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A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (e.g. first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in face-to-face or virtual meetings, and finally prioritizing them) with the aim of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.
Examples of participatory processes are: a process of electing committee members (where candidatures are first presented, then debated and finally a candidacy is chosen), participatory budgets (where proposals are made, valued economically and voted on with the money available), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or norm, the design of an urban space or the production of a public policy plan.
[Safe(r) Spaces] Relational Power
Making power visible, shared, and accountable in safe(r) participatory spaces
About this process
Power shapes who is heard, how decisions are made, and whether participation leads to meaningful outcomes. Safe(r) spaces make these dynamics visible, negotiable, and accountable.
Coordinating a safe(r) space means recognising that power is not neutral. Who has power shapes participation through agendas, moderation, documentation, visibility, and decision-making pathways. Rather than leaving these dynamics implicit, it makes them visible, negotiable, and open to change. Governance choices, such as how discussions are moderated, how feedback circulates, and how accountability is ensured, directly influence whose voices are heard, how contributions travel, and whether participation leads to meaningful outcomes.
Reference: inspire-PART-2026-05-17