Formats

Description: A Citizens' Assembly is a format that bring together randomly selected citizens to deliberate on a given issue and provide a set of recommendations for policy makers. The selected citizens can learn about a topic by obtaining various information and opinions from invited experts. Based on these inputs, citizen then deliberate in moderated small groups and develop a set of recommendations, which are documented in a report for decision-makers.

Process:

1. Preparation: In this stage, the main topic and sub-topics are defined, the various experts are invited, citizens randomly selected and invited to the event. During this stage, participants can already be provided with learning materials that introduce them to the topic;
2. Learning: During this phase, citizens will get the possibility to learn more about one sub-topic, generally through presentation of experts’ viewpoints. During this stage, citizens also have the possibility to ask understanding questions to the experts;
3. Deliberation: Once citizens obtained the information necessary to discuss the topic, moderated small groups discussions are built in order to exchange the ideas on the various subtopics and develop recommendations on them ;
4. Writing and submission of recommendations: In the end, the recommendations are clustered and prioritised in plenary session. Based on the recommendations made by the citizens, are report is written and submitted to the decision-makers.

Results: Non-binding recommendations on a policy issue for decision-makers in form of a report delivered to decision-makers