Greater Direct Civic Participation and More Inclusive Participatory Processes (ESNAV0003)

Commitment ID

ESNAV0003

Commitment Title

Greater Direct Civic Participation and More Inclusive Participatory Processes

Problem

Civic participation faces multiple challenges. The word ‘participation’ is still difficult for many to understand, and citizens sometimes do not feel involved or informed about ongoing processes. This generates disinterest, resulting in the participation of the same small groups, which limits representation and innovation in the processes. There has been a swift leap between aspiration and reality, which has left significant gaps meaning that citizens do not perceive the power of their participation. In addition, there is a website accessibility issue, making comprehension difficult. For public administration, participation is sometimes seen as a burden, which generates disconnected and discontinuous one-off processes, especially in the execution phase. The participation that is promoted does not always meet the real needs of citizens, and is often limited to proposals. The still scarce participation of children and adolescents, the digital divide, budget cuts, and authoritarian and populist currents aggravate the situation.

Status quo

The obligation to implement participatory processes in public administration has been consolidated, and civic participation is today a right with a strong tradition in Navarre. This progress has been driven by civil society and supported by local entities through innovative projects. Although change has been rapid, key resources are in place: trained personnel, budget, successful experiences, a robust website and political will to strengthen participation. However, challenges remain. The participation of migrants is almost non-existent, and groups such as older people, people with disabilities or children only participate in laws or plans that directly affect them. There are only 11 child and adolescent municipal participation bodies, which shows considerable room for improvement. Furthermore, while the participatory processes in rural development are better distributed, in other thematic areas they do not reach sufficient territorial coverage.

Awareness of Open Government continues to increase, albeit very slowly, from 12% in 2021 to 17.3% at present. On the other hand, participation has decreased, falling from 17% to 11%. Men with a high level of education are the group of citizens showing a higher level of awareness about this administrative tool (according to the 2023 Study on Citizen Perception of the Provision of Public Services in Navarra)

Action

In order to promote more inclusive and effective citizen participation, it is essential to go beyond legal obligations, directly involving all groups, especially those that are often left out: children, people with disabilities, migrants, young people, older people and those living in rural areas. This requires diversifying the channels of participation, improving communication considering socio-cultural aspects, and extending the processes to schools and community spaces. In addition, it is essential to inform citizens about how their contributions impact the final decisions, strengthening trust in participatory processes and working within public administration to raise awareness of the importance of promoting effective and diverse processes and creating protocols to ensure inclusion.

More co-creation processes must be promoted, trusting in citizens and promoting citizen laboratories that go beyond proposals. All this also requires constant educational work to make society aware of its active role in administrative processes. The aim of these actions is to improve representation and incorporate diverse perspectives in the design of public policies.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The objective is to broaden and improve civic participation. Child participation will be promoted by creating councils and collaborating with the education sector to develop better tools. Efforts will also be made to include people with disabilities, people living in rural areas and older people in broader processes, beyond laws that directly affect them.

The “government in the town square” initiative will take participatory processes to the entire region. Alliances with third sector entities will be strengthened, guaranteeing the inclusion of these groups, and a guide for inclusive processes as well as a protocol to ensure diversity will be developed.

Internally, awareness-raising coffee breaks will be held for public employees as well as educational workshops, therefore avoiding participation from becoming a formality. In addition, a network of citizen laboratories will be activated, and a website will be set up for citizen proposals. Lastly, a partnership with a radio station will publicize participation experiences and initiatives. The focus will be on real, social and inclusive processes.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

The long-term vision of Open Government in Navarre is based on an inclusive governance model that involves all social and economic stakeholders. This approach is aligned with the commitment to promote a more direct and inclusive citizen participation, incorporating all collectives, especially those who are usually left out. Participatory processes are recognized as powerful tools for improving citizen service and building collaborative and lasting ties.

Improving accountability in these processes reinforces the principle of citizen-oriented transparency, ensuring that decisions are made in an open and accountable manner. In addition, internal activities seek to strengthen exemplary ethical behavior among those composing the government, consolidating institutions based on trust and integrity. Participation, transparency and ethics therefore become fundamental pillars for improving public policies and promoting genuine dialogue with citizens.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Inclusion

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?