INTERVIEW TOPIC GUIDE: ESRC PROJECT THE INTERNET, ELECTORAL POLITICS AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

E-Campaign Team Management/ Organisation
•	When started planning the e-campaign?
•	Who was involved in original discussions/meetings?
•	Overall numbers on managing the e-campaign at HQ (paid staff, volunteers)
•	Formal committee/sub-committee within the campaign
•	Members of the team – roles and responsibilities
•	Relationship/integration to main campaign/involvement by leader/senior figures in the party

Official Presence Audit:
•	Main website: date started, created and managed in house or outsourced, resources deployed
•	Campaign mobilisation site: (if applicable) logistics/technical ( date started, created and managed in house or outsourced)
•	Official party / leader blog (if applicable) logistics/technical ( date started, created and managed in house or outsourced)
•	Other party run web presences?
•	Use of 3rd party platforms: SNS, Twitter, YouTube other? 
•	Extent of integration across web platforms, shared personnel.

DataBases
•	Does the party operate a central or local database for canvassing/contact purposes
•	How well integrated was this to the online campaign? Did it contain email addresses, was data gathered via the web uploaded?
•	Were canvassers able to access the database via mobile technologies/web and download current information.

Goals/Strategy
•	For each of the above what were the key objectives for each. What was perceived as the different ‘return’ or ‘value added’ that each provided? Were they targeted at different groups? Some were better for informing, some for mobilisation (internally i.e. members or externally i.e. voters), some participation, organisational networking?
•	Did they yield the expected return? 
•	How did the aims of this e-campaign differ to 2005 – aside from the wider range of tools available – was there a stronger commitment and different goal?
•	How far did the Obama campaign affect their approach? What do they see as the key ingredients of the his model – can it work in the UK? What are the barriers to implementation?

Promotion, Design & Resources
•	How di dthey promote the party online – through blogs/online word of mouth or paid ads - google adwords? 
•	Who advises on site design – professionals?
•	Where do you look for design ideas? Other political organisations, in other countries?
•	What was the cost of the e-campaign – hardware (database), software, main site, ads, subsidiary sites,  apps development, staff costs. Ranking of most to least features expensive to run?
•	What design issues do they consider most important – style wise? Graphics, flash, eye catching, minimalist? Is it about creating a multi-platform one size fits all brand/image that is repeated across platforms blogs, Facebook or adapt to fit each one individually?
•	How far do you encourage local branches and supporter groups to follow party model/design ?

Outcomes 
•	How far were expectations/goals realised? How well overall did the online strategy work? Was this view shared across the party?
•	Did they formally monitor success through web statistics? How did they evaluate performance across the various party run and external applications? (no of friends, hits on site, followers on twitter, blog comments) 
•	How many donations were made / membership sign  ups– average / overall amount/number?
•	How many emails did they gather/who were their registered supporters– region/demographics?
•	What were the best aspects of the online campaign - what worked most effectively?
•	What were the least successful aspects of the campaign – what failed to work/backfired?
•	Were there any negatives in the wider web – spoofs, unofficial content that proved particularly helpful or damaging?
•	Were there any unexpected results from using the technology?
•	Lessons learned for the next campaign?

Comparison to other Media/electronic tools
•	How has the party approached other media  to promote its message- how important is online ‘face’ compared with that on TV, radio and print? 
•	Does the party use databases – was the online element integrated with it – to upload data from local canvassesers,  import email  addresses.
•	Does it largely supplement other  approaches or present a new set of activities not possible via other media.
•	Reach new groups?

Intranet
•	Do they run an intranet or internal online communication system – who can access it? National, local staff, members?
•	Is it used mainly for sharing information or does it have a more policy based focus – or more about participation of members – i.e. based around discussion forums
•	Does it generally function to promote communication from the centre out to local staff or is there a bottom up element?
•	How would you assess the overall orientation toward technology and IT skills of membership

Local level/ Internal groups
•	How active are local branches, sub-groups within the party online. Is there an official policy or expectation concerning website presence/design of any sites
•	Are local parties, candidates, supporter groups en couraged to go online
•	Does the party monitor or manage the local online efforts?

Audience/ Usage/ Participation 
•	Who  are the main users of the sites? Party activists, media, voters/public? Do they monitor this through traffic statistics, hitwise?
•	How has the profile of users changed over time and across platforms? Particularly from the web 1.0 era (i.e. pre 2005)
•	Are the sites seen as tools for promoting participation by the public or members?
•	Are the sites seen as tools for recruitment? If so, members per month?
•	Are the sites seen as tools for donations/funding? If so, donations per month?
•	Are the sites seen as tools for feedback and if so w hat type / extent
•	Are their patterns in feedback – what has produced a spike?
•	How is feedback handled – is their a standard operating procedure followed? What happens if have sudden spike?

Party approach to Technology
•	Is there a particular orientation within the party toward the technology?
•	Are there certain aspects of its organisation or outlook that mean it is used in particular ways and for certain purposes? i.e. Leader or membership outlook, history of early adoption/innovation, internal structure, policy goals?
•	Are new ICTs primary mode of communication for party  - internal and/or external (voters). If not, will they become main mode?