What is the outcome of a citizens’ assembly?

The outcome of a citizens' assembly is typically a set of recommendations or decisions that are presented to policymakers and/or the wider public. The way that these are presented will vary, for example in Ireland there is a formal process whereby recommendations are sent to a dedicated parliamentary committee to consider and report to government. The government is not obliged to accept the recommendations but it sets a timetable for implementation and if it is not accepting any of the recommendations it has to say why.

Who sits on a citizens’ assembly?

Citizens’ assembly participants are chosen to reflect the wider population – a ‘mini-public’ – in terms of demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status and may include other characteristics such as geographical location. Recruitment takes place through a process of random selection, or sortition. Once people opt in, a smaller selection are chosen who meet the balance of demographic criteria. During the onboarding process participants will be asked about any extra support they need to ensure they can attend and engage in the process. For example, support relating to accessibility requirements or caring responsibilities. 

How have they been used across the world? 

The OECD database of deliberative engagement cites 320 citizens’ assemblies and juries held since 1986 across local, regional and national levels. ⁵⁹ airtable.com/appP4czQlAU1My2M3/shrX048tmQLl8yzdc/tblrttW98WGpdnX3Y/viwX5ZutDDGdDMEep?blocks=hide  Citizens’ assemblies have been held in France on climate change and in Ireland on a range of constitutional questions. Citizens’ juries and panels, which tend to be smaller and held over fewer days, have been held in Belgium on genetically modified crops and in Finland on freedom of expression. ⁶⁰ airtable.com/appP4czQlAU1My2M3/shrX048tmQLl8yzdc/tblrttW98WGpdnX3Y/viwX5ZutDDGdDMEep?blocks=hide  These models differ in the amount of time they take, how much they cost and how many people are involved. 

Type of process	Total number held	Average number of attendants	Average number of total meeting days	Average number of weeks between 1st and last meeting	Average cost*	Countries used in at a national level
Citizens' assembles	89	85	9	17	£758,094	Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Montenegro, UK
Citizens' juries	231	46	5	9	£83,932	Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Portugal, South Korea, UK

Source: Institute for Government analysis of OECD Database of Representative Deliberative Processes and Institutions 2023. Note: Cost calculations were not reported by all organisers so the figure is based on a smaller sample.

In the UK citizens’ assemblies have mostly been held by local authorities. ⁶¹ involve.org.uk/citizens-assembly-tracker

Although the UK government has not commissioned a citizens’ assembly itself, the UK parliament, Scottish government and the Welsh Parliament (previously National Assembly for Wales) have. The Scottish government has also set up an Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (IPDD) working group to look at ways of embedding deliberative engagement in the government’s work. ⁶² www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-response-institutionalising-participatory-deliberative-democracy-working-group/

Larger citizens’ assemblies held in the UK include:

• In 2018 two select committees of the UK parliament sponsored a citizens’ assembly on how adult social care should be funded in England in the long-term. ⁶³ publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcomloc/citizens-assembly-report.pdf  The assembly created and voted on a set of principles which they felt should inform how adult social care in England is funded and made a series of recommendations.
• In 2019 the then National Assembly for Wales held a citizens’ assembly, to explore how Welsh people can shape their future through the National Assembly’s work. ⁶⁴ involve.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/docuemnt/Citizens%27%20Assembly%20of%20Wales%20%E2%80%93%20Final%20report.pdf
• From 2019-2020 the Scottish government ran a citizens’ assembly looking into the future of Scotland. The assembly agreed a ‘10-point vision’ for the country and a set of 60 recommendations for the government to take forward. ⁶⁵ www.gov.scot/publications/research-report-citizens-assembly-scotland/pages/2/
• In 2020 six select committees of the UK parliament sponsored Climate Assembly UK, a national citizens’ assembly tasked with making recommendations on how the UK could meet its legislative target of net zero by 2050. ⁶⁶ www.climateassembly.uk/index.html