Fostering binding citizen participation (CLRMS0003)

Commitment ID

CLRMS0003

Commitment Title

Fostering binding citizen participation

Problem

In Chile, the law regulating citizen participation promotes involvement in public policy management; however, it establishes formal and specific modalities without specifying or mentioning binding participation. Consequently, binding participation mechanisms in public management are neither consolidated nor formalized, making instances of binding citizen participation atypical cases and leaving it up to authorities to implement a plebiscite—which is the most traditional form of this type of participation, but also the least used.

Binding citizen participation is not yet consolidated across all public action cycles. Furthermore, participation faces access gaps for certain groups of people regarding decisions on resource allocation within municipalities or aspects that could be chosen by citizens when implementing actions and measures. Through active participation, public policies are ensured to effectively respond to community needs and promote collective well-being.

Status quo

Currently, citizen participation actions of a consultative and influential nature are carried out, but a level of maturity that allows the implementation of binding mechanisms in projects directly benefiting local communities has not yet been reached. Access gaps persist across various groups—such as older adults, women, migrants, indigenous peoples, youth, and the LGBTQ+ community—who require consultation spaces adapted to their realities. Although there is high interaction with citizens and organizations, participatory instances are not always effective due to distrust in the processes, a lack of clarity regarding their impact on public policy, and communication or organizational issues. Furthermore, the Citizen Participation Law primarily recognizes the consultative nature of civil society organizations, without regulating binding mechanisms such as working groups, town halls, or other forums.

Action

Develop the foundations of a proposal to implement a timely and binding citizen participation model, supported by a common framework for action and coordinated among public, social, and territorial stakeholders, with the support of the Faculty of Government at the University of Chile.

The expected outcomes are to obtain feedback on and further refine the binding citizen participation model, according to the different population types or social groups involved. The model will be tailored, targeted, and customized to the specific characteristics and needs of each group.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The commitment will establish minimal conditions to ensure participation is effective and aligned with Open Government principles. It seeks to implement binding participation pilots in projects of interest to citizens—focusing on aspects where binding participation is feasible—and, through these pilots, gather feedback on the binding citizen participation model through innovation. This will help define in which situations it can be applied, what key factors must be considered, and other necessary elements to make it scalable

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

Enhance territorial linkages through innovation

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space

Primary Sector

Land & Spatial Planning, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?