Citizens' Council (Wisdom Council)

Begin by selecting the topic to be explored.

The guiding question should:

• address an issue of public relevance
• relate to people's everyday lives
• be open enough to encourage different perspectives

Examples include:

• "How can our town centre become more vibrant?"
• "What is needed for a good quality of life in our neighbourhood?"
• "How can young people become more involved?"

Avoid:

• highly technical questions
• overly specific topics
• issues that have already been decided
• questions without any scope for action

Invite 12–16 citizens through a random selection process.

Aim for a diverse group representing differences in:

• age
• gender
• place of residence
• educational background
• life circumstances

Important:

Participants contribute their own views rather than representing organisations or interest groups.

Prepare:

• a quiet meeting space
• facilitation materials
• documentation tools
• refreshments
• sufficient breaks

The atmosphere should be open, respectful, and welcoming.

Before the process begins, clarify:

• Who will receive the recommendations?
• Who will consider them?
• How will decisions about implementation be made?

Participants should know that their contributions will be taken seriously.

Begin with introductions and explain:

• the purpose of the Citizens' Council
• the overall process
• participants' role
• discussion guidelines

Creating trust from the beginning is essential.

Helpful opening questions include:

• "What motivated you to participate?"
• "What experiences do you bring to this discussion?"

Participants describe:

• challenges
• concerns
• observations
• wishes
• ideas

The facilitator records every contribution visibly using four categories:

• Problems
• Solutions
• Concerns
• Information / Perspectives

Important:

All contributions are accepted without immediate evaluation.

The facilitator follows the natural flow of the conversation rather than steering it toward predetermined outcomes.

(Dynamic Facilitation is described separately as its own method.)

The facilitator's role is to:

• listen actively
• record contributions visibly
• encourage different viewpoints
• ask clarifying questions
• support the natural development of the discussion

Helpful questions include:

• "Why is this issue important?"
• "What is behind this concern?"
• "What idea could emerge from this?"
• "What could be a first step?"

Avoid:

• early voting
• rushing the discussion
• judging contributions

At the end of the process, the group prepares a joint statement.

It should include:

• key insights
• desired changes
• recommendations
• possible next steps

Important:

The statement is jointly owned by the entire group rather than written by individual participants.

The recommendations are presented in a public event, for example:

• a Citizens' Café
• a public forum
• another community dialogue event

Representatives from politics and public administration should attend and respond to the recommendations.

The documentation should include:

• the joint statement and recommendations
• key discussion topics
• remaining open questions

The results should be publicly accessible.

After the Citizens' Council, it is helpful to bring together a follow-up group consisting of:

• public administration
• policymakers
• process facilitators
• selected representatives of the Citizens' Council

Together they discuss:

• Which recommendations can be pursued?
• Which steps are necessary?
• Who will take responsibility?

Participants should be informed about:

• which recommendations have been taken forward
• which actions are planned
• which recommendations cannot currently be implemented

Regular repetition of the Wisdom Council process helps create an ongoing dialogue between citizens, policymakers, and public authorities.

Source: https://partizipation.at/partizipation-anwenden/methoden/