Resources

The field of democratic innovation is evolving rapidly. The level of knowledge is growing from academic analysis to good practices and concrete advice.  

Here you can find tools, notes and other useful information from our research or from the community.

General standards

OECD Toolbox

These 4 must-read reports contain the best standards for setting up a well-designed deliberative process.

  • Innovative Citizen Participation and New Democratic Institutions: Catching the Deliberative Wave
  • Good Practice Principles for Deliberative Processes
  • Evaluation Guidelines for Representative Deliberative Processes
  • Eight ways to institutionalise deliberative democracy

newDEMOCRACY

Citizen Deliberation and How to Use It: A Guide for Leaders and Practitioners

This must-read handbook on ‘Democracy Beyond Elections’ is designed to show how nations can apply the principles of representation and deliberation in different contexts.

A project of the UN Democracy Fund & the newDEMOCRACY foundation.

Westminster Foundation for Democracy

An introduction to deliberative democracy for members of parliament

Network & partners

Democracy R&D

Democracy R&DInternational network of organizations, associations, and individuals that develop, implement, and promote ways to improve democracy, from the local to the global level.

FIDE

FIDE EuropeFederation for innovation in democracy - Europe

FIDE is a network of leading democratic innovators in Europe. We advise governments and policy-makers on how to involve everyday people in the decision-making process.

KNOCA

KnocaA European network for sharing best practice on the design and implementation of Climate Assemblies

Bureau Burgerberaad

Bureau Burgerberaad is our partner in the Netherlands

Our partner in the Netherlands. Bureau Burgerberaad promotes impactful citizens' councils on climate, biodiversity and the energy transition

Participedia

The global network and crowdsourcing platform for researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in public participation and democratic innovations.

An open source model for crowdsourcing and organizing data about public participation. The content is generated and used by diverse networks of researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, and activists.

Ostbelgien Model

Buergerdialolg in Ostbelgien

Bürgerdialog is the website of Citizens' Dialogue in the German speaking Community in Belgium.

The Permanent Citizens’ Dialogue in the German-speaking Community of Belgium, C. Niessen, M. Reuchamps

Ostbelgien by Bertelmann Stiftung

The Ostbelgien Model, Institutionalising Deliberative Democracy - Bertelsmann Stiftung

Institutionalising participatory and deliberative procedures: The origins of the
first permanent citizens’ assembly, H. Macq, V. Jacquet

Set-up

How to commission a citizens'assembly MASS LBPHow to Commission a Citizens’ Assembly or Reference Panel - MASS LBP

Should politicians deliberate alongside citizens? - newDEMOCRACY

Including the underrepresented - FIDE

This paper presents different methods and strategies applied in previous processes to increase the inclusion of underrepresented groups. It distinguishes strategies for the two critical phases of the deliberative process: recruitment and deliberation.

Sortition

How to Recruit Participants for Citizens’ Assemblies - newDEMOCRACY

How to run a Civic Lottery - MASS LBP

Citizens’ Participation Using Sortition - Bertelsmann Stiftung

Running a civic lottery - OECD

Organising a Democratic Lottery - FIDE

A detailed overview of the two-stage process, discussing the advantages of the methodology and the criteria that must be taken into consideration.

Deliberation

 What is deliberation and how does it differ from usual political discussion? - newDEMOCRACY (Lyn Carson)

Follow-up & Implementation

Evaluation Guidelines for Representative Deliberative Processes - OECD

How to link CA recommandations to policy making - FIDE

Key drivers for impact - E. Rovers, KNOCA