Some municipalities have been developing different participatory tools, expanding the spaces for dialog and interaction with society. This is a commitment to diversifying the methods and channels of civic involvement, as a way of creating more opportunities to exercise citizenship, while at the same time reaching out to different social profiles.

The multiplication of forms of participation is a clear sign of a local authority that wants to be ever closer to the people, to democratize public administration, forms of management and the design of policies.

The proliferation of participatory mechanisms, however, implies some organizational challenges, among which we highlight the creation of a common identity and communication strategy, the need to mobilize different teams, which do not always assume the same culture of participation, as well as the articulation between services and practices.

It is within this framework that the concept of the Participation System emerges. This is a commitment to transforming the culture of the Administration, with a view to incorporating participation as a method of governing and operating services. It's about replacing the haphazard and dispersed nature of civic involvement practices with a permanent and systemic commitment to democratizing public policies. It is also a guarantee of investment in the organization and mobilization of civil society for the public cause.

The Network of Participatory Local Authorities has been contributing to building knowledge about participatory systems, which is why it has outlined a front of action that includes mapping this type of initiative, disseminating good practices and carrying out actions to share experiences.

The Network has also created the "Participa Mais" tool. This was designed to help public administration bodies design Participation Systems.

See several examples of Participation Systems in the Observatory.

If your local authority has or is involved in setting up a participation system, please contact the Network's Technical Secretariat at rap@oficina.org.pt.