Deliberative committees - Brussels Parliaments

Design - Strategy - Training - Conference - Advocacy

Deliberative Committees are a “world première” where a group of randomly selected citizens come together with elected members of parliament to discuss specific policy issues, deliberate on potential solutions, and provide recommendations. The Deliberative Committees are an integral part of parliamentary regulations that allow the process to be constantly evaluated and adjusted.

Key Features of Deliberative Committees

Composition

Deliberative committees typically consist of a randomly selected group of citizens. This random selection is intended to ensure the committee is representative of the broader population, reflecting diversity in demographics, values, and opinions. 45 citizens and 15 parliamentarians work together on a specific topic.

Why involving MP’s?

MPs are experts of political functioning and are the ones who ultimately implement the recommendations. They are indispensable for the involvement in a parliamentary committee. The Deliberative Committees are evidence of a big shift: MPs and citizens collaborate and seek common ground together instead of opposing one another. Citizens present their everyday experiences, perspectives and knowledge. Politicians are experienced policy makers and legislators. They understand the constraints, the pitfalls and the language of policy making; they can guide the citizens through the legislative process. Observation of the process has proven that there are many benefits when citizens and politicians work together.

The likelihood that recommendations are implemented has definitely improved. The MPs that were witness to the deliberations—and voted for the recommendations—are the same politicians that do the follow-up. The gap between citizens and their representatives closes and helps to build trust. The combination enhances the confidence of citizens who have been selected via democratic lottery. They are more likely to accept an invitation letter to participate, anticipating that their recommendations are more likely to take effect. Politicians become fierce advocates of change and help improve democracy from the inside in a collaborative effort alongside citizens.

This is how to avoid politicians dominating deliberation

In order to avoid power disbalance, the ratio of 1 MP to 3 citizens helps to counterbalance the inherent dynamics of dominations in the discussions with politicians. The deliberations take place in small groups of 7 to 8 participants with skilled facilitators to warrant equal participation and avoid political pressure. In addition, a targeted training for MPs—with a focus on core values such as active listening, co-creation and respecting other people’s opinions—is offered. 97% of the participants (citizens and MPs) stated that the debates were conducted in a respectful manner and under the consideration of everyone’s opinion.

Deliberation Process

Members of the committee engage in structured discussions over a period of time, during which they learn about the issue at hand, hear expert testimonies, and debate different viewpoints.

The goal is for citizens to deliberate, not just vote or express individual opinions. Deliberation encourages the group to consider multiple perspectives, weigh evidence, and find common ground or consensus on solutions.

Facilitators guide these discussions to ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute and that the process remains productive and respectful.

Inclusion

Deliberative committees implement specific strategies to include underrepresented groups. This includes outreach efforts, focus on youth, buddy system, workshops for children,…

Role of Experts and Stakeholders

Throughout the deliberation process, experts, stakeholders, and sometimes policymakers are invited to present evidence, answer questions, and provide input.

This ensures that participants have access to reliable and relevant information to make informed decisions on complex issues.

Recommendations and Outcomes

At the end of the deliberation, the committee produces a report with recommendations on the issue it discussed. These recommendations are typically presented to policymakers or relevant authorities, who may choose to act on them or incorporate them into legislative processes.

Follow-up

The Deliberative Committees put the follow-up of recommendations at the heart of the process. According to the OECD—“Catching the Deliberative Wave” report—too often this is a missing link within citizens’ assemblies.

The follow-up session, which takes place 6 to 9 months after the vote on the recommendations (see diagram of the Deliberative Committee), does not distance itself from the deliberative format. Indeed, in order to avoid opposition between the whole process, during which citizens and parliamentarians take a collective position after deliberation and the follow-up—which would place the citizens in an individual position, a moment of deliberation among citizens is foreseen.

To be more precise, the follow-up session begins with a presentation by the parliamentary rapporteurs and the competent ministers about what has been done—recommendation by recommendation—after which the citizens discuss collectively and deliberate on the political follow-up before presenting in the plenary their (dis)satisfaction and points that require further attention. It is important to note that citizens are also compensated for this session.

The fact that the process is permanent and that the MPs involved are the ones carrying out the follow-up is a major asset. The MPs not only know the recommendations, but they also know the information and arguments making it more likely that they understand the importance of the follow-up and ultimately introduce legislative bills to implement the recommendations.

Impact on policy

Many recommendations from deliberative committees have been translated into public policies, including, notably, the entire legislation related to 5G, which stems from the deliberative committee dedicated to this topic. Similarly, crisis management and citizen involvement have been heavily influenced by the deliberative committee focused on citizen participation during crises. These examples highlight how deliberative processes can shape concrete policy outcomes by integrating citizens' perspectives into the decision-making process.

While the recommendations from deliberative committees are not binding, they provide policymakers with valuable insight into public opinion and preferences, informed by a well-rounded and deliberative process.

Purpose and Benefits

Democratization of Decision-Making: Deliberative committees aim to make decision-making processes more democratic and inclusive by giving ordinary citizens a direct voice in shaping policies that affect them.
Public Trust: By engaging citizens in meaningful discussions and ensuring their views are considered, deliberative committees can enhance public trust in political institutions.
Informed Decisions: The inclusion of diverse perspectives and expert input helps ensure that decisions are more balanced, well-informed, and reflective of the general public's interests.

Overall, deliberative committees are a powerful tool for enhancing democracy, allowing citizens to engage directly with policymakers and contribute to the decision-making process.

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Jonathan Moskovic