Challenges in the participatory digital scenario

This article outlines how to organize a Virtual Citizens’ Assembly (VCA) using Decidim, a free software platform, developed by the MultiPoD partner of the same name. Citizens’ Assemblies are a widely adopted deliberative methodology globally, with applications across various countries and topics, including climate change, youth issues, and human rights. Notable global experiences, such as the online Global Assembly, have demonstrated their potential for broad participation.

As a methodology rooted in deliberation and consensus-building, Citizens’ Assemblies can significantly benefit from digital technology. This article aims to provide a practical guide on conducting a Virtual Citizens’ Assembly with Decidim. A VCA primarily utilizes digital media, with participants engaging from various locations, necessitating online meetings via videoconference.

Process Design: Phases, objectives and methodologies

1. The initial step in implementing a Virtual Citizens’ Assembly involves defining the process phases, objectives, and topics for discussion. Organizers must address these fundamental questions to structure a process that effectively engages potential participants.
   
2. Once these phases are established, it is crucial to consider the deliberative methodologies to be employed, along with defining decision-making processes. This ensures that the assembly’s decisions adhere to a democratic process, thereby guaranteeing the legitimacy of outcomes reached collectively by the plenary session.
   
3. Crucially, the potential impact and tangible results of participating in a Citizens’ Assembly must be clearly communicated to avoid participant frustration. Outcomes can range from drafting policy recommendations for a government, preparing reports for international forums, to informing public bodies on specific issues. Establishing a clear connection with decision-making public authorities is paramount; without it, participatory efforts risk being perceived as futile.

The phases of the process in Decidim

Decidim’s modular architecture facilitates the organization of a dynamic participatory process, utilizing various components in each phase to structure participation. Citizen Assemblies typically follow a five-phase structure, as outlined below.

Phase 1: Information and welcome Phase 2: Learning Phase 3: Deliberation Phase 4: Prioritisation Phase 5: Follow-up

Phase 1: Information and welcome

This initial phase introduces the Citizens’ Assembly, outlining its objectives, the topic, the calendar, and the overall phases. The primary goal is to inform participants about the process development and to finalize the list of individuals who will form the plenary.

The Decidim components that can be used for this phase are:

• Blog: This component can be utilized to publish introductory materials and welcome participants to the process.
• Survey: A survey can be conducted to recruit participants and gather information about their socio-economic profile.
• Debates: A ‘Welcome Forum’ debate can be initiated, allowing participants to introduce themselves and pose questions to the organizers about the process.

Phase 2: Learning

This phase is dedicated to providing participants with comprehensive information and expert input on the Citizens’ Assembly’s topic. The goal is to ensure all participants achieve a solid understanding of the subject matter, thereby enabling informed deliberation.

The Decidim components that can be used for this phase are:

• Meetings: To schedule and host live online sessions with experts (e.g., webinars, Q&A sessions). Decidim’s meeting component can manage attendance, agendas, and publish minutes.
• Blog: This component allows for the creation of a Knowledge Center, where posts organized by topics can be published. Each post can include a video from an expert in the field and recommended articles for participants wishing to delve deeper into the topic. Enabling comments facilitates discussion and questions directly related to expert presentations and learning materials.

Phase 3: Deliberation

This is the core deliberative phase where participants discuss issues, share perspectives, and collaboratively develop solutions or recommendations.

The Decidim features that can be used for this phase are:

• Proposals: This central component enables participants to draft, refine, and support ideas, such as policy recommendations on climate change. By enabling comments on proposals, participants can discuss and enrich each other’s suggestions.
• The co-authorship feature allows a proposal’s author to designate another participant who has commented on their proposal as a co-author, fostering asynchronous collaborative writing.
• Meetings: These can be used for convening sessions and sharing details like videoconference links, slides, or agendas. Once a meeting concludes, minutes can be uploaded, allowing participants to track discussions.

Phase 4: Prioritisation

In this phase, the VCA progresses towards finalizing its recommendations through various decision-making mechanisms.

The Decidim features that can be used for this phase are:

• Voting: Participants can vote on proposals to select the top-voted options. Decidim offers secure e-voting capabilities with various configurations.
• Once voting concludes, results can be published to officially record the outcomes of both voting and prioritization processes.

Phase 5: Follow-up

This final phase focuses on communicating the VCA’s outcomes and monitoring the implementation of its recommendations.

The Decidim features that can be used for this phase are:

• Accountability: Policy recommendations can be established as results, and their degree of achievement by responsible public authorities can be tracked. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the Assembly’s advocacy efforts.
• Pages and Blogs: These can be used for publishing the final report, key findings, and ongoing updates on implementation.
• Survey: Participants can be asked to complete an assessment and satisfaction survey to evaluate the process and identify areas for improvement.
• Notifications & Newsletter: These tools are vital for keeping participants and the wider community informed about the VCA’s impact.

Facilitating Hybrid Participation

Asynchronous participation is crucial for accommodating diverse schedules, promoting thoughtful reflection, and enabling broader engagement beyond live sessions. Decidim’s design inherently supports these interactions. The Proposals component allows participants to submit ideas at their own pace, while the comments section facilitates ongoing discussion and feedback without requiring real-time presence, thereby fostering deep engagement and enabling contributions from individuals in different time zones or with other commitments.

Conversely, incorporating synchronous moments for deliberation is crucial for fostering deep conversations and building empathy among participants. While the assembly is virtual, this does not imply that all interactions must be asynchronous; effective participation often requires real-time engagement, and videoconference tools are excellent for facilitating digital deliberation.

Combining these asynchronous processes with synchronous participatory moments is crucial for implementing a Participatory Process that is accessible to everyone. Hybridization, therefore, involves striking a good balance between synchronous and asynchronous engagement, ultimately enabling participation through diverse channels.

By combining these strategies with the functionalities of Decidim, organisers can create an inclusive and engaging Virtual Citizens’ Assembly, providing participants with an exceptional experience. Thanks to the hybridisation enabled by the platform, Decidim can contribute to consensus building within the plenary. In addition, the voting functionalities enable agile and transparent decision-making.

Finally, the use of a free, transparent and traceable software platform is a democratic guarantee for participants.