A flow diagram of the petitioning process

As part of the EuroPetition project, we have created an idealised summary flow diagram of a general e-petitiong process process.

It illustrates the processes involved during the life of an individual petition. It divides the processes into four stages to allow a high-level overview of the the life of an individual petition, while showing the significant detailed processes.

Having a flow diagram like this is useful in helping non-technical people understand the petitioning process, for instance with the coming requirement on English and Werlsh local authorities to have online petitioning.  The diagram does not exactly match the EuroPetition application; instead, its aim is to show some of the main features of an e-petitioning system, bu tnot everything, for instance the use of emails at the end of the process to inform and engage the people who signed the petition is omitted for simplicity. Another obvious omission is the role of the media throughout the process.

This diagram brings out the importance of officers in supporting the petitioning process, with the petitioner only having a limited role within the system between submission and completion, particularly if they are not involved in moderating or facilitating a parallel online debate.

Download a clear PDF of the diagram here.