Expert facilitation is a key to participatory democracy

Participatory Democracy is front of mind after a talk by @Simon Wright of Trust Democracy this week!

Have you seen recent advertisements promoting Citizen’s Assemblies as a way to address the current loss of trust in government and institutions?

Are you in dismay at the mis-information flying back and forth as prospective local body politicians jostle for airtime ahead of this year’s elections?

Have you had an experience of participatory democracy?

I have: On both sides of the fence.

I have been a Citizen’s Advisory Panel participant; and

As a professional facilitator, I facilitated a lay committee to a consensus on water quality and allocation targets for a major river system. This was another form of deliberative democracy.

I strongly believe in participatory democracy – these processes can achieve things politicians can’t or won’t.

Trust in government is at a new low, with a recent IPSOS monitor showing only 41% of New Zealanders have confidence in their leaders.1 Many of us are looking for new ways to engage with democracy. But what if the solution isn’t about better politicians, but better systems?

Is it the politicians’ job?

Iain Walker, Executive Director of the new Democracy Foundation, makes a sharp distinction between politics and democracy. He argues that in Australia, we’ve put “politicians in charge of democracy… it’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse!”2

Here in New Zealand, the increased ‘flip-flop’ in policy from election – to – election, and recent over-use of Parliamentary urgency provisions are contributing to this breakdown in trust.

What does Participatory Democracy offer?

It’s gaining traction around the world:

  • Ireland: A citizen’s assembly helped reform constitutional law, including improving women’s rights and lowering the voting age. 3
  • Paris: Participatory Budgeting is now a key part of the city’s process, allocating over €75 million in 2023.4
  • Japan: Since 2005 more than 500 ‘mini publics’ have been hosted at local level where randomly selected residents have come together to find solutions on topics of concern.5

Can it work here?

Yes! We’ve already had successes, and interest is growing:In Porirua a recent citizens’ assembly presented well-considered climate change recommendations to city leaders.

What would it take?

Based on my experience, and what I’ve observed and read, three key elements are essential for success.

  • Commitment: The responsible agency must commit upfront to implementing the results.
  • Expert Facilitation & Careful Design: The process needs to be designed and facilitated to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate. Participants must be able to access the information they need: ‘experts on tap, not on top’.
  • Continuity: This works on two levels.
    • For individual initiatives: Participants need to see their efforts implemented with a clear and transparent implementation plan.
    • For the practice itself: Participatory democracy must become a permanent, trusted part of our political structure, not just a one-off experiment.

These principles are echoed by others. Jaskiran Gakhal, reflecting on Paris’s success with Participatory Budgeting, highlights “inclusion, responsiveness, and continuity” as key factors.6

As Archon Fung, a Harvard professor, argues, well-designed participation can address core issues of democratic governance like “legitimacy, justice and effectiveness”.7

We face many “wicked problems” that need new solutions.

What if we were to rethink our democratic systems so that citizens are empowered to take a more active role in shaping our future?

I think now is an ideal time for more deliberative democracy, and I would love to help this to happen in my capacity as a professional facilitator.

  1. https://www.ipsos.com/en-nz/ipsos-new-zealand-issues-monitor-feb-2025 ↩︎
  2. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/saturdayextra/how-healthy-is-australia-s-democracy-/105243846 ↩︎
  3. https://citizensassembly.ie/previous-assemblies/ ↩︎
  4. https://trustdemocracy.nz/ ↩︎
  5. https://demnext.substack.com/p/japans-boom-in-randomly-selected ↩︎
  6. https://participedia.net/case/participatory-budgeting-in-paris-france ↩︎
  7. https://www.archonfung.net/ ↩︎
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