How to enable self-efficacy and democratic learning? How to support participants in shaping the agenda?
RelatedSustaining EmpowermentEngaging with Communities of InterestFuture VisioningPolyphonic Decision-MakingEnabling Spaces & ToolsCollectively Learning
Citizen assemblies start with a set agenda and process. This is necessary for reaching concrete results within a limited time. However, it also limits self-efficacy, democratic learning, collective empowerment, and eventually, the assembly outcomes. Assemblies could leave space and time for content and activities tailored by participants’ curiosities and desires.
The assembly content, the choice of invited speakers, and the organisational format could be partially shaped by participants’ input. Participants could start by developing guiding principles, shared values, and a vision of what they would like to happen during or after the assembly, rather than jumping into concrete measures right away. → Future Visioning. After becoming familiar with the focus areas of an assembly and related fields of expertise, participants could decide which additional people to invite to discuss specific topics and to draw on other sources of inspiration and information, such as videos, readings, or excursions. Even more radical, and organisationally demanding, participants could be involved in co-designing the process. They could shape the agenda design and structure by defining key topics, related working groups, timeframes, and collaborative methods.
Jointly define guiding principles, an “impact manifesto,” or a cooperation agreement at the outset to align expectations and collective goals (e.g., “Thinking of the world as a whole”). In Bürgerrat Klima, participants first collaborated on “Visions for the future and guiding principles for transformation”, supported by materials on societal transformation, which encouraged thinking beyond “business as usual” → Future Making. Citizen´s Climate Report (PDF)
Enable members to shape the agenda by contributing ideas and priorities through shared tools (e.g., ideaboards) and autonomously inviting speakers. At the Consiglio dei cittadini per il Clima (IT), the working group on energy suggested inviting a person with expertise in energy cooperatives. Based on these contributions, the group concluded that a ‘rethink’ on collective agency was needed.
Grant participants the possibility to expand the scope of discussion beyond the original agenda and tackle unforeseen topics (e.g., biodiversity) CCC in France, by also providing resources for unexpected events → Aligning Ambitions and Resources.
Balance broad commissioning mandates with participant-driven priorities through a two-step agenda-setting process: first, defining an overall remit, then enabling participants to refine and prioritize the specific issues they want to focus on.