We have talked about the definitions of public participation and its frameworks, but how to apply the concept in real life is remain a question. Prior to plan participation activities in practice, it is necessary to understand various types of participation and the techniques needed for each type. Choosing the appropriate type and tools in different circumstances and contexts is crucial. We define a hierarchy of participation including four levels by the mode of communication and degree of public influence on decision-making (adapted from IAP2 Spectrum). Remember no one level is necessarily better or more beneficial than another one.
The Hierarchy of Participation
Level 1 Information
Telling people about your project or service and decisions.
Key points: provide information and inform people about your service
Communication mode: one-way communication
Level of public influence: no
Techniques: pass on information
Examples: newsletters, websites, project introduction, brochures
Level 2 Consultation
Asking for public opinions and ideas, possibly making adjustments and decisions according to their feedback.
Key points: provide information, inform people, and obtain feedback about your service
Communication mode: two-way communication
Level of public influence: limited
Techniques: ask and listen to the public, take their voice in decisions
Examples: polls, surveys, message board, interviews, suggestion boxes
Level 3 Collaboration
Sharing responsibilities with citizens, working together, and making decisions collaboratively.
Key points: provide information, inform people, obtain feedback about your service, and involve them in decision-making
Communication mode: dialogue-based communication
Level of public influence: moderate
Techniques: organize events, distribute tasks, and make decisions together
Examples: forums, mapping, idea-collection and voting, education events, volunteer activities
Level 4 Empowerment
Giving the full managerial power of decision-making to the public.
Key points: provide information, inform people, obtain feedback about your service, citizens make decisions, and you implement their decisions
Communication mode: dialogue-based communication
Level of public influence: full control
Techniques: organize events for citizens, place the full decision-making power in their hands, and implement what they have decided
Examples: citizen proposals, community-run committees
Four Levels of Participation
WeSolve offers flexible choices for you to decide which level of participation is suitable for your projects and services. We embed descriptions, idea-collection and polls for each challenge so that you can incorporate the techniques quickly and conveniently into your participation activities.
Yunyue Peng
Master in Nature Management at the University of Copenhagen, focusing on public participation and citizen action in nature conservation and sustainable development.