Creating a tool for co-creation and participation (EE0063)

Activity 1.1. Developing the cooperation and inclusion skills of policymakers

We will increase the impact of the co-creation accelerator to facilitate discussions within society on topics relevant to the government action plan, as well as develop the cooperation and inclusion skills of leaders.

Problem definition
According to a study by the OECD4, only 17% of residents in Estonia believe they are able to participate in policy shaping. 20% believe feedback is actually taken into account. In an era of fast reforms, it is important that ministries are able to prepare initiatives in limited time while also ensuring that they are inclusive and broadly accepted in society.

Open governance and inclusion depend primarily on the knowledge, skills and readiness of civil servants to cooperate with citizens. The 2025 leadership quality study shows that the leadership culture in the Estonian public service sector is good, but there is room for improvement in including interest groups in decision-making and action plan preparation. Civil society organisations are included in policymaking, but most people are not members of an organisation. This means most feedback never reaches decision-makers. Surveys provide an overview of public opinion, but they don't foster deeper discussions.

Causes of the problem
The problem is that ministries don't use inclusion methods enough. Well-organised inclusion takes time, but we lack the practice and experience to do it at a faster pace. The open government road map also emphasises that the time, activities and costs of cooperation are not accounted for enough. Fast decision-making cycles, lack of inclusion capacity and lack of transparency leave an impression that the involvement of citizens is not really important. This then decreases trust in the political system.

In 2020, the Government Office interviewed people who don't usually participate in inclusion events. The interviews showed that reasons for non-participation include not considering oneself a politically active person, even if they read about political news daily and frequently discuss them with friends and family, and not feeling like their participation would change anything.

What has been done to solve the problem
What has been done so far to solve the problem? In 2023, the open government road map was prepared as a guide for improving inclusive decision-making and cooperation. In 2024, the co-creation accelerator was initiated, which supported eight initiatives by five ministries in order to implement them in smarter, cooperative ways. At the end of 2023, the leadership competence model was updated in order to improve readiness for innovation and new approaches. Mainly, the cooperation skills of leaders at the middle and highest level need to be improved. The planned reform of the Civil Service Act is also relevant, as it will set the service length and rotation of middle-ranking civil servants.

In November 2022, a series of discussions (arvamusrännak) was organised by the Government Office to collect proposals and input from people for complimenting the Estonia 2035 action plan. 140 discussions were held in different parts of Estonia. In the spring of 2024, the same format was used to collect proposals on the Climate Act and the Green Reform. The arvamusrännak methodology and guidelines are published in the Arvamusrännak web archive.

Solution
We will continue developing the co-creation accelerator created within the framework of the previous action plan, which will become a co-creation and communication support tool for the preparation of ministry initiatives and drafts important to the government and society at large. Projects will be selected for the accelerator based on the government's action plan. The accelerator will facilitate gathering feedback and proposals and developing better solutions accordingly.

We will create the conditions for leaders to improve their inclusion and cooperation skills. We will create a training programme for middle-ranking civil servants supported by online studies and internal educators. For senior civil servants, development will be promoted through the Spinnaker leadership programme. This will reinforce efforts to support innovation and be based on current competency models.

Thirdly, we will test innovative forms of participation involving various groups in society, creating a clear output for the process of decision-making. We started working on this in July 2025, when the Government Office applied to the Data Protection Inspectorate for the right to use personal data in a study on the wider use of the mini-public method in policymaking. The result will be a repeatable and science-based discussion framework that increases participation, decreases political division and provides the government with better input for decision-making.

Desired result
• The co-creation and communication support programme will change civil servants' stances on inclusion and cooperation and improve participating civil servants' skills in this.
- Bringing the attention of recruited and trained high- and mid-level leaders to the values of open governance ensures that the desire for inclusion will come from the leadership itself and will be valued.
. A developed and tested form of participation that can be used for decision-making along with a published description of the methodology.

