How to use the power of your citizens?

The Hague | 20 - 25 September, 2009

Course introduction

Do you regard your citizens as neighbourhood experts? Or do you find it difficult to reach them and to use their expertise in the policy planning process? This innovative training course, with contributions from professionals, local governors, municipal staff and resident experts, will show how your municipality can benefit by involving your citizens in a smart way.

The Hague Academy for Local Governance organises this 6-day training course in cooperation with Rootlink and R4R-Europe, a network of active citizens from different European cities. The training offers an attractive combination of theory and local governance practice.

During the training, leading experts in the field of citizen participation will discuss with you different roles in participation processes as well as leadership issues. A governance game will zoom in on the perspectives of local governors, municipal staff and citizens. You will learn which participation tools you can use during the different phases of the policy process. Theory, discussion and role plays will be complemented by training on the spot, with visits to projects in The Hague and other Dutch cities in which residents were able to improve their living conditions thanks to effective partnerships with the municipality.

Learning objectives

This training course contributes to the development of your professional knowledge and skills related to:

  • your own role and responsibilities in participation processes as well as the role of your partners;
  • managing expectations of the parties involved in the process;
  • the conditions for successful participation projects;
  • tools for communication with citizens, NGOs and other stakeholders;
  • do’s and don’ts in citizen participation processes;
  • dealing with obstacles and conflicting interests during the process.

All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

The experts

To increase your understanding of the underlying principles and mechanisms of citizen participation processes, experts will share with you their thoughts and experiences. Contributions come from professionals and practitioners in the field of participation, e.g. mayors and deputy-mayors, municipal staff, experts from well-known institutes and residents.

The experience

Besides the presentations by experts, you will also be actively involved in the training by participating in role-plays and discussing issues and concerns in roundtable sessions. You will experience practices of citizen participation during field visits to municipal projects for urban planning, social cohesion and safety.

Day 1: Arrival and welcome dinner

Day 2: Concepts and practices of citizen participation
More and more, municipalities understand that issues like the environment, unemployment, ethnic minorities, urban planning, safety etc. can only be dealt with in cooperation with citizens. The new challenge is to afford more room to and assist civic organisations and residents, keeping in mind the broader picture and overall municipal policy. Today you will be introduced to various concepts and practices of citizen participation in local governance. The Dutch case will be shown and participants will share and discuss their own experiences with citizen participation.

Day 3: Roles in citizen participation and New Leadership 
In the morning you will learn about the different perspectives, roles and responsibilities of local governors, municipal staff and citizens in participation processes by playing a governance game. In the afternoon we will have a roundtable discussion with a Dutch mayor about leadership and vision. He will show that good leadership is crucial to ensure that initiatives from the community actually lead to change and urban renewal.

Day 4: Developing and implementing a city vision
Nothing is permanent but change, Heraclitus said. This is also true for municipalities. A clear vision for the future helps them in adapting their policies to the ever changing circumstances. Today you will visit the municipality of Alphen aan de Rijn and learn more about their experience with developing a city vision. In field visits to neighbourhoods that have been upgraded, people from the municipality as well as citizens will tell about the processes of developing a vision, formulating new policy areas and instruments, and managing neighbourhood projects. Special attention will be given to the communication process and the management of expectations.

Day 5: Stimulating social cohesion through participation
What makes citizens ‘Haags’ (from the city of The Hague)? Why do they live in The Hague? What binds them together? These are the main themes of the Week of the Hague Encounter that aims to stimulate contacts between citizens with different cultural backgrounds living in The Hague. The initiator of this week, Deputy Mayor Rabin Baldewsingh (Citizenship), will explain his new policy on citizenship and social cohesion, and we will visit a number of activities throughout the city where residents meet one another.

Day 6: Tools for implementation back home
Experiencing how local governments, civil organisations and residents cooperate in other countries is in our philosophy a useful tool to reflect on your own situation. It will help you in getting clear what goes well in your particular situation and what elements can still be improved. New ideas gained in the Netherlands and from other participants will find their way to your own city. Today we will be doing a common reflection on the experiences you will take home, and what to do with them. This will result in a Take Home Action Plan.

  • The course may be prolongued with one extra week.

Practical information

The course fee is € 2.650,-. This includes all training-related costs as well as drinks and meals, accomodation in The Hague (five nights), training materials and travel during the training. Travelling to/from The Hague is not included.

If you have questions or if you are interested in a tailor made course on citizen participation you can contact our programme manager Suzanne Jansen at: suzanne.jansen@thehagueacademy.com.

Application procedure