Enhancing the Quality of Citizens' Participation

Participation processes aren’t always done well. As a result, citizens don’t get involved with new participation offers, and the initiators give up on launching any future citizens’ participations.  

If your are you planning a citizens’ participation process, these ten principles help you to evaluate and improve this participation process. They provide you with guidance and certainty. They offer you an opportunity to make your participation offer satisfactory and profitable to everyone involved.

The ten principles for enhancing the quality of citizens’participation are substantiated with key questions`and practical recommendations. They are supplemented by a suggested wording for a “voluntary commitment for good citizens’ participation” as well as a brief evaluation questionnaire with which you can check for yourself whether the quality principles have been adhered to.  The principles  are valid for all processes of citizens’ participation: for participation at the municipal, state and national level as well as for participation processes with public or private project sponsors.