How will the commitment promote transparency
The co-creation and communication support programme will increase transparency, offering support for open description of initiatives and drafts of societal importance and spreading information meant to be understandable by citizens. This creates better opportunities for people to understand the content, reasoning and aims of politics. Considering the values of open governance when implementing change helps shape civil servants who value clear and honest communication with the public, thereby promoting transparent governance throughout the organisation.

How will the commitment promote citizen participation and co-creation
The co-creation and communication support programme is aimed at initiatives where the participation of interest groups is relevant and necessary. The programme creates a framework in which participation is planned, supported and consistent. A participation format that encourages people to join who don't usually take part in decision-making processes is created and implemented. This will probably increase the share of socially active people in the long run. This increases trust and makes participants feel like their contributions matter. In addition, a value-based implementation of changes ensures that public sector leaders facilitate dialogue, listening and co-creative leadership, which is the basis for inclusive governing.

How will the commitment promote accountability
Regular support for initiatives with clear communication goals and feedback mechanisms help people observe how politics and initiatives develop and what their actual state of implementation is. This creates the prerequisites for transparent monitoring and evaluation, allowing for a comparison of promises and results. Publishing the methodology and lessons learned creates standards and expectations for similar participatory processes in the future, strengthening the trustworthiness of the public sector and its accountability for its own actions and decisions. If accountability and public reporting are focused on when implementing changes in the public sector, it creates a stronger basis for a leadership culture in the public sector that supports strategic accountability and meeting people's expectations.

Milestones | Expected outputs | Expected completion date | Lead | Supporting stakeholders
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Co-creation and communication support programme for supporting societally significant initiatives and drafts | Development of the programme; An average of four government programme activities are supported each year | 01.2026–12.2029 | Government Office | Government: Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications; CSOS: e-Governance Academy, Estonian Cooperation Assembly, Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organization; Others: Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities
Developing cooperation and communication skills of senior civil servants | 3/4 of senior civil servants have participated in the Spinnaker leadership programme | 12.2026 | Government Office | Government: -; CSOS -; Others: Tallinn University of Technology, Demos Helsinki, Akkadian OÜ
Creating a quick consult model with researchers for short-format cooperation, testing and implementation of the model | Development of the model | 06.2027 | Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications | Government: -; CSOS: -; Others: Universities
Testing and gradually broadening a training programme for middle-ranking civil servants | Testing a training programme supported by online learning and internal educators and summaries of lessons learned; Adding to the programme and gradually broadening it | 06.2026, 12.2028 | Ministry of Finance | Government: Government Office; CSOS: -; Others: -
Developing, testing and implementing the discussion format | Development of the methodology; Implementation of the discussion format throughout Estonia | 06.2026, 12.2026 | Government Office | Government: Ministry of Finance; CSOS: Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations, Mõttekoda Praxis; Others: Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia
Description of good inclusion and co-creation norms and methods in the toolbox | Publishing at least eight descriptions of methodology with examples | 12.2029 | Government Office | Government: Ministries; CSOS: Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations; Others: -

Annex 1. Activity 1.1. Developing the cooperation and inclusion skills of policymakers (milestones summary)
- Co-creation and communication support programme for supporting societally significant initiatives and drafts | Lead: Government Office | Improved cooperation and inclusion skills of civil servants who participate in the programme | Deadline: 10.2029
- Developing cooperation and communication skills of senior civil servants | Lead: Government Office | Public sector leaders who facilitate dialogue, listening and co-creation | Deadline: 12.2026
- Creating a quick consult model with researchers for short-format cooperation, testing and implementation of the model | Lead: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications | A flexible method to consult researchers on important decisions | Deadline: 06.2027
- Testing and gradually broadening a training programme for middle-ranking civil servants | Lead: Ministry of Finance | Public sector leaders who facilitate dialogue, listening and co-creation | Deadline: 12.2028
- Developing, testing and implementing the discussion format | Lead: Government Office | A developed and implemented participation format with a described and published methodology that is used in decision-making | Deadline: 12.2026
- Description of good inclusion and co-creation norms and methods in a toolbox | Lead: Government Office | Descriptions of published methods with examples | Deadline: 12.2029