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Active citizenship
Active citizenship refers to the engagement of individuals in their community or society to improve conditions for others, promote the common good, and protect human rights. It involves participating in activities such as voting, volunteering, civic activism, and community service, aiming to influence decision-making processes, policy development, and social change. Active citizens are informed about social, political, and environmental issues and are committed to contributing positively to their community and society at large.
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Canvassing
Canvassing is a method used primarily in political campaigns, marketing, and grassroots movements, involving direct engagement with individuals through door-to-door visits or phone calls. The goal is to gather support, solicit opinions, promote candidates or causes, and sometimes to conduct surveys. It’s an effective strategy for personal interaction, aiming to inform, persuade, or mobilise individuals towards a particular action or viewpoint.
Circoscrizioni
“Circoscrizioni” in the Italian municipal decentralisation are a legal system, a body for participation, consultation and management of basic services, as well as for the exercise of delegated functions, established by the municipality with competence over a part of its territory comprising one or more contiguous boroughs.
Citizen participation methods
Citizen participation methods involve engaging the public in decision-making to ensure policies and projects reflect community needs. The most well known methods include public consultations, participatory budgeting, online forums, town hall meetings, and citizen advisory boards, among others. These approaches aim to make governance more inclusive, transparent, and responsive by incorporating diverse perspectives and feedback.
Citizens’ assembly
A citizens’ assembly is a representative group of citizens chosen to deliberate on specific issues and make recommendations. It reflects the broader population’s demographic diversity and aims to enhance democratic decision-making by incorporating public input.
Citizens‘ cafè
The citizens’ café is the presentation of the results and the interactive process between the citizens’ council, politicians, administration, stakeholders and the public.
Citizens’ jury
A Citizens’ Jury is a small group of randomly selected citizens, representative of the demographics in the area, that come together to reach a collective decision or recommendation on a policy issue through informed deliberation.
Citizen summit
A citizen summit is a large-scale event that brings together a diverse group of citizens from various backgrounds to discuss and deliberate on key public issues, policy proposals, or future directions for a community or nation. It serves as a platform for public engagement, allowing participants to contribute their views, ideas, and solutions.
City Planning
City Planning, or urban planning, is the process of designing and regulating the use of space in urban areas to improve residents’ quality of life. It involves managing land use, transportation, environmental protection, and resource distribution to ensure sustainable and functional urban development. City planners aim to create livable, efficient, and attractive cities through strategic decision-making and public engagement.
Civic-political activism
Civic-political activism involves individuals and groups engaging in actions aimed at influencing social, economic, and political changes. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from protests and petitions to advocacy and electoral participation, aimed at promoting rights, justice, and policy reforms. This activism seeks to hold authorities accountable and drive societal progress through active civic engagement and political participation.
Climate assembly
A citizens’ assembly brings together people from all walks of life to discuss important issues – in this case climate change. At the assembly, assembly members learn about the issue, take time to discuss it with one another, and then make recommendations about what should happen.
Co-creation
Co-creation, co-planning or co-design refer to a participatory approach to designing solutions, in which community members are treated as equal collaborators in the design process.
Co-design
Co-design is a collaborative approach where stakeholders work together to create solutions, products, or services, ensuring that outcomes meet diverse needs and perspectives.
Co-planning
Co-planning involves joint effort in designing or organising projects, strategies, or events, where all participants contribute ideas and decisions to ensure shared goals are met effectively.
Collaborative
Collaborative refers to a process or activity involving joint effort among a group of people or organisations to achieve a common goal. It emphasises cooperation, teamwork, and shared decision-making, often leading to more inclusive and comprehensive outcomes by leveraging diverse perspectives and skills.
Collaboration pact
The World Café methodology is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. It is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes. The technique builds on the notion of group intelligence. By organising several discussion rounds where people are invited to discuss a topic of mutual interest in small groups, the technique enables bringing together individual ideas into one comprehensive message.
Consultation
Consultation is a process where individuals or groups seek advice, feedback, or expertise from others before making decisions. It’s commonly used in various contexts, including healthcare, law, business, and public policy, to inform actions or policies by considering diverse perspectives and expertise. This collaborative approach aims to enhance decision-making quality and outcomes by incorporating input from relevant stakeholders.
Consultative referendum
A consultative (or representative) referendum is a type of referendum through which the outcome of the popular vote does not have a direct legal effect, only issuing a set of political recommendations for elected representatives to act upon.
Community forums
Community forums are public spaces or digital platforms where members of a community gather to discuss common interests, share information, and address collective concerns. They serve as a hub for dialogue, resource exchange, and support, facilitating community engagement and connectivity.
