The city in dialogue
Awareness raising and public participation in central and eastern Europe
Interim Results

The recommendations below form part of the preliminary result of a process of dialogue between cities in central and eastern European candidate countries. In the further development of the project they will be additionally refined and will be reworked - in particular, with a view towards the principle of subsidiarity. However, since the project addresses a central topic within the process of democratisation, and deals with the formation of civil society, these interim results may, additionally, help to provide a significant contribution in formulating future EU projects and programmes designed to assist the candidate countries.

Approach 1: Advance participatory democracy in central and eastern Europe

Intention: In consideration of the wide variety of ways in which democratic theory is expressed in practice, democratic institutions and societies ought to encourage the maximum feasible involvement of all citizens in making choices about the present and future. Along with democracy come both rights and responsibilities for all individuals, organisations and institutions. Only through effective public involvement and participation can all stakeholders realise their rights and meet their responsibilities in ways that advance society’s goals.

Possible actions for local politicians:

• make pubic involvement a substantial subject in local policy, including involvement of the public at every level of decision-making - from strategic planning to implementation and monitoring
• adopt the principle that public participation is an obligation of local politics and local government administration
• create a supportive legal and regulatory framework
• declare political intentions in ways that clarify conditions for other actors to join in and take initiatives
• increase openness to changes in views, intentions, approaches, priorities and plans based upon what is learned through public involvement and participation
• enter involvement processes as participants and not with the intention of controlling outcomes
• incorporate statements in support of open and transparent public participation in the platforms of political parties, to send signals to the public that government takes these processes seriously
• when decisions must be taken, they should be transparent with regard to the reasons why one alternative was selected and others were not
• consider legislation to create the right of public referenda and initiatives
• establish an audit function to ensure that all applicable rules and regulations are followed in public projects

Possible actions for local government administration:

• make use of independent organisations in public involvement processes
• involve the basic education system in public participation to the maximum feasible extent, so that democratic principles of individual rights and responsibilities are reinforced, and so that public policy and action take into account the needs of children and young people
• assume that it is your responsibility to make yourself understood, rather than assuming that it is the audience's responsibility to understand you
• create internal task forces/steering groups/operational groups for promoting access to information
• make clear to the public who is responsible for individual programmes and activities
• local administration should adopt a 'customer service' attitude based in the realisation that their positions exist for the sole purpose of serving the needs of the public
• in pay and promotion systems for public employees, add criteria related to employees' willingness and ability to meet the public’s need for information and services
• make mandatory the inclusion of budgets for public participation in all programmes and projects regardless of funding source

Possible actions for NGOs

• publicise examples of poor or inadequate public participation processes carried out by government
• show the benefits of public participation through positive examples and case studies
• individual NGOs should join in NGO coalitions that cross interest and sector boundaries

Possible actions at national and/or EU levels:

• encourage the EU to make public participation a requirement for PHARE/ISPA funding
• incorporate public participation requirements into national legal systems
• ratify the Aarhus Convention
• ensure that national 'eco-fund' investment projects involve public participation at the strategic level

Approach 2: Increase everyone’s knowledge and experience regarding public participation in central and eastern Europe

Intention: Effective involvement requires increasing the relevant knowledge of all participants. The best process cannot produce good results if the needed information is inaccurate or inaccessible due to language and/or form barriers. After a number of years in which government decided what was the correct information, thought and answer, it is now necessary that we incorporate the views of all stakeholders. Everyone involved needs more and better information.

Possible actions for local politicians

• Direct staff to attend training courses for development of their facilitation and process management skills

Possible actions for local administrators:

• Develop greater cooperation between the government and community through more open communication and information sharing
• Provide for staff training on public participation tools and techniques
• Increase transparency and visibility of administrative decisions

Possible actions for NGOs:

• Develop new, more interactive communication models
• Develop and conduct public information campaigns that take into account different levels of expertise and different learning styles
• Create information and training for local politicians and administrators on the tools, techniques, costs and benefits of greater and more effective public involvement efforts
• Increase publications (articles/radio/TV) about the benefits of public involvement
• Present „Best Practice“ examples to local government
• Spread information to target groups and the community

Possible actions at National and/or EU levels:

• EU programs should be created that stimulate public participation in CEE cities, including activities such as: training programs, Best Practice data-bases, „twinning“ activities to implement public participation in EU/CEE partnerships and development of Centers of Excellence in Public Participation in each CEE state.

