The INNOVADE project has released a prototype of a new tool for measuring digital democracy: the Digital Democracy Score (DDS). The DDS is available online in English as a web-based tool at: https://www.digital-democracy.net. The tool uses survey questions to calculate a series of digital democracy scores, visualises the results, and provides tailored recommendations. The DDS is designed as a support tool for anyone who uses or operates digital democracy technologies, from local to national and transnational contexts.
Wide-Ranging Applications
The DDS offers valuable insights for a diverse range of users, including operators of political online discussion forums; neighbourhood groups organising online citizen engagement; local communities and cities running citizen reporting systems such as FixMyStreet or digital participatory budgeting platforms like Decidim, Consul, or DemocracyOS; organisations using decision-making or opinion-mapping software such as Loomio or Pol.is; parliaments and civil society organisations offering civic technologies such as online petition systems; local, regional, or national governments using e-voting; and governments and communities using digital media to support citizens’ assemblies and citizens’ councils.
Measuring Multiple Dimensions of Digital Democracy
Paderborn University’s research team that consists of Kevin Friesch, Christian Fuchs, and Joel Musba, developed the DDS. Professor Christian Fuchs, who led the development of the DDS, commented:
“There is not one single digital democracy. There are different forms and models of digital democracy. The Digital Democracy Score takes this diversity into account. It is highly flexible and well suited to measuring different varieties of digital democracy. The tool calculates up to six distinct scores and combines them into one overall score: the Digital Democracy Score.”
By focusing on different dimensions of digital democracy, the DDS can calculate the following scores: the Constitutional Digital Democracy Score (CODDI), Deliberative Digital Democracy Score (DEDDI), Participatory Digital Democracy Score (PADDI), Representative Digital Democracy Score (REDDI), Direct Digital Democracy Score (DIDDI), and Pluralist Digital Democracy Score (PLUDDI).
Depending on the functionalities of the digital democracy initiative being assessed, the tool calculates some or all of these scores and combines them into an overall Digital Democracy Score (DDS) ranging from 0 (very low) to 100 (very high).
Free Training Workshops
The INNOVADE project will host two free online training workshops to introduce and explain the DDS:
• Tuesday, 24 February 2026, 10:00 CET - 11:00 CET
• Wednesday, 4 March 2026, 10:00 CET - 11:00 CET
Registrations for the workshops are open.
Participation in the training workshop, access to and use of the DDS tool are completely free of charge.