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Decidim
Decidim is a digital platform for participatory democracy. The platform allows any organisation (local city council, association, university, NGO, neighbourhood or cooperative) to create mass processes for strategic planning, participatory budgeting, public consultation, collaborative design, etc. It also makes it possible to connect traditional in-person democratic meetings with the digital world: sending meeting invites, managing registrations, facilitating the publication of minutes, etc. In addition, Decidim enables the structuring of government bodies or assemblies (councils, boards, working groups), the convening of consultations, referendums or channelling citizen or member initiatives to trigger different decision-making processes.
Deliberation phase
The deliberation phase is a critical stage in decision-making processes where participants discuss, debate, and reflect on various options or proposals. It involves thorough examination and consideration of all aspects of the issue at hand, aiming to reach a consensus or informed decision. This phase emphasises open dialogue, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving.
Deliberative committees
Deliberative committees are groups that engage in in-depth discussions and analysis of issues or proposals to make informed decisions or recommendations. They focus on careful debate and diverse perspectives to ensure balanced and well-considered outcomes, playing a key role in decision-making processes across various contexts.
Deliberative democracy
Deliberative democracy is a form of democracy in which decision-making is based on deliberation rather than mere voting. In this approach, citizens engage in discussions, debates, and dialogue to consider various viewpoints and information before making decisions. It emphasises the importance of reasoned argument, informed participation, and consensus-building in shaping public policy. Deliberative democracy aims to improve the quality and legitimacy of democratic decisions by involving citizens directly in the policymaking process.
Democracy festival
Democracy Festivals are the platforms for constructive political dialogue across opinions, age, gender, and hierarchy, where people come together each summer to discuss how to improve their countries. Civil society activists, entrepreneurs, government officials, politicians and people at large sit together and casually talk about how to make their country a better place for everybody.
Democratic innovation
Political innovation refers to the introduction of new ideas, practices, or technologies in the governance and political processes aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and public engagement. It encompasses reforms in electoral systems, policymaking, citizen participation, and the use of digital tools to facilitate democratic engagement. Political innovation seeks to address contemporary challenges in governance, enhance democratic participation, and foster more responsive and accountable institutions.
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of democracy where citizens have the direct power to decide on laws and policies, without going through representatives. It involves mechanisms like referendums, initiatives, and plebiscites, allowing the public to vote directly on legislative proposals or policy questions. This system aims to give citizens a more direct role in legislative decisions, policy formation, and governance.
Dynamic facilitation method
The Dynamic Facilitation method is a way of facilitating a small group of people to face and solve difficult issues. It helps people face critical issues and then helps them to be creative in addressing them. Rather than asking participants to hold back their emotions, stay on the agenda, abide by guidelines, follow a step-by-step process and to generally be rational, the Dynamic Facilitation method encourages people to just speak.
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Focus group study
A focus group study is a research method where a small, diverse group of people are gathered to discuss and provide feedback on a specific topic, product, or idea under the guidance of a moderator. This qualitative technique is used to explore participants’ attitudes, perceptions, and opinions, offering in-depth insights that surveys or quantitative methods might not capture.
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Gamification
Gamification is the strategic attempt to enhance systems, services, organisations, and activities by creating similar experiences to those experienced when playing games in order to motivate and engage users.
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Informal participation
Informal methods of participatory public engagement are those that occur as part of routine human interaction, outside of political institutions, and may involve dialogue, collective decision-making, and deliberation.
Information session
In citizen assembly processes, an information session serves as a preliminary meeting to educate participants about the assembly’s purpose, structure, and topics of discussion. It provides an overview of the decision-making process, the role of evidence and expert testimony, and the expectations for participant engagement. This session is key to preparing members for informed and constructive participation in the deliberations that follow.
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Knowledge broker
A knowledge broker is an intermediary (an organisation or a person), that aims to develop relationships and networks with, among, and between producers and users of knowledge by providing linkages, knowledge sources, and in some cases knowledge itself, (e.g. technical know-how, market insights, research evidence) to organisations in its network.
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Leafleting
Leafleting involves distributing flyers or leaflets to share information, advertise events or services, or promote causes. It’s a direct marketing or activism strategy used to reach a broad audience in public spaces, through door-to-door delivery, or in specific venues. Leafleting is often employed by businesses, political campaigns, and social movements to raise awareness, encourage participation, or influence opinions.
Lottery system
A subset of a statistical population in which each member of the subset has an equal probability of being chosen and is meant to be an unbiased representation of a group.
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Marginalised groups
Marginalised groups are communities facing discrimination or exclusion due to factors like race, gender, or economic status. They often experience limited access to resources, opportunities, and rights, resulting in social and economic disparities. Addressing their challenges involves promoting equity, inclusion, and removing barriers to participation in society.
