Early Citizen Involvement: Assessing Design and Impact in Local Policy Development

Kristine Løkås Vigsnes; Charlotte Kiland; Harry Rutter; Eirik Abildsnes

doi:10.18261/njips.5.1.4

Early Citizen Involvement: Assessing Design and Impact in Local Policy Development

Kristine Løkås Vigsnes
, Charlotte Kiland
, Harry Rutter
, Eirik Abildsnes

Agder University
University of Oslo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Citizen participation can improve the effectiveness of public policies, but it often occurs late in the policy development process, limiting its influence and compromising potential benefits. This study explores a participatory process initiated and designed by a local government. It involved citizens in developing a policy addressing the societal challenge of young people classified as Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) in a Norwegian municipality. A qualitative in-depth study was conducted, analysing 22 informant interviews and 8 internal case documents. The participatory design prioritised ‘expert citizens’ due to their perceived legitimacy, while limiting the involvement of the NEET group. This resulted in a selective process that enhanced perceived effectiveness but raised concerns regarding democratic legitimacy. The study concludes that early participatory designs may involve inherent tensions and trade-offs that must be addressed to enable more genuinely interactive forms of governance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-17
Number of pages	17
Journal	Nordic Journal of Innovation in the Public Sector
Volume	5
Issue number	1
Early online date	8 Jul 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.18261/njips.5.1.4
Publication status	Published - 8 Jul 2026

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the reviewers and guest editors of this special issue for their valuable comments and suggestions, which have improved conceptual clarity and enhanced the overall quality of the analysis and discussion.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Keywords

citizen participation
early participation
policy development
expert citizens
participatory policymaking
innbyggermedvirkning
tidlig involvering
politikkutvikling
ekspert borgere
deltakende politikkutforming

Access to Document

10.18261/njips.5.1.4Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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Early Citizen Involvement: Assessing Design and Impact in Local Policy Development

Abstract

Acknowledgements

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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