Good Practice

Participa.gencat.cat

Participatory platform allowing citizens to take part in projects of the Catalan Government.

Catalan Government
Spain
Regional policy

POLICY OBJECTIVE

With participa.gencat.cat, enable citizens to help to develop public policies coordinated and led by the Catalan Government.

CONTEXT

Participa.gencat.cat is hosted on Decidim, an open-source infrastructure allowing citizens to participate digitally. The platform has made it possible for the Catalan Government to better manage citizen participation and provided the foundation to standardize participation quality (accessible navigation and established phases for information, debate, and feedback). It also allows people to track proposals, monitor their incorporation into public policies, and obtain aggregated data on participation – data which are key to evaluation and continuous improvement.

Participa.gencat.cat has made it possible to integrate digital channels and, by allowing citizens to participate when and where they choose, significantly increased their contributions.

POLICY DESCRIPTION

Currently, the following participation mechanisms exist:

  • Participatory processes: Structured debates around public policies make it possible to incorporate citizens’ voices into government decisions. The Government commits to listen, integrate input when appropriate, and explain participation-enriched decisions to the public.
  • Participatory procedures to develop legislation: Deliberation instruments linked to new norms (draft bills, legislative decrees, emergency decrees, regulations and orders).
  • Councils: Regular dialogue between the administration and citizens encouraging continuous discussion on specific policies.

Citizens and government units alike review participa.gencat.cat constantly. Both propose improvements for the platform.

KEY ASPECTS

  • Make government action more effective, efficient and transparent.
  • Build citizenship.
  • Help citizens to assert their right to participate.

RESULTS

  • 45,795 participants
  • 25 processes
  • 79 assemblies
  • 326 participations in regulations
  • 9,679 proposals

By removing mobility and availability barriers linked to in-person channels, digital and asynchronous channels allow people to participate better and make it easier for them to participate in various formats and time slots.

Laura Suñé

Salvador

Deputy Director for Citizen Participation

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