Multilevel impact
Multilevel impact refers to the effects or outcomes of an action, policy, or project that are felt across different layers or aspects of society, including individual, community, and systemic levels. This concept acknowledges that changes in one area can ripple through and influence various sectors, demographics, and environments, often in complex and interconnected ways. It highlights the importance of considering broad and diverse consequences when planning or evaluating initiatives.
Multilingual deliberative process
A multilingual deliberative process involves facilitating discussions and decision-making in multiple languages to accommodate participants from diverse linguistic backgrounds. This approach ensures inclusivity and equity in participatory activities, allowing all members to contribute effectively and understand proceedings fully. It typically requires translation services, bilingual facilitators, or materials prepared in several languages, aiming to overcome language barriers and enhance the quality of collective deliberation.
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Neighbourhood architect
The neighbourhood architect is the figure for the management of the collaborative process is the neighbourhood architect: a referent of the municipality who is entrusted with the task of generating urban innovation projects, supporting and reinforcing relational networks in the neighbourhoods, and guaranteeing continuity of relations with the services of the authority. For each area, there is a reference neighbourhood architect.
Neighbourhood committees
Neighbourhood committees are groups of citizens who meet or communicate through various channels with the citizenship with the aim of making them responsible for administrative and social choices that affect the community, as well as to act as interpreters and promoters of citizens’ interests before institutions and public administration.
Non-binding
Non-binding refers to agreements, decisions, or resolutions that are not legally enforceable or mandatory. While they may express intentions, recommendations, or commitments, they do not have the legal authority to compel action or compliance. Non-binding measures are often used to guide, suggest, or signal preferences without imposing legal obligations.
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One-off processes
One-off processes refer to activities or events that are designed to happen just once, rather than being part of a regular, ongoing series. These can include unique meetings, projects, or initiatives intended to achieve a specific goal or address a particular issue without the intention of repetition.
Open call
An open call is an audition that’s open to any performer who has interest in trying out for the role. Open calls tend to draw significantly more performers than scheduled auditions because they’re open to candidates who don’t necessarily have an agent but who are nevertheless eager to showcase their acting skills.
Open data
Open data is data that is openly accessible, exploitable, editable and shared by anyone for any purpose.
Open dialogue
Open dialogue is a communicative approach that encourages free and inclusive conversation among participants, allowing for the exchange of ideas, opinions, and information without restrictions. It fosters an environment of transparency and trust, where diverse perspectives are valued and critical issues can be discussed constructively.
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Participatory budgeting
Participatory budgeting allows citizens or residents of a locality to identify, discuss, and prioritise public spending projects, and gives them the power to make real decisions about how money is spent.
Participatory democracy
Participatory democracy is a system where citizens have direct involvement in decision-making processes, beyond just voting in elections. It encourages active engagement through forums, public consultations, and direct voting on specific issues, aiming to increase democratic involvement, transparency, and public input in governance.
Participatory governance
Participatory governance is a democratic method that includes citizens in decision-making to influence public policies and resource management. It promotes collaboration between officials and the public, enhancing transparency, accountability, and trust by ensuring diverse community input into governance.
Participation plan
A participation plan outlines strategies and activities designed to engage stakeholders, such as community members, employees, or the public, in decision-making processes or projects. It details the objectives of participation, identifies the target groups for engagement, and specifies the methods and tools to be used for effective involvement.
Participatory planning
Participatory planning is an approach to urban and community planning that actively involves stakeholders, including residents, businesses, and government entities, in the decision-making process. It aims to create more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable outcomes by ensuring that the perspectives and needs of the community are integral to planning projects and policies. This method fosters shared ownership and accountability in the development process.
Permanent citizens’ council
A permanent citizens’ council is an ongoing, institutionalised body composed of randomly selected citizens to discuss and provide input on various public issues, policies, or proposals. Unlike temporary citizens’ assemblies, which are convened for specific topics, a permanent council serves as a continuous platform for public consultation and participatory democracy.
Planning cell
A planning cell is a structured forum where a diverse group of citizens come together to discuss, deliberate, and make informed decisions on specific policy issues or community matters. It aims to ensure inclusive and well-informed decision-making by involving ordinary people in the process, fostering open dialogue, considering various perspectives, and ultimately shaping more representative and thoughtful outcomes for governance and public policy.
Plenary session
A plenary session is a meeting attended by all members of a particular group or organisation, typically part of a larger conference or assembly. It’s a key session where major issues are discussed, decisions are made, or keynotes are presented to the entire audience. Plenary sessions are designed to address topics of common interest and importance, facilitating broad participation and collective decision-making.
Public hearing
Public hearings are typically organised as a way to gather public opinions and concerns on political issues before a legislature, agency, or organisation makes a decision or takes action.
