Evaluating public participation: instruments and implications for citizen involvement

The article presents two studies that address issues concerning the evaluation of public participation. Study 1 aimed to validate two instruments for measuring the process (the Deliberative Process Perceived Quality Scale, composed of two factors: “dialogue” and “knowledge/understanding”) and the outcome (Outcome Rating Scale) of a specific participatory procedure, i.e. the Open Space Technology (OST). Study 2 explored whether the participants' evaluation of OST's process and outcome predicted the future involvement of citizens in the same type of practices. Participants (N = 471) were recruited during five OSTs held in Italy between January and October 2010. The results indicated that (a) “dialogue” and “knowledge/understanding” appeared as distinct mechanisms and (b) participants who experienced respectful and collaborative relationships, and who positively evaluated the results achieved, were more likely to repeat a similar experience in the future, irrespective of the associated cognitive gains. Implications for community development and empowerment processes are discussed.