Public participation

Public participation is the involvement of people outside an institution in decisions, policies, or projects that affect their communities or interests. It ranges from providing information to sharing decision-making power.

IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation: A framework that classifies public participation by the increasing influence the public has on decisions. Its inform-to-empower scale distinguishes levels of influence in participation processes.
Citizen science: Scientific research conducted with contributions from members of the public. Public contributions to data collection can inform policies and projects affecting communities.
Public relations: The planned management of communication between an organization and its publics. Public relations seeks to shape or maintain relationships, while participation involves public input into decisions.
Procedural justice: The perceived fairness of the processes used to make decisions and resolve disputes. Inclusive and transparent procedures can make public decisions seem fairer, even amid disagreement.
Sortition: The selection of people for public roles or assemblies by random draw. Random selection may broaden participation beyond people who volunteer or already hold influence.
Deliberative democracy: A form of democracy in which public decisions are shaped through inclusive discussion and reason-giving. It explains how structured discussion can turn participation into collective judgment.
Environmental impact assessment: A process for evaluating the likely environmental effects of a proposed project before approval. Public input can identify local impacts and inform review of proposed projects.
Representative democracy: A system in which people elect representatives to make public decisions on their behalf. It delegates decisions to elected officials rather than requiring direct public involvement in each one.
Social license to operate: The ongoing acceptance of an organization or project by affected communities and other stakeholders. Participation can build or weaken the trust on which this informal acceptance depends.
Digital divide: Unequal access to digital technologies and the skills or conditions needed to use them. Online participation can exclude people who lack reliable access, devices, or digital skills.

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