I’ve been checking out Drupal, a web-based content management system that could provide an interesting platform for online engagement projects (especially those with a limited budget — Drupal is open source).

For those who don’t know Drupal, it describes itself as a “dynamic web site platform which allows an individual or community of users to publish, manage and organize a variety of content, Drupal integrates many popular features of content management systems, weblogs, collaborative tools and discussion-based community software into one easy-to-use package.”

One interesting Drupal implementation at the edges of civic engagement is Civic Space. Civic Space aims more at grassroots organizing and campaigning than at consultation per se, but it’s an interesting starting point for organizations who are looking for a version of Drupal that is a little more tailored to civic engagement needs.