Participation-Handbook

The European Institute on Public Participation has published together with the Bertelsmann Foundation a systematic comparison of public participation models used in poilcy-making (pdf, in German). In particular the study focuses on large-scale deliberative models and how they are used by whom. These models include everything from Appreciative Inquiry to Participatory Budgeting to Future Workshops.

The handbook is intended for policy-makers, pracitioners of public participation and researchers. It explicitly follows a systematic, though application-oriented approach. This helps to compare the remit and merit of each model. They are analysed according to their main features, historical development, the degree of their use and important actors involved in them. Subsequently, sponsors and issues for which these models are used are presented and illustrated with examples.

The study is only availalbe in German.

On this project we collaborate with Kairos gGmbh, Austria.

The panel discussed ways to learn from the current economic crisis and find new, sustainable ways of living together. Partizia emphasised the contribution public participation can make to a better future. She highlighted the strengths of citizen engagement, the potential of a collective wisdom.

Pictures and videos can be found here.

• Research into what works when in terms of engaging the public in the decision-making processes which affect their lives and society and the environment at large.
• Evaluation of specific participation activities to develop a better and deeper understanding of the factors which make these activities effective – or ineffective – in order to learn from experiences.
• Building capability and capacity of those charged with fostering the participation of the public in decision-making, based on the evidence from research and evaluation.
• Developing networks of researchers and practitioners in public participation across Europe and linking with similar networks in other continents.
• Promoting the benefits of public participation through changing the attitudes and behaviours of the politicians and public officials involved.

Between November 2008 and June 2009, 361 randomly selected German residents participated in this innovative process of online-deliberation. They formed a Citizens’ Forum with eight committees (each with circa 45 participants) whose task was to complete an agenda on the future of Europe. Within their discussions they defined the European Union’s future challenges and developed possible solutions taking into consideration how European citizens themselves can contribute to these developments.

At the beginning of the process in February 2009, all the participants met in Berlin. Together the eight committees framed the basis for the subsequent online deliberation by defining Europe’s main challenges on which they would like to work. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, attended the event as a guest. During an eight-week online deliberation, the participants reviewed and checked their original ideas, examining the most persuasive points and compiling a citizens’ programme consisting of 16 resolutions. In April 2009 the participants met again, this time in the old German parliament building in Bonn, and discussed their demands with five European Parliament candidates.

The Citizens’ Forum was implemented by Zebralog and Binary Objects, who took care of the planning, setup and moderation of the online deliberation, and IKU, who was responsible for the live event in Berlin. The whole process has been evaluated by the European Institute for Public Participation(EIPP).

As you can see on the website of the PEP project they are very useful, not only for organisers of public participation, but also for evaluators, as they provide yardsticks against which participation processes can be evaluated.

The Seven Core Principles

1. Planning and Preparation – Plan, design, and convene the engagement specifically to serve both the purpose of the effort and the needs of participants.
2. Inclusion and Diversity – Incorporate diverse voices, ideas, and information to lay the groundwork for quality outcomes and democratic legitimacy.
3. Collaboration and Shared Purpose – Support organizers, participants, and those engaged in follow-up to work well together for the common good.
4. Listening and Learning – Help participants listen, explore and learn without predetermined outcomes — and evaluate public engagement efforts for lessons.
5. Transparency and Trust – Promote openness and provide a public record of the people, resources, forums, and outcomes involved.
6. Impact and Action – Ensure each participatory effort has real potential to make a difference.
7. Sustained Participation and Democratic Culture – Promote a culture of participation with programs and institutions that support ongoing quality public engagement.

EIPP is convinced that these seven principles are very useful for focused deliberation and we are therefore happy to endorse them.

In addition, we will adhere to the following two (draft) principles ourselves:

0. Clear Statement of Purpose, Power and Authority – The main purpose and any collateral purposes of the engagement activity are clearly stated and adhered to and the power and authority of the public in decision-making is made transparent at the outset and is respected throughout the process.

And, given that we focus on the evaluation of participation processes:

8. Rigorously Evaluate – Evaluate the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of engagement activity against the intended (main and collateral) purposes as well as taking account of any unforeseen benefits or disbenefits arising.

We are considering also adding another one:

N. Flexibility and Innovation – Be prepared to adapt, change course and invent new approaches during the course of engagement processes in response to feedback, problems and opportunities.

This is one of the primary intentions of our work at the EIPP – making sure that citizens’ voices are heard and listened to in policy-making. Crucial in that regard is, however, that the broader public debate also engages with public participation, its concepts and potentials. We participate in that debate.

Our recent contributions in the run up to the European elections – but also beyond – are articles on ZEIT online (German) and in Il Sole 24 Ore (Italian).

Feel free to comment online on ZEIT online or here. We want to hear your thoughts.

The report is a continuously ongoing work in progress. We will in the future update the report or parts thereof in order to provide you with an ongoing analysis of public participation in Europe. Older versions of the report will continue to be avilable as well, of course.

Please comment. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Only through your contribution and knowledge can this report be useful to its greatest extent.

You can find copies of the Executive Summary of the report, the Presentations and a Summary of the Issues Raised on our Events page. But, before you go, please add your feedback and further thoughts here.

What is needed is a fundamental revitalization of democratic practices, which will empower ordinary citizens in new ways.

In this paper we set out a vision of how to establish participation in real world settings and sketch out the biggest challenges facing practitioners of participation today.

Please download Making their voices heard – and listened to.pdf,