Engaging citizens is vital for effective governance and social unity, driven by practical benefits such as better decision-making and increased accountability, as well as ethical principles like democracy and social justice.
Every consultative and participatory process in policy-making requires addressing particular clarifications. These definitions help us understand the essential elements of any consultative process. Discover how they work together to bring in innovative ideas and make policy-making more inclusive, encouraging active discussions and meaningful participation.
The purpose of a consultative process is the first consideration, guiding the setting of objectives and expectations. The purpose can encompass broad exploration (Generative) and/or focused decision-making (Convergence). Generative thinking explores reasons for citizen engagement, while Convergence selects suitable methods and tools.
Establishing principles for consultative processes is vital, as it establishes common expectations amongst everyone involved Norms guide behaviour during the activity.
Forums and activities that bring people together during a policy-making process differ according to who organizes the event and who is able to participate.
Political Spaces are moments, actions, opportunities, and channels where people work together to affect decisions, discourses, and relationships that affect their lives and their interests. Each space has its own purpose, and each space has differing participation drivers to achieve its goal.
Political spaces can be mapped on a spectrum from top-down to bottom-up:
How much do you intend to engage, and how much power do the participants of your activity have?.
You can use the 5Cs of Engagement as a heuristic to characterize the level of participation:
At the bottom rung of the ladder, labeled “Zero,” parties simply co-exist with (and around) one another. This represents the foundational level of cooperation where there is no intentional engagement or involvement of those affected.
Moving up the ladder, the second rung introduces the concept of communication. Here, power holders share information with others in a largely one-way flow of information.
Continuing upward, we encounter the third rung, marked as “Consult.” This stage signifies a higher level of engagement where power holders invite input and feedback from others, establishing a limited two-way flow of communication.
As we ascend further, we transition from engagement to participation. The fourth rung introduces collaboration, where power holders involve those affected and concerned, fostering a spirit of working together towards common goals.
Finally, at the pinnacle of the cooperation ladder, we arrive at the fifth and final rung: “Co-decide.” Here, decisions are made collectively with the involvement of those affected or concerned, emphasizing a democratic approach to decision-making.
Framing questions define the scope of consultative processes, guiding engagement on specific topics. They should be timely, relevant, aligned with the local context, accepted by stakeholders, and consider practical constraints.
In a consultative process, it’s important to identify the roles of all participants.
A list of common roles:
Other Roles:
When developing a consultative process, a key step is to determine who should participate and why? Different participant recruitment approaches have different pro’s and con’s.