GÁVEA is an informal group that brings together a team who works within the field of observation in the information society. By studying the forms of citizen's participation in the portals of the Municipalities through the biannual publication entitled "Index of Municipalities Internet Presence" (IPIC), this study has lasted for 17 years in Portugal, due to its two specific characteristics: first because it is a very complete study, in that it has covered all of the 308 municipalities at national level. Secondly, because the evaluation is always taken from the citizen's perspective, translating a measure of utility effectively withdrawable from the municipalities’ portals.
"In 1999, we already had some proximity and curiosity regarding the Municipalities. Following a meeting with Mariano Gago, [then Minister of Science and Technology], we found it appropriate to undertake a systematic and updated observation on how the information society and municipalities are crossing", recalls Luís Amaral, Associate Professor of the DSI of the EEUM and researcher at GÁVEA.
With the mission of promoting the study and development of the information and knowledge society in Portugal, contributing to a better understanding of its realities, trends and promotion of R&D projects, the Municipalities see in GÁVEA an instrument that allows them to perceive whether or not citizens are satisfied with the services with the presence of their municipality on the Internet. About these studies carried out at the University of Minho (UMinho), Luís Amaral explains that the Municipalities see usefulness as an instrument promoter of continuous improvement and that effectively "have impact in promoted projects to improve and modernize their presence on the Internet."
The UMinho/GÁVEA team is actually composed by researchers from GÁVEA Luís Miguel Ferreira and David Leal and coordinated by Delfina Sá Soares and Luís Amaral, both Professors at the DSI of the EEUM. GÁVEA is composed by other several experts from different fields – Social Sciences, Communication Sciences, Economics, Management and Statistics.