Approach 3: Increase the amount and timeliness of information

Intention: Within practical limits, more information is better than less. Though a simple thought, it suggests a radical change in thinking for many Central and Eastern European institutions that, before the political revolutions of the past decade, were conditioned to keep secret as much information as possible. Relevant information should be available and accessible in time to inform the decision being taken. Information that celebrates past successes is also important. Reinforcement of the positive benefits of public involvement will lead to more involvement in the future.

Possible actions for local politicians:

• Increase informal transparent public exchange of different perspectives, thoughts and interests in order to create iterative compromises that can more easily pass all of the formal procedures
• Involve the public in preliminary stages of planning
• Increase transparency of government decision-making
• Elected officials should participate in regular public forums to inform the public of proposals and issues and receive commentary
• Public forums should be created using all interactive communication tools but should necessarily include scheduled public face-to-face meetings with their constituencies

Possible actions for local administrators:

• Inform people early in the process and at places and through sources that they already use
• Provide public displays of information that celebrate the community’s successes
• Give feedback-inform people how their contributions are effecting the decision-making process
• Display public information on local internet pages and give people the opportunity to comment
• People should have access to the Internet at local administrative offices
• Use mass media (newspapers, radio, TV, Internet)
• Ensure, through contract and tender processes, that when private enterprise is acting as an agent of the government it meets the same transparency requirements as the government
• Public forums should be created using all interactive communication tools but should necessarily include scheduled public face-to-face meetings with their constituencies

Possible actions for NGOs:

• Support local administration by providing positive arguments for greater public participation
• Provide additional information on tools, techniques and benefits
• Monitor the performance of public participation processes
• Evaluate and document the outcomes of public participation processes
• Take advantage of the informal information channels in public institutions

Possible actions at the National and/or EU level:

• Create database on public participation programs, methods, tools, techniques and technology to aid public participation
• Adopt the Strategic EIA Directive and make in obligatory in accession countries

Approach 4: Increase the resources available for involvement, including resources for evaluation

Intention: There are many costs associated with effective public involvement, just as there are costs associated with the absence of public involvement. It is probable that costs of delay, litigation and loss of public confidence and trust in their government far outweigh the costs of effective participation programs. Having faith in the value of involvement does not, however, eliminate the need for evaluation. Involvement processes need to be reviewed regularly to determine their relative effectiveness and how they might be improved.

Possible actions for local politicians:

• Increase public investment in public involvement activities
• Make public involvement a requirement for the government
• Require public involvement to begin in the early stages of each project
• Create round-tables between all levels of project implementation
• Allocate resources (money, use of facilities, use of administrative expertise, etc.) in support of NGOs without regard to their support of or conflict with the government and its programs

Possible actions for local administrators:

• Include the cost of public involvement as an essential cost in project budgeting without regard to funding source
• Make sure that the resources available (time, money, personnel) are sufficient for the task involved
• Participate in stakeholder roundtables
• Provide funding to NGOs so they can hire their own experts

Possible actions for NGOs:

• Provide information about possible sources of financial support for public involvement processes (foundations, grants, etc.)

Possible actions at the National and/or EU levels:

• Finance and support public investigations and public involvement

Approach 5: Develop tools to support public involvement

Intention: Effective public involvement does not just happen. This is particularly true in Central and Eastern Europe where open discussion on public matters was forbidden for at least 50 years. It requires clarity regarding mutual rights and responsibilities, much work, a lot of education and the availability of good tools.

Possible actions for local politicians:

• Pay attention to publications produced by NGOs.
• Be active and assertive in development and introduction of public participation tools and techniques
• Make leadership in promotion of effective public involvement an element of political programs because it is the right thing to do and because such positive action can enhance your city’s fame and identity
• Go to where the people are, don’t make them come to you
• Make all legislative meetings public

Possible actions for local administrators:

• Try a wide array of participation models and learn the advantages and disadvantages of each within your particular circumstance.
• Demonstrate new tools and methods regarding information access and public involvement
• Take advantage of new information technology such as the internet
• Go to where the people are, don’t make them come to you

Possible actions for NGOs:

• Create handbooks on participation design and processes
• Produce and make available contact information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. for people living in the community) to assist community organizers in public involvement campaigns
• Demonstrate new tools and methods regarding information access and public involvement
• Approach newly elected officials and discuss with them the mutual advantages of helping to create a positive image of and working relationship with NGOs

Possible actions at the National and/or EU levels:

• Encourage and support exchanges of information regarding effective participation models through existing publications
• Add public involvement as a topic at all major European conferences
• Publicly recognize local governments who are achieving national and EU objectives through effective public involvement
• Establish a recognition/award program that acknowledges individual and team excellence in public participation utilization and innovation among elected officials, government administrators and the private sector