Four phases of youth eParticipation

Before reading the tips and tricks of the OPIN guidelines, it is important to bear in mind that eParticipation is just one building block of your project. Firstly, an eParticipation project is not solely about setting up online participation features: there are several building blocks that surround or are an integral part of the eParticipation process. You should also construct these building blocks either before, during or after the eParticipation process takes place in order to make your project successful. Secondly, an eParticipation project is never an isolated activity. It is part of a bigger political process which you may or may not be in control of, and which you should stay well-informed about too. Only then you will be able to design a project that fits well and yields relevant results which can actually be used for something.    

The logic behind the structure of the OPIN guidelines    

The OPIN guidelines are structured chronologically under the following four project phases: 

In practice, this chronological structure will most likely be challenged as there will often be overlaps between the different phases. The same goes for the tips and tricks for better and more youth eParticipation which fall under the different phases. But as long as you put some thought into all issues presented to you in the OPIN guidelines, your project should be in good hands.