Bringing in diverse voices requires deliberate choices. Earlier, we have identified ‘who’ needs to be involved. Now, the challenge shifts to the ‘how’.
For further insight into deciding who to involve, go to Chapter 2: Who needs to be involved?
Step 1: Recruitment
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to recruitment. Your approach should reflect the community you’re trying to reach: who they are, where they spend their time, and what actually earns their trust. This can be done in different ways. Here are some examples:
Don’t just post a general announcement and hope for the best. Send direct invitations through multiple channels: letters, emails, social media, billboards, leaflets, and door-to-door outreach in neighbourhoods. Personal invitations change everything: it tells people this is genuinely meant for them.
“For the Citizens’ Assembly on housing, the province of Drenthe sent 30,000 invitation letters to randomly picked residents. Almost 2,300 people said yes, and from that pool, 160 were selected to mirror the province’s population. Proof that a personal invite can make people feel really seen.” – Anne from Drenthe
Go where people already are: the market, the library, a school, a community centre. Face-to-face contact, like a quick chat on the street, a home visit, or an informal meeting, lets people ask questions and get answers on the spot. That kind of approach often reaches people who’d otherwise never respond at all.
“The city of Roeselare employs a dialogue-maker who physically goes into neighbourhoods to talk with citizens. This turns outreach into a real conversation, not just a communication campaign.” – Jasmien from Roeselare
Civil society organisations and local community groups already have real relationships with residents. That trust lets them reach people who tend to stay away from official government channels.
“The city of Mechelen set up a helpdesk and joined forces with social organisations, like the local poverty network, to keep things low-threshold. This ‘hospitality line’ made sure everyone could join in, no matter their background or situation.” – Mark from Mechelen
Some people will not join just because an invitation arrives. They may have had bad experiences, feel unheard, or think participation is “not for people like me”. That is why trust matters. Work with people and organisations who already know the community and are trusted by them.
“To better reach young people and residents with a migration background, Drenthe brings in experts by experience: people who know these communities firsthand, and can help find the right way in.” – Anne from Drenthe
Digital channels widen your reach fast. A targeted social media campaign, an online voting tool, or a discussion platform opens the door to people traditional outreach simply misses.
“In Oldenburg, we found that keeping communication simple and accessible makes a real difference. Young people rarely read long online articles and newsletters, but they were much easier to reach on Instagram. Next time, we’ll use a wider range of channels and more accessible formats, like social media, short videos, or infographics, to reach a broader and more diverse audience.” – Daniela From Oldenburg
Successful participation starts where people actually are, not where you would like them to be. We learned that if you rely on broad, passive invitations, you will almost exclusively attract the 'usual suspects' – people who already have the time, confidence, and previous experience. To get a room that reflects the real population, an administration must actively shape and control the selection process through targeted communication, rather than just inviting everyone and waiting to see who shows up.
Step 2: Selection
Recruitment reaches people and gets them on board. Selection shapes the final group that participates. First, ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve: a representative group or the widest possible reach. That answer decides everything that follows.
Sometimes reach is the goal: as many voices as possible, or specifically the people motivated enough to show up. In that case, open and ongoing registration is a good option, and selection isn’t necessary. It keeps the threshold low, and lets people join whenever they’re ready, rather than at one fixed moment. Keep in mind, though, that open registration tends to attract people with time, confidence, strong opinions, or prior experience, valuable voices, but rarely a mirror of the wider community.
If you want a balanced, representative group, you need a careful selection process that gets you closer to that mirror image. Whatever criteria you use, spell them out from the start. That clarity is what makes selection feel fair.
In Malmö's Climate Assembly, registration was open to anyone aged 16 or older. 216 residents expressed interest, and from that pool, a stratified random selection tool built a group that reflected the city's population in age, gender, education level, and district.
Step 3: Remove practical barriers
Even a well-designed selection process has its limits, though. You can build a group that mirrors the population on paper, balanced in age, gender, education, and district, and still end up less diverse in practice, if there’s no practical support to lower the threshold to register in the first place.
The venue itself can decide who feels welcome before a single word is said. Think about step-free access, clear signage, good acoustics, suitable seating, toilets, and public transport connections. This matters especially for people with disabilities, older residents, and people who may feel unsure entering formal public buildings.
“Use inspiring venues.” – Monika from Malmö
Meetings during office hours may exclude people who work, study, care for children, or have other responsibilities.
“For our Citizen Assembly, we spread meetings out over five months and mixed up the meeting times so it would fit different routines — a Monday evening, two Fridays, and two Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00.” – Anne from Drenthe
Some people will not join just because an invitation arrives. They may have had bad experiences, feel unheard, or think participation is “not for people like me”. That is why trust matters. Work with people and organisations who already know the community and are trusted by them.
“Participants in our Citizens’ Assembly received €135 per full day, including travel costs. This made participation more accessible and recognised the time people invested.” – Anne from Drenthe
Some people cannot take part because they care for children or family members. Offering childcare, care support, or a child-friendly setting can make participation possible for people who would otherwise be excluded.
“We offered paid childcare support: participants received €7 per hour for childcare, next to €75 per assembly meeting, and €7 for travel, making participation accessible for parents who might otherwise not have been able to join.” – Jan Kees from Groningen
Some people cannot attend in person. Others feel more comfortable sharing their input online, in writing, or informally rather than speaking up in a group. Offering several ways to take part means more people can join, on their own terms.
“We wanted to remove the barriers to participation, so we launched the ‘Future Shop’ as an informal pop-up space for our citizens . By getting rid of formal meetings and written proposals, we allowed people to just drop by and talk with municipal staff and volunteers. They could share their ideas however they felt comfortable—whether through words, drawings, maps, or conversations The combination of flexible opening hours, local hosts, and highly accessible formats meant we could easily reach completely different age groups and accommodate any schedule.” – Signe from Skive
Language can be a major barrier. People may have relevant experiences, but may not feel confident speaking in the official language of the process.
“In Mechelen, we learned that using translation, interpretation, and multilingual materials is absolutely essential to help more people understand what is happening and ensure they can truly take part.” – Mark from Mechelen
Practical barriers include the logistical, and the personal. People need to feel welcome. Paying attention to hospitality lowers the threshold to participate.
“You must make room for a pleasant gathering and setting for the panel members during their visit to the session. Make sure there is a warm welcome through a familiar face, ensure people don’t need to wait long before they can give their feedback, and always make sure to thank them for their attendance.” – Jasmien from Roeselare
Some groups need an extra layer of participation before or alongside the main process. People may need smaller groups, familiar places, more explanation, or support from someone they trust.
“We realised that a general meeting is not always the best format for everyone. During our river transformation project, we didn’t just invite people in poverty to the main citizen assembly. Instead, we organized a separate boat excursion and a small group discussion specifically tailored to them. By adding this additional layer to the citizen assembly’ we created a familiar, safe, and highly supported environment where these participants felt comfortable enough to truly contribute their ideas.” – Mark from Mechelen
Our assembly ran entirely in Swedish, and participation was voluntary, without financial compensation. That limited who could realistically take part. The city has since identified translation, childcare, and compensation as things to add in future assemblies, to reduce barriers and improve representativeness. No such support was offered in our pilot, but the lessons learned are clear on this point.