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Participatory Democracy Incubator
Participation Index for Cities and Municipalities
A. Background information
Your Name and Position:
I. Jurisdiction and population
§ What is the name of your city? (or your town, district, administrative unit, or other jurisdiction – we will use the term “city” as a general term in this questionnaire)
§ What is the total population of your city?
II. Demographics
§ What is the percentage of citizens eligible to vote in the city (if such data is available)?
§ What is the GDP per capita in your city?
B. Information on participation policies, structures, and actions
I. How have public officials and staff demonstrated their commitment to public participation?
Citizens are often doubtful about their ability to help solve public problems, and skeptical about the willingness of public officials to respond to their concerns. When public officials and other leaders make strong, clear claims about the value of participation, they can help inspire citizens to get involved.
1. Are the regular meetings of the city council open to the public?
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YES |
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NO |
2. Is there a newsletter, e-newsletter, or some other regular bulletin that informs citizens about what city government is doing, and how they can participate?
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YES |
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NO |
3. Has the city formally adopted a public statement declaring the importance of public engagement and explaining how citizens can participate?
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YES |
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NO |
4. Does the city maintain active social media accounts? (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social networks)
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YES |
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NO |
5. Has the city established a participation commission? (an official body, broadly representative of the city’s population, which is charged with overseeing public participation)
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YES |
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NO |
6. Has the city developed a participation plan? (an official long-term plan or strategy guiding the participation efforts of different departments or agencies in a coordinated manner – it could also facilitate collaboration with non-governmental organizations to support participation)
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YES |
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NO |
7. Does the city produce an annual report on the state of public participation?
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YES |
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NO |
8. Does the city provide official opportunities for citizens to give input on how participation should be structured and supported?
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YES |
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NO |
9. Are there issues or policy decisions where citizens have the opportunity to vote for a particular policy option? (Voting directly on policies rather than voting to elect a representative)
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YES |
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NO |
10. Is there an annual awards program – supported by the city or perhaps by a non-governmental organization – which recognizes citizens, public officials, or other leaders for their efforts to support public participation?
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YES |
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NO |
II. What is the regulatoryand policy framework for public participation?
In many places, the regulations governing public participation are outdated and unclear. In other places, public officials and staff do not have the participation skills and resources they need. Cities with a coherent regulatory and policy framework for participation are more likely to succeed.
11. Does the city have regulations or policies that govern public participation?
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YES |
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NO |
12. Have the local regulations governing public participation been reviewed and revised at any point in the last ten years?
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YES |
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NO |
13. Do public officials, staff, and citizens understand how the laws governing public participation are being interpreted and applied?
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YES |
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NO |
14. Does the city have a well-used, widely known document – a policy, protocol,or set of procedures – that helps public officials, staff, and citizens understand when and why to use specific participation approaches?
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YES |
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NO |
15. Does the city have a well-used, widely known document – a policy or protocol – that helps public officials, staff, and citizens understand how a specific approach will affect policy decisions? (that explains how citizen input will be used in the policymaking process?)
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YES |
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NO |
16. How much does the city budget for public participation, as a percentage of the annual city budget?
17. How many people does the city employ, as a percentage of the total city workforce, to support public participation activities?
18. Is facilitating, encouraging, or supporting public participation included as a category in the job expectations of people serving in management-level positions for the city?
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YES |
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NO |
19. Does the city provide training opportunities for public officials and city staff who want to learn more about how to support effective participation?
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YES |
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NO |
III. How are citizens represented and engaged through boards and commissions?
Boards and commissions can be a powerful tool for public participation, especially if the members of these bodies believe that bringing other citizens to the table – not just representing their voices – is a key part of their role.
20. Does the city have any boards or commissions (public bodies that have an official advisory role to government) on which citizens can serve?
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YES |
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NO |
21. How many boards and commissions are there in the city?
22. Are the members of boards and commissions chosen through an open application process, chosen by lot, or appointed by public officials?
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Anyone can apply |
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Chosen by lot |
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Members are appointed |
23. Are the members of boards and commissions broadly representative of the larger population, in terms of age, race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant/native-born?
