ISBN: 9789264008946

Publication date:
August 2005

Pages: 128

Number of tables: 6

Citizens in all OECD countries are demanding greater transparency and accountability from their governments. New forms of public participation are emerging as citizens seek opportunities to actively participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives. In response, governments are exploring new ways to inform and include citizens and civil society organisations in policy making. Are these new forms of engagement effective? Do they support or undermine traditional mechanisms for public policy making within the framework of representative democracy?

Evaluating Public Participation in Policy Making looks at theory and practice, and draws heavily upon the insights and contributions of government experts, scholars and civil society practitioners from OECD countries. It builds upon the findings of a previous OECD report, Citizens as Partners: Information, Consultation and Public Participation (2001), which highlighted the lack of systematic evaluation of government efforts to engage citizens and civil society in policy making.

This book is a first step towards closing the “evaluation gap”. Rather than a technical manual for professional evaluators, it offers strategic guidance for policy makers and senior government officials responsible for commissioning and using evaluations of public engagement. It provides an indication of the key issues for consideration when evaluating information, consultation and public participation, and offers concrete examples drawn from current practice in 8 OECD countries: Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and the UK.