority has to do is enable the promotion of these initiatives and offer the necessary technical support and advice to the people concerned. The role of the platform’s administrator, then, is somewhat different from that of the other participation spaces. In the first place, you will have to configure the various forms of initiatives provided for under the regulations (municipal rules), specifying the number of signatures required for processing the various types of citizen initiatives. An initiative for incorporating one or several items into the Municipal Council’s agenda evidently requires fewer signatures than another initiative for promoting a citizen consultation.

@startuml !include https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bschwarz/puml-themes/master/themes/cerulean/puml-theme-cerulean.puml () -→ "Create a new initiative" if "Has only one type?" then -→ [Yes] "Fill initiative form" else -→ [No] "Select initiative type" -→ "Fill initiative form" Endif partition Created { if "Is the User a UserGroup?" then -→ [Yes] "Send to Technical Validation" else -→ [No] Collect the minimum number of committee members (2 by default) -→ "Send to Technical Validation" Endif } partition Validating { if "Has passed the maximum time for validation (60 days by default)?" then -→ [Yes] "Expired" else -→ [No] if "Is accepted by an administrator?" then -→ [No] "Discarded" else -→ [Yes] "Publish" endIf endIf } partition Published { -→ "Signature process" if "Has passed the configured time window for validation (60 days by default)?" -→ [Yes] "Expired" else -→ [No] Export PDF to signatures -→ Check signatures with offline signatures for duplicates (if the Initiative has them) -→ if "Has the initiative get the number of signatures required?" then -→ [No] Rejected else -→ [Yes] Accepted endIf endIf } -→ () @enduml

To configure the initiative type, click on INITIATIVES on the menu to the left of the DASHBOARD, then click on Initiative types from the Initiative submenu and then on NEW (Initiative types.).

The New initiative type window will open (New initiative type.), where you need to enter the Title, Description of the initiative and upload a Banner image. To finish, click on Create.

A window will immediately open with the information just created on the initiative type, where the number of signatures required has to be specified according to possible scopes (city, neighbourhood/ district). (See Initiative type’s window. at the very bottom)

Second, the administrator will have to monitor the initiatives created by users and check whether all the information presented is correct. Go to the initiative submenu (Initiative types.) and click first on Initiatives and then on the corresponding initiative. On the left of the submenu for that initiative (Submenu of a specific initiative.), you can: configure the Committee members, the Meetings and create a Page and Attachments. The procedure for configuring these functions is identical to the one used in other participation spaces, such as participatory processes and assemblies.

To carry out these monitoring actions click on Information in the initiative’s submenu. The following buttons will appear at the very bottom: Update, Send to technical validation, Publish (Unpublish where it has already been published), Discard initiative, Export supports (in .csv, visible when the initiative has been published).

For example, an initiative can be rejected where it limits or restricts fundamental rights and freedoms and, in the case of local authorities, where it does not refer to matters under municipal jurisdiction.