Reform Description

The action to be implemented aims to address the erosion of democratic credibility, low voter turnout, the rise of extremist movements, and increasing public distrust in institutions, promoting civic participation through emerging technologies. 

In this matter, the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), through the European Union's Technical Support Instrument (TSI), is leading a project to promote civic participation through emerging technologies, in collaboration with partners such as Spain's National Institute of Public Administration (INAP), the Netherlands' Digicampus, and with technical support from the OECD through the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) and the Open Government, Civic Space, and Public Communication Unit. 

This project not only aims to explore but also to actively influence public policies in the field of civic participation through new technologies. The action is integrated into the Portuguese National Digital Strategy, specifically within Initiative 4 – " Civic Participation through Digital Technologies." This includes the development of new features and capabilities for the Portuguese digital civic participation platform (participa.gov.pt) and the strengthening of digital civic participation mechanisms, broadening the channels of interaction between citizens and government. 

Problem(s) Addressed by Reform

This action aims to address urgent public problems that affect the health of modern democracies, particularly low civic participation and growing distrust in public institutions. These issues manifest in several indicators, such as high voter abstention, a widespread perception that citizens’ opinions and contributions are not sufficiently valued in decision-making processes, and the increasing popularity of populist and extremist movements. Recent data confirm this concern: the OECD Trust Survey 2023 reveals that only 31.53% of Portuguese citizens trust their government—a significantly low percentage. The study also highlights lower trust among specific demographic groups, such as women, youth, and individuals with lower education levels, underlining existing inequalities in institutional credibility perception. The lack of effective alternatives to traditional civic participation models contributes to the exclusion of important societal groups, such as youth, who often feel underrepresented and disempowered in influencing public policy. This need, as well as being visible on a daily basis, is reinforced by the results of the Civic Space Review we carried out in 2022 with the OECD's Observatory for Civic Space. This study indicated the urgent need to promote the creation of new spaces for civic participation and to promote their adoption by organisations and civil society.  

On the other hand, the emergence of new technologies, which have changed the way we communicate and interact with each other and with organisations, opens up a window of opportunity to embed citizen participation in the routines of access to public products and services. 

Our action seeks to bridge these gaps and provide new participation channels, aligning with OECD recommendations to increase participation and improve coordination of existing participatory practices, aiming to build a more engaged society with greater trust in its institutions. 

Source: OECD Trust Survey 2023, available at www.oecd.org/governance/trust-in-government/ 

This action is a significant and innovative step toward solving the issues of low civic participation and distrust in institutions, particularly through the pioneering integration of emerging technologies in participatory processes. By exploring tools such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other digital innovations, the project aims to create more accessible, transparent, and engaging participation channels, overcoming the limitations of traditional models. This technological approach will help reach a broader audience, including youth and historically underrepresented groups, while ensuring greater security, traceability, and credibility of citizen contributions. Increased transparency in decision-making processes and the ability for citizens to monitor the impact of their input will strengthen trust in institutions and foster a sense of co-ownership in public policies. The European TSI project 23PT04 "Improving civic participation through emerging technologies", of which AMA is a key partner, has already demonstrated the potential of these technologies to enhance civic engagement, particularly among youth. This prior experience validates the approach and supports the expectation that this action will not only increase participation but also improve its quality and real impact on policymaking, promoting a more inclusive and responsive democracy. 

Relevance to OGP Values

The proposed action is intrinsically relevant to the core values of open government, addressing transparency, public accountability, and civic participation. 

Transparency is promoted through the use of emerging technologies such as blockchain. These technologies will create immutable and auditable records of all interactions and contributions in participatory processes, ensuring complete and secure traceability. Citizens will be able to track their suggestions and understand how decisions are made, reducing opacity and fostering greater understanding of how public administration works. 

Public accountability is reinforced by enabling citizens to directly engage in the formulation and monitoring of public policies. With clear and verifiable access to information on decisions and their processes, citizens can hold political decision-makers and public servants accountable for their actions and outcomes. This direct scrutiny mechanism, enabled by new technologies, promotes a culture of accountability in public administration. 

Civic participation is exponentially expanded. The action aims to create new, more accessible opportunities for citizen engagement, overcoming geographic, temporal, and knowledge barriers associated with traditional participation models. Emerging technologies allow for broader and more active engagement of groups that are typically underrepresented in decision-making processes—such as youth, people with reduced mobility, or those living in remote areas. Additionally, the initiative includes awareness and capacity-building activities to promote digital and civic literacy and support projects that integrate emerging technologies in participation processes, fostering a culture of continuous engagement and citizen empowerment. 

