Embedding Participatory Democracy into Governance Systems

Participatory and deliberative democracy (PDD) methods—such as participatory budgeting, participatory policymaking, citizens’ assemblies, and climate assemblies—have expanded rapidly across the world. Yet many of these initiatives remain isolated pilots or one-time consultations that fail to influence how governments actually make decisions.

The Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator (MPA) is a global program designed to address this gap.

MPA supports democratic reformers working within governments and civil society to move participatory innovations from pilot initiatives to durable institutional practice. Through structured technical assistance, mentorship, and peer learning, the program helps reformers develop strategies to embed participation within laws, policies, administrative systems, and budgeting processes.

Rather than focusing solely on participation design, MPA focuses on the institutional adoption of participatory governance—the point at which participation becomes part of how governments routinely operate.

The program is implemented by IPF in collaboration with global partners working to strengthen democratic governance and public participation.

The Case for Mainstreaming Participation 

Across many countries, public participation is formally recognized in constitutions, laws, or policy frameworks. However, implementation often remains inconsistent, symbolic, or disconnected from decision-making.

Common challenges include:

• Participation processes that are tokenistic or consultative only
• Weak institutional mandates for participation
• Limited integration of participation into planning, budgeting, or regulatory systems
• Political resistance or lack of ownership
• Exclusion of marginalized groups from decision-making processes
• Limited resources for implementing and sustaining participatory programs

Research from institutions such as the OECD, People Powered, and the Open Government Partnership shows that meaningful participation can:

• Increase public trust in government
• Improve policy implementation and service delivery
• Strengthen accountability and transparency
• Enhance equity and inclusion in decision-making

However, achieving these outcomes requires more than well-designed participatory events. It requires institutional reform.

MPA focuses on helping reformers navigate the political, administrative, and institutional pathways required to embed participation into governance systems.

Our Approach

The MPA combines technical assistance, mentorship, and peer learning to support reformers working to institutionalize participatory governance.

The program is built around five core pillars:

Readiness Diagnostics

Participants enter the program with an existing participatory initiative or a credible institutional reform pathway. The program assesses institutional readiness, including legal frameworks, political feasibility, and coalition strength.

Institutional Pathway Mapping

Reformers identify concrete pathways through which participation can be embedded, including legislation, administrative procedures, budgeting systems, or executive mandates.

Political Strategy and Advocacy

Because institutional change is inherently political, the program supports reformers in stakeholder mapping, coalition-building, and developing persuasive narratives for decision-makers.

Sustained Mentorship and Accompaniment

MPA provides ongoing coaching and troubleshooting rather than one-off training. Reformers receive strategic support as they navigate institutional negotiations and implementation challenges.

Knowledge and Replication

Each reform effort produces tools, templates, and institutionalization frameworks that contribute to a growing body of knowledge on mainstreaming participatory governance.

Phase I: Building a Global Cohort of Reformers

The first phase of the MPA focused on building the capacity of democratic reformers working to institutionalize participatory governance.

• 163 applications were received from reformers across the world
• 21 reformers were selected to participate in the program
• Participants represented government institutions, civil society organizations, and reform coalitions

Through the program, participants developed institutionalization strategies and advocacy plans aimed at embedding participatory governance within laws, policies, and administrative systems.

Examples of reform pathways explored in Phase I include:

• Institutionalizing Citizens’ Climate Assemblies within climate governance systems
• Reforming local participation laws to ensure participatory processes have binding authority
• Standardizing participation tools and procedures across government departments
• Strengthening inclusive participation models in county governance systems

These initiatives demonstrate different pathways for mainstreaming participatory governance—from legal reform to administrative integration.

Lessons from Phase I

One of the most important lessons from the first phase of the MPA is that democratic innovations frequently succeed in design but stall during institutional adoption.

Many reformers were able to design strong participatory programs and build coalitions of support. However, the transition from strategic planning to formal institutional adoption proved difficult.

Key lessons include:

Institutional Readiness Matters

Only 30 of the 163 applicants met minimum criteria for institutional mainstreaming. Many initiatives were still at the pilot or design stage, highlighting a gap in the global democratic innovation ecosystem.

Political Navigation is Essential

Institutionalizing participation requires navigating complex political environments, including competing interests, bureaucratic resistance, and changing political leadership.

Technical Design Alone is Not Enough

Reformers require sustained mentorship and strategic support to translate participatory initiatives into laws, policies, and institutional mandates.

Phase II: Strengthening Institutional Adoption

Building on these lessons, Phase II of the MPA introduces a strengthened mentorship and learning architecture focused on accelerating institutional adoption.

Key features include:

• Selection of reformers with demonstrated institutional leverage
• A mentorship cascade model, where experienced reformers support additional practitioners
• Ongoing coaching and institutional troubleshooting
• Structured tracking of institutional milestones such as mandates adopted, budgets integrated, and participation protocols formalized

This phase aims to strengthen the ability of reformers to translate participatory innovations into durable governance practices.

A complementary Implementation Bridge pilot is also being developed to test whether targeted catalytic resources—combined with mentorship—can help reformers convert political support into formal institutional commitments.

Opportunities: Calls and Announcements

This section will host updates related to the MPA program, including:

• Calls for applications for future cohorts
• Outreach events and information sessions
• Program announcements and partnership opportunities
• Updates from participating reformers

Current Opportunities

Learn more about open call for participation here

Resources and Learning Materials

MPA contributes to a growing body of knowledge on how to mainstream participatory governance.

Resources include:

• Institutional mainstreaming frameworks
• Reform action plans
• Policy briefs and case studies
• Learning materials from program workshops and mentorship sessions

Featured Materials

• Mainstreaming Participatory Democracy: Technical Framework
• Lessons from the Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator (Phase I)
• Case Studies on Institutionalizing Participation

Blog and Program Updates

Stay updated on insights, program developments, and reflections from reformers participating in the MPA.

Featured posts include:

• Introducing Phase II of the Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator
• Why Democratic Innovations Often Stall — and What We Can Do About It
• Case Studies in Institutionalizing Citizen Participation

Stay Connected

If you are working to institutionalize participatory governance in your country or organization, we encourage you to stay connected with the MPA community.

Subscribe to updates, explore program resources, and watch for future calls for applications.