How to revitalise democratic practices to empower ordinary citizens?

2. How to revitalise democratic practices to empower ordinary citizens?

3. Participatory-deliberative theory of democracy Participatory: citizens engaging more deeply with substantive political issues + officials responding to their concerns Deliberative: citizens and officials addressing public problems by reasoning together about how to solve them

4. Public participation = The deliberative process by which interested or affected citizens, civil society organizations, and government actors are involved in policy-making before a political decision is taken ie collaborative problem-solving with the goal of achieving more legitimate policies

5. Public participation Information  Consultation  Two-way communication 

6. Deliberation A process of thoughtful discussion based on the giving and taking of reasons for choices

7. Why? • Because public participation can: • Increase the legitimacy of political decisions • Lead to more informed solutions • Diminish disaffection and improve trust in the political system

8. Problem We do not know enough about public participation

9. The challenges of participation • Political and social costs: are participatory processes efficient? And which method is more efficient that an other in a given situation? • Complexity: helping citizens be knowlegeable enough to participate? • Method: How to choose the right ones for the issue and stage of the policy cycle • Representativeness: How to empower/draw in people who tend to be marginalised?

10. Italy has: • A high level of activity in civil society that might transfer to public participation in political decision-making. • Decentralisation to regions and cities since 2001 • Four laws to validate citizen participation in civil society organisations

11. Italy also has: • Little independent information in television and the press • Civil Society organisations not focused on the political function of public participation • A lack of resources locally to support public participation • No Federal policy on public participation • Politicians are not aware or not interested • A civil society seen as a threat by the „casta“ • Citizens who don’t trust politics

12. In Germany: • No public participation in decision-making at federal level  • More opportunities and activities in the  states/Länder • At the local level public participation mostly on urban planning and development • !! Except for the local level, all activities are considered as experiments !!

13. Germany has: • Increasing use of referenda at Länder level  • Deliberative innovations: eg public sector reform in RheinlandPfalz • Growing pressure on the public sector through NGO's initiatives

14. German challenges and opportunities • Challenge: public officials have little experience with and knowledge about participation and its advantages • Challenge: no coordinated policy on participation • Opportunity: growing awareness among politicians and administrators about participation   • Opportunity: eParticipation as a innovation motor  • !!  Training and information are necessary !!

15. UK participation scene • Government policy and practice • Flourishing civil society • Supporting infrastructure • Sustainability of public participation

16. UK problems • Culture • Capacity/competence • Communication • Exclusion of marginalised • Lack of trust • Lack of strategic coherence • Lack of vision • Lack of resources

17. UK solutions • Community of participation practitioners • Training to develop capacity • Consultancy • Participation audits • National standard for participation • Vision for participation • Coherent and consistent evaluation

18. Key Findings • Clearly defined constitutional framework for public participation • Systematic approach to participation methods • Rigorous and challenging evaluation of public participation

19. Some dimensions of evaluation • Primary inputs • Cost • Time • Length of time • Primary outcomes • Quality of decision • Ease of implementation • Quality & quantity • Volume • Depth • Breadth • Collateral benefits • Relationships • Learning • Satisfaction • Collaborative culture • Process • Methodologies/tools • Combinations • Ease of use • Competence