How to facilitate long-term citizen participatory processes as part of local public health work

Abstract

Abstract Background Letting the citizens` voices being heard is regarded crucial for successful local public health work. A national project aimed at developing health promoting neighbourhoods through citizen participatory processes was implemented in 42 municipalities in Norway between 2016 and 2018. This study aims to explore the variety of conditions facilitating broad and long-term citizen participation in this project. Methods Data were collected by open-ended questionnaires completed by project workers and participating citizens in the eight municipalities involved in this particular study. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Results The results revealed that broad citizen participation presupposed the use of many different approaches that were adapted to different subgroups of the population. Personal invitations to join participatory processes in smaller groups in familiar settings, and seeking out citizens in their own arenas, appeared to be particularly useful recruiting approaches to reach those who usually are under-represented in traditional participatory processes. Long-term commitment to citizen participation processes seems to be facilitated by pre-process clarification of the frames, early post-process information about the results and anticipated future use of the results, and quick implementation of some efforts based on these results. Conclusions Broad and long-term commitment to citizen participatory processes as part of local public health work seems to presuppose a flexibility regarding different types of participatory and recruitment approaches and clear communication to the citizens on relevant issues at each particular stage of the processes. Key messages Broad and long-term commitment to citizen participatory processes requires flexibility regarding participatory and recruitment approaches. Broad and long-term commitment to citizen participatory processes requires clear communication to citizens pre- and post-process.