Sustainable Citizens' Assemblies

This project develops practical knowledge and tools to help participation professionals design and organise effective citizens' assemblies on climate and sustainability.

Centre of Expertise Governance of Urban Transitions

In recent years, citizens' assemblies have emerged as a promising form of public participation for involving citizens in complex societal issues. Policymakers and public officials increasingly view citizens' assemblies as an effective way to address challenges such as climate change and sustainability.

What is a Citizens' Assembly?

A citizens' assembly is a participatory process in which a representative group of randomly selected citizens advises a public authority on an urgent, complex and often controversial issue. During a series of facilitated meetings, participants learn about the topic with support from experts and engage in in-depth discussions before formulating recommendations.

Organising a successful citizens' assembly is far from straightforward. Participation professionals, the growing group of public officials responsible for citizen participation, face important questions about how to design and facilitate these processes effectively. Poorly organised citizens' assemblies can undermine public trust and reduce citizens' willingness to participate.

The Sustainable Citizens' Assemblies project develops practical, evidence-based knowledge that participation professionals can apply to organise successful citizens' assemblies. In doing so, the project aims to prevent citizens' assemblies from becoming another short-lived trend in public participation.

The research focuses on four key characteristics of citizens' assemblies:

Representativeness of the participant group
The role of experts during the assembly
The influence of recommendations on public policy
The long-term societal embedding of citizens' assemblies

Method

Toolkit for Participation Professionals

Participation professionals involved in organising citizens' assemblies, primarily focused on climate and sustainability, come together in learning network sessions to exchange practical experiences and research insights. The knowledge generated through this research provides practical guidance for designing and implementing citizens' assemblies.

These insights are incorporated into a design toolkit that helps participation professionals make informed decisions before, during and after a citizens' assembly. The research also aims to provide a better understanding of the value of citizens' assemblies as a participatory approach to addressing climate and sustainability challenges.

At the heart of the project is a learning network of 14 practice partners from municipalities and provinces. Throughout the research, the project team works closely with participation professionals from these organisations to address real-world questions and challenges. This collaborative approach ensures that the knowledge developed can be readily applied by other organisations organising citizens' assemblies.

Duration

1 February 2024 – 31 January 2026

Results

Interim findings are shared through longreads and blogs published by the Participation Knowledge Hub (Kennisknooppunt Participatie).

Published knowledge products:

Evaluation Study: Utrecht Citizens' Assembly on New Year's Celebrations (2024)
Evaluation Study: Heemstede Citizens' Assembly on Waste Collection (2024)
Longreads presenting the research findings. Longread #1: Citizens' Assemblies Are More Diverse Than You Think, but Avoid One-Liners About Representativeness
Blogs published through the Participation Knowledge Hub
Representativeness of Participant Groups: Four Lessons for Future Citizens' Assemblies

Expected knowledge products:

Design toolkit for participation professionals
Scientific publications

Collaboration

Knowledge partners

The Hague University of Applied Sciences (lead partner), Research Group Public Governance
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Research Group Coordination of Metropolitan Issues
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Research Group Psychology for a Sustainable City
Bureau EMMA
Bureau Burgerberaad
Participation Knowledge Hub of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management

Funding

The research is funded by a grant from Regieorgaan SIA through the RAAK-publiek programme.

Team

Christine Bleijenberg
Marianne van Bochove
Jikke Eikelboom
Hasse van der Veen
Juliet van Viersen

Contact

Dr Christine Bleijenberg
[email protected]