This initiative is also inspired by the guidelines of the European Democracy Action Plan, and seeks to activate civic engagement, ensuring that citizens needs and expectations are heard and considered, and fostering transparency and trust in institutions. Aligned with the "Future of Government 2030+" vision, the initiative explores the potential of emerging technologies to revitalize and expand civic participation, bringing citizens closer to public administrations. 

Intended Results

By the end of the implementation period, the expected results of this action are ambitious and multifaceted, aiming to significantly transform civic participation dynamics and the relationship between citizens and institutions. 

Firstly, a substantial increase in civic participation is expected, with a particular focus on engaging youth and other traditionally underrepresented groups. The goal is not only to increase the number of participants but also to diversify and improve the quality of contributions, ensuring a broader range of perspectives. 

Secondly, a significant improvement in citizens’ trust in public institutions is anticipated. By creating more transparent, inclusive, and responsive participation channels, citizens will feel more heard and valued. This sense of empowerment and real influence in decision-making is crucial to restoring trust and combating political disillusionment. 

Additionally, the implementation of new digital tools and processes is expected to lead to widespread adoption of innovative participation methodologies. The experience gained through this project could serve as a model for other government initiatives, promoting public administration modernization and digital transformation. 

Finally, the project will help strengthen Portugal's democratic culture by promoting continuous, constructive dialogue between government and civil society. Increased interactivity and easier access to information and decision-making processes will empower citizens to become more active and informed agents in national governance. 

At the end of this initiative we will have at our disposal a nationwide civic participation portal based on emerging technologies and processes that have been developed on the basis of collaborative co-creation processes with experts and civil society. 

Milestones

Key milestones and activities within the defined timeline include: 

1) Define the vision for the portal Participa.gov.pt based on the results of the TSI project and the changes promoted by Decree Law 49/2024. 

       a. Specifying the functionalities based on emerging technologies that resulted from the TSI project prototypes 

       b. Identify the requirements needed to support the participation processes associated with Decree Law 49 

(Start: May of 2025; End: July of 2025). 

2) Public consultation on critical areas of civic participation and policy transparency: 

       a. Surveying a representative sample of the population to identify challenges and barriers to civic engagement and policy transparency. This will include incorporating input from consultations conducted by other public administration entities. 

(Start: July of 2025; End of 2025) 

3) Developing the new features of the civic participation portal - Participa.gov.pt: 

        a. Strengthening digital civic participation mechanisms to enable closer, practical, and secure interaction with citizens  

(Start: January of 2026; End: December of 2026). 

4) Promoting the portal Participa.gov.pt next to public organizations and citizens 

      a. Organisation of public events to disseminate the Participa.gov.pt portal and train users in public administration bodies  

(Start: September of 2026; End: March of 2027). 

5) Civic participation projects using digital technologies: 

      a. Development of new projects to strengthen civic participation by integrating emerging digital technologies into government-citizen interactions.  

(Start: January 2027; End December of 2027*). 

*The evolution of this participation system is expected to continue beyond the project's timeframe, with the goal of implementing an ongoing process of research into new forms of participation and new technological features, in order to keep the platform up to date with citizens' expectations and needs.

Is Civil Society Involved?

Yes, civil society is and will continue to be deeply involved, playing a central and active role in both the design and implementation phases of this action/reform. 

During the design phase, civil society organizations (CSOs) have been key partners in identifying public problems and defining solution requirements and functionalities. Their perspective—grounded in direct community engagement and understanding of citizen needs—is essential for ensuring that tools and processes are relevant, accessible, and genuinely useful. Participation in workshops, co-creation sessions, and working groups ensures that citizens' voices are heard from the earliest project stages. 

In the implementation phase, civil society's role will remain vital. CSOs will actively participate in validating developed solutions through pilot testing and constructive feedback. They will also be partners in disseminating tools and methodologies, acting as information multipliers and mobilizers of participation within their networks and communities. Their ability to build trust and reach population segments that government alone may struggle to engage will be crucial to the reform’s success and sustainability. Civic associations, NGOs focused on transparency and participation, and citizen rights advocacy groups are examples of key partners in this process. Their collaboration ensures that the developed tools not only meet real population needs but are also effectively adopted and used.