Public-private partnership
Public-private partnership is a form of cooperation between public authorities and private parties with the aim of financing, building and managing infrastructure or providing services of public interest. This form of cooperation with private parties allows the public administration to attract more investment resources and expertise not available internally.
Principle of subsidiarity
The principle of subsidiarity is the principle that if a lower body is capable of performing a task well, the higher body does not have to intervene, but may possibly support its action.
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Random selection
Random selection is a form of sampling where a representative group of research participants is selected from a larger group by chance.
Referendum
A referendum (in some countries synonymous with plebiscite, or a vote on a ballot question) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal.
Representation
Representation refers to the act of having someone speak or act on behalf of a group, community, or constituency. In political contexts, it’s the principle by which elected officials serve to voice the interests and concerns of their voters in legislative bodies or other decision-making forums. Representation ensures that diverse perspectives and needs are considered in governance, policy-making, and the allocation of resources, aiming to reflect the collective will and welfare of the population.
Representative democracy
Representative democracy, political system in which citizens of a country or other political entity vote for representatives to handle legislation and otherwise rule that entity on their behalf.
Recruitment strategies
Recruitment strategies for participatory processes aim to ensure diverse and inclusive participation. These include targeted outreach to underrepresented groups, public advertising across various media, partnerships with community organisations, offering incentives, and utilising online platforms. The goal is to engage a wide audience, encouraging broad involvement in decision-making and consultation activities.
Recruitment of participants
Recruitment of participants involves identifying and engaging individuals to take part in activities, studies, or projects. This process is crucial for gathering diverse inputs, ensuring representativeness, and enhancing the validity of outcomes. It typically includes strategies like outreach, advertising, and incentivisation to attract and enrol suitable candidates.
Residential meetings
Residential meetings are gatherings held within a living community or neighbourhood, often in someone’s home or a communal living space, to discuss local issues, plan community events, or share information. These meetings aim to foster a sense of community, facilitate decision-making on residential matters, and encourage collaboration among neighbours for the betterment of their living environment.
Responder group
Workshops with stakeholders, members of government and administration. The suggestions of the citizens’ council are checked for concrete implementation and further measures are taken.
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Selection methodology
Selection methodology refers to the systematic approach or set of criteria used to choose individuals, projects, or elements from a larger pool for specific purposes. It involves determining the processes and standards by which selections are made, ensuring fairness, transparency, and alignment with goals. In various contexts, such as research, human resources, or participatory processes, the methodology might include random sampling, merit-based criteria, application reviews, or public nominations, each tailored to achieve the desired outcomes and representativeness.
Sit-outs
As a method of recruitment for participatory processes, sit-outs involve organising events or meetings in public spaces where individuals can learn about and sign up to participate in initiatives such as community projects, planning processes, or civic engagement activities. This approach allows organisers to directly reach and engage potential participants, providing information and answering questions in a casual, accessible setting. Sit-outs can effectively attract a diverse group of participants by making the opportunity to get involved visible and approachable in the community’s everyday spaces.
Social innovation
Social innovation refers to the design and implementation of new solutions that imply conceptual, process, product, or organisational change, which ultimately aim to improve the welfare and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Many initiatives undertaken by the social economy and by the civil society have proven to be innovative in dealing with socio-economic and environmental problems, while contributing to economic development. To fully tap the potential of social innovation, an enabling policy framework is needed to support public, non-profit and private actors to co-construct and implement socially innovative solutions and thereby contribute to address socio-economic issues, build stronger territorial resilience and better respond to future shocks.
Sortition
Sortition is the method of selecting individuals randomly from a larger pool to fill positions or roles, often used in the context of forming representative bodies like citizens’ assemblies. This approach ensures fairness and impartiality, promoting equal chances for all participants to be chosen.
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Targeted outreach initiatives
Targeted outreach initiatives are specialised efforts to connect with and involve underrepresented or specific groups in a community, using tailored strategies to overcome barriers and address their unique needs. These initiatives aim to enhance awareness, participation, and access to services by directly engaging these groups for inclusive and effective involvement.
Town hall meeting
Town hall meetings are a way for local and national politicians to meet with their constituents either to hear from them on topics of interest or to discuss specific upcoming legislation or regulation.
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Vote
A vote is a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot.
Voting phase
The voting phase is when participants in a decision-making process cast their votes to finalise choices or decisions. It’s crucial for reflecting collective preferences and can involve methods like secret ballots or electronic voting to ensure fairness and accuracy.
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World cafè
The World Café methodology is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. It is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes. The technique builds on the notion of group intelligence. By organising several discussion rounds where people are invited to discuss a topic of mutual interest in small groups, the technique enables bringing together individual ideas into one comprehensive message.
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