Governability is understood by the author as the ability of the state to respond to the challenges of social and political development. The responsibility for the effectiveness public administration depends not only on the state, but also on the civil society structures. The author connects the increasing of governability with the development of communication, dialogue and collaboration in the society. suggesting the concept of “civil capacities” as activity characteristics of citizens in public interaction, but the processes of networking and digitalization of society not only generate new opportunities for effective communication, but also create threats. Citizen science as a concept for conducting scientific research involving a wide range of volunteer citizens in collecting and processing information in various fields of science not only contributes to the growth of scientific knowledge and education, but also has significant potential for social development and contributes to the improvement of civil capacities in a networked, digital society. The author researches the value bases of citizen science and substantiates the importance of supporting citizen science projects in contemporary Russia in connection with the processes of digitalization of society.