How to run a citizens’ assembly

Starting with the question over whether or not to run a citizens’ assembly, the handbook moves chronologically through the different stages involved with planning, organizing, and delivering a successful process.

It’s not a prescriptive ‘user guide’ - less still a set of mandatory instructions - but we hope you find it useful as a catalogue of ideas and questions to work through that can assist anyone seeking to use deliberative engagement methods in their work.

In this handbook, you will find a summary of the key things to think about before, during, and after running a citizens’ assembly. The complete handbook goes through each of these key learnings in detail to help you define and design the most appropriate and effective citizens’ assembly for your area. It also contains examples of good practice from the Innovation in Democracy Programme and other citizens’ assemblies to provide learning and inspiration.

Source: RSA, Involve, Democratic Society, mySociety

Year of publication: 2020