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YES |
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NO |
24. Do the members of boards and commissions regularly lead public participation efforts that bring other citizens to the table?
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YES |
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NO |
25. Are the meetings of boards and commissions structured and facilitated in ways that encourage productive dialogue, deliberation, and participation?
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YES |
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NO |
26. Are public officials obliged to give information to boards and commissions, and consider their recommendations?
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YES |
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NO |
27. Do boards and commissions regularly use online tools to interactively engage the public?
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YES |
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NO |
IV. How are citizens engaged through civic associations – including neighborhood organizations, parent groups, clubs, and other networks – and how are they connected to local government?
Many cities have civic associations, operating in neighborhoods, schools, and other settings, which help to engage people in public life. These associations are better able to contribute to public participation when they are inclusive, broadly supported, and well-connected to government.
28. How are citizens connected through neighborhoods?
i. Are there active neighborhood associations in the majority of all neighborhoods?
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YES |
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NO |
ii. Is there an active online network of some kind – either official or informal – in the majority of all neighborhoods? (this could be an email listserv, a social media group, or another online forum)
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YES |
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NO |
iii. Does the city have a neighborhood council system or some other network that gives neighborhood groups an official role in public decisions?
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YES |
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NO |
iv. Are the meetings of neighborhood groups structured and facilitated in ways that encourage productive dialogue, deliberation, and participation?
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YES |
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NO |
v. Is there a system of tracking who participates in neighborhood groups?
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YES |
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NO |
vi. Do neighborhood meetings, events, and online forums regularly attract large, diverse numbers of people?
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YES |
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NO |
vii. Does the city support training programs or other supports that help build the engagement capacity of neighborhood groups?
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YES |
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NO |
viii. Is the leadership of most neighborhood groups broadly representative of the neighborhood, in terms of age, race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant/native-born?
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YES |
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NO |
ix. Are there city employees who are tasked with maintaining communication between neighborhood groups and local government?
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YES |
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NO |
29. How are citizens connected through schools and parent groups?
i. Are there active parent groups at the majority of all schools?
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YES |
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NO |
ii. Is there an active online network of some kind – either official or informal – in the majority of all schools? (this could be an email list, a social media group, or another online forum)
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YES |
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NO |
iii. Are the meetings of parent groups structured and facilitated in ways that encourage productive dialogue, deliberation, and participation?
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YES |
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NO |
iv. Is there a system of tracking who participates in neighborhood groups?
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YES |
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NO |
v. Do school meetings, events, and online forums regularly attract large, diverse numbers of people?
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YES |
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NO |
vi. Does the school system support training programs or other supports that help build the engagement capacity of parent groups?
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YES |
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NO |
vii. Is the leadership of most parent groups broadly representative of the school population, in terms of age, race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant/native-born?
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YES |
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NO |
viii. Are there city employees who are tasked with maintaining communication between local government and the schools?
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YES |
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NO |
30. Are there faith communities – such as churches, synagogues, and mosques – that help engage large numbers of people in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
31. Are there community organizing or issue advocacy groups that help engage large numbers of people in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
32. Are there ethnic associations that help engage large numbers of people in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
33. Are there clubs or other social groups that help engage large numbers of people in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
34. Are there regular social events that help engage large numbers of people in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
35. Do most neighborhoods have buildings – such as community centers, schools, or churches – that are welcoming, widely used spaces for public participation events and activities?
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YES |
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NO |
V. What is the range of issues on which the city supports regular, meaningful participation opportunities?
Most cities face a range of challenges and opportunities that affect citizens and that deserve productive public participation. When communities support regular, interactive, and meaningful participation on a broad range of issues, they are better able to meet the diverse needs and goals of citizens.
36. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of planning and land use? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
37. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of public health? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
38. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues related to education and the public schools? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
39. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of budgeting and public finance? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
40. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of transportation? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
41. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of policing and public safety? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
42. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on issues of racism and cultural difference? (Please check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
43. Are there meaningful opportunities to participate on another key public issue? (Please name the issue: _______________________________________________ – and check the appropriate boxes below)
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Attribute of quality participation |
Yes/No |
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Do the opportunities for participation draw large numbers of people? (at least 5% of the population?) |
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Are the people who participate broadly representative of the larger population? |
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Is the participation interactive? (does it facilitate two-way communication between citizens and government, and among different kinds of citizens?) |
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Are there opportunities to participate at least once a month? |
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Does the participation experience provide people with the information they need? |
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Do any of these participation experiences give people a chance to discuss why the issue matters to them? |
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Do any of these participation experiences provide people with a range of choices or policy choices to consider? |
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Do these participation activities have a clear impact on policymaking? |
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Do these participation activities enable people to take action in a variety of ways? (as volunteers, or in committees or task forces, or through other groups and networks in the community) |
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Do people think of these participation opportunities as enjoyable? |
VI. Does the city use a range of tactics for public participation?
There are many different methods, tools, apps, and meeting formats for public participation. Because different tactics fit different goals and scenarios, and because citizens have diverse needs and goals, cities are more likely to succeed if they employ a wide variety of methods.
44. Which methods does the city use to support public participation? Check the appropriate boxes in the chart below.
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TACTIC |
DESCRIPTION |
YES |
NO |
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Social Media Aggregation |
Online aggregation tools sift through social media networks to find common words and strings of words. |
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Surveys and Polls – offline |
Basic data gathering tactic – can be conducted by phone, by mail, and in person. |
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Surveys and Polls – online |
Basic data gathering tactic – can be disseminated through email, texting, websites, and social media. |
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Keypad polling |
A type of polling, using handheld polling devices or smartphones, which is typically conducted as part of a face-to-face meeting. |
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Focus Groups |
Facilitated, face-to-face small-group discussions – can be used to delve more deeply into people’s views and perspectives, as well as the values, needs, and concerns that lie behind people’s beliefs. Can also be used to test how people’s opinions change when presented with different options or pieces of information. |
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Online Problem-Reporting Platforms |
Smartphone-based tools that allow people to enter data about particular problems and conditions, such as potholes, graffiti, and environmental hazards. |
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Crowdsourcing |
Online platforms and face-to-face exercises that allow people to suggest ideas – and then rank, refine, and comment on all the ideas generated by the crowd. Some are framed as contests, with the most popular or useful entries winning prizes, badges, or vouchers. |
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Crowdfunding and Minigrants |
Online initiatives that enable people to ask for or donate money, and small-grant programs run by institutions to support volunteer projects. |
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Serious Games |
Online or face-to-face exercises that give citizens a chance to test their knowledge, strengthen their relationships, or come up with their own solutions to public problems. |
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Wiki-Based Mapping and WritingPlatforms |
Online technologies that incorporate individual contributions into a central map, database, or document. In some cases, they include processes that help people interact and negotiate in areas where their contributions differ. |
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Online Networks |
Temporary or long-term online forums set up to encourage communication and collaboration within groups. |
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Collaborative Planning Processes |
Planning exercises, such as charrettes, placemaking workshops, and FutureSearch conferences, that bring people together to make design or architectural decisions – or visioning initiatives that focus on broader public issues like economic development or transportation planning. |
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Participatory Budgeting |
Processes that engage large, diverse numbers of people deliberation, planning, and voting on how to spend a pool of public money. |
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Public Deliberation |
Initiatives in which citizens, public officials, public employees, and other stakeholders interact in small-group sessions where they share experiences, consider a range of policy options, and decide together what should be done. |
VII. How are citizens engaged through opportunities for service, volunteerism, and grassroots problem-solving?
Citizens have more ways to contribute to public problem-solving than ever before. Productive public participation strategies encourage and support citizens to take action in a variety of ways.
45. In their public statements about the value of participation, do public officials and staff support the idea that citizens can help contribute to solving public problems?
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YES |
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NO |
46. Are most participation opportunities organized in a way that allows citizens to discuss and plan ways they can take action?
