How to nurture trust and a sense of community among the assembly members? Which relationships are being strengthened or re-imagined? How can a transparent process be created?
RelatedDealing with Power in Organisation & GovernanceEmbracing Emotions & ConflictAddressing Doubts & Drop-outsEncourage Self-OrganisationFuture VisioningAmplify Minoritised Voices
Trust develops when people spend time together in a peer-to-peer setting, without institutional “translation filters”, and when everyone involved is aware of and willing to address existing power differences. Alongside getting things done, CCAs require clear communication (about goals, procedures, decisions), integrity, consistency, reliability, and traceability (e.g., of decision processes). Clear ground rules (shared norms and values) embedded in appreciation and mutual respect, known as facework, along with openness, honesty, and embracing the complexities of diverse people and roles, mindfulness, active listening, and empathy-building exercises, help build strong relationships and communities.
Problems arise when commitments, goals, and intentions are unclear, especially regarding limitations (e.g., whether recommendations are binding), or when the groups have conflicting interests or hard-to-read social cues (especially in online meetings). Legitimacy is built, not assumed. Trust increases when there is confidence in the integrity of the process and a credible government. Clear mandates, transparent governance, accountability, and visible follow-through are central to this. Trust emerges conditionally and cumulatively, not automatically. Continuous trust requires supportive institutional and funding frameworks to flourish.
Ensure transparency and build trust by linking all stages of the CCA to clear access to information (ATI) OECD. Create transparent shared beginnings and endings: openly communicate goals, roles, timelines, and decision pathways; end with collective reflection and clear feedback loops to participants and the wider public.
Create a Safer Space where participants feel heard, valued, and respected by establishing ground rules Active Listening and integrating empathy and trust-building exercises. Model trust through facilitation by demonstrating openness, consistency, fairness, and non-hierarchical collaboration and rotate roles to share power and strengthen ownership Guide to Citizen Assemblies for Citizen Assemblies (p.16-19)
Embed relational trust by enabling informal peer exchange, co-working moments, and collective tasks that build solidarity. Centre care and accessibility, and actively prioritise diverse perspectives Trust Building
Strengthen legitimacy by using independent participant selection (e.g. sortition agencies) and by setting clear expectations and roles. Sortition Foundation
Ensure accountability by linking involving policymakers early and require public responses that justify outcomes OECD
Acknowledge, recognise and celebrate deliberative achievements, as trust grows when participants see their input taken seriously and visibly linked to outcomes. Trust Building
Mendy, Laila, Tatiana Sokolova, Fanny Möckel (2025). Being everything for everybody all at once: Facework for trustworthiness of a citizens’ assembly for the climate, Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 170, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104104.
Smith, C., Bain-Kerr, F., & van der Horst, D. (2024). Participatory climate action: Reflections on community diversity and the role of external experts. Transformative Local Governments: Addressing Social Urban Challenges by Bringing People and Politics Together, 9. [Open Access].