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YES |
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NO |
47. Does the city have a small-grant program to support the implementation of action ideas?
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YES |
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NO |
48. Does the city support an annual citizens’ academy or some other training program for citizens
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YES |
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NO |
i. Are the people who take part in the academy broadly representative of the larger population, in terms of age, race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant/native-born?
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YES |
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NO |
ii. Does the curriculum of the academy focus mainly on ‘how government works’ or does it also provide opportunity for citizens to suggest ‘how government could work?’
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YES |
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NO |
iii. Is the academy connected to other participation opportunities?
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YES |
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NO |
iv. Do public officials and staff take part in the academy, as trainers and also as trainees?
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YES |
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NO |
49. Are young people required to contribute a certain number of volunteer hours before graduation?
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YES |
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NO |
50. Is there an annual awards program – supported by the city or perhaps by a non-governmental organization – which recognizes citizens for their efforts to solve public problems?
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YES |
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NO |
VIII. How are young people engaged in public decision-making and problem-solving?
As the adult citizens of the future, young people need experiences and education that prepare them for their future roles. But young people can also be dynamic leaders in the present. Productive participation strategies tap into the present and future civic capacity of young people.
51. Within the school system, do young people have meaningfulopportunitiesto address key issues facing students and the schools?
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YES |
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NO |
52. Outside the school system, are there meaningful opportunities for young people to take part in public decision-making and problem-solving?
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YES |
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NO |
53. Does the city support a youth council?
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YES |
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NO |
i. Are the people who take part in the youth council broadly representative of the larger youth population, in terms of age, race/ethnicity, income level, and immigrant/native-born?
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YES |
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NO |
ii. Does the youth council present recommendations to local government?
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YES |
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NO |
iii. Is the youth council connected to other participation opportunities?
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YES |
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NO |
iv. Does the youth council regularly organize participation opportunities that bring other young people to the table?
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YES |
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NO |
IX. Does the city demonstrate full transparency of public decision-making and public data, and encourage transparency of other institutions and organizations, as a way of enabling and supporting public participation?
While efforts to increase transparency and open government may not be sufficient to increase public participation, they are essential complements to participation initiatives. Transparency can increase government accountability, decrease corruption, and enable citizen problem-solving efforts by giving civic technologists access to government data.
54. Does the city have a website?
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YES |
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NO |
55. Are public meetings televised or livestreamed, with opportunities for remote interaction by citizens?
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YES |
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NO |
56. Does the city release data on public services in machine-readable formats?
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YES |
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NO |
57. Does the city release data on public meetings in machine-readable formats?
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YES |
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NO |
58. Does the city release financial data in machine-readable formats?
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YES |
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NO |
59. Does the city support Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)?
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YES |
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NO |
60. Does the city support efforts to help the local civic tech community use public data?
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YES |
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NO |
61. Does the city support efforts to help citizens understand and use public data?
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YES |
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NO |
X. How are public participation efforts measured, benchmarked, and evaluated?
Public participation is more likely to improve over time if it is being evaluated in regular, transparent, and interactive ways. If citizens themselves are involved in measuring and assessing engagement initiatives and structures, they will have a greater stake in the success of those efforts, and more ways to ensure that participation is equitable, accountable, and productive.
62. Does the city have a widely used, well-understood plan or protocol for evaluating public participation processes?
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YES |
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NO |
63. Does the city have a widely used, well-understood plan or protocol for evaluating public participation outcomes?
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YES |
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NO |
64. Is there a process for tracking the long-term effects of public participation on key social indicators?
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YES |
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NO |
65. Are participation processes and outcomes viewed through an equity lens?
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YES |
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NO |
66. Does the city have surveys, questionnaires, or other evaluation instruments that are used to evaluate individual participation opportunities?
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YES |
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NO |
67. Do citizens have opportunities to give feedback on how official public meetings are structured and facilitated?
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YES |
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NO |
68. Are results of evaluations publicly available andbroadly disseminated?
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YES |
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NO |
69. Are there regular opportunities for public officials, staff, and citizens to analyze participation evaluations and make recommendations?
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YES |
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NO |
C. Other Comments