{"id":8876,"date":"2026-10-15T14:35:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibs.ee\/?p=8876"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:52:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:52:56","slug":"cityzen-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibs.ee\/en\/cityzen-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Would I attend my own workshop? Lessons from 11 years of citizen engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever since I joined Institute of Baltic Studies (IBS) back in 2015, I\u2019ve been working with local communities to work with them on topics ranging from energy-efficient renovation to sustainable transport to re-greening of urban space. This has been extremely rewarding work \u2013 helping create and strengthen communities and ensuring the lived realities, needs and wishes of people are translated into decision-making processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, it hasn\u2019t always been an easy road. Participation fatigue is real and anyone organizing engagement processes eventually encounters it, not to mention the simple reality that sometimes the people showing up aren\u2019t necessarily the ones you were targeting despite your best efforts. So, here are my key lessons in engagement and participation I\u2019ve learned over the course of 11 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes people don\u2019<\/strong>t want to participate… and that\u2019<\/strong>s okay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I must have organized dozens of workshops, focus groups, and other similar events in the last ten years. I\u2019ve become proficient in writing simple, appealing invitations: straight to the point but also highlighting why the person\u2019s contribution matters. I also know how to choose appropriate communication channels \u2013 knowing your target group really matters in this sense \u2013 whether it\u2019s a poster in the hallway of an apartment building or a personal email or call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, even when you\u2019ve done your best in every regard and you can be reasonably confident that the invitation has reached the people you intended, sometimes people just don\u2019t want to participate. The reality is that with all these events you are in perpetual competition with people\u2019s personal lives \u2013 you want the time that they would normally dedicate to their families, hobbies, and other pursuits \u2013 so why would<\/em> they choose to attend your workshop instead? After years of experience, I can confidently say that it\u2019s okay if they don\u2019t choose you and it\u2019s nothing personal. Maybe they will another time, when they have more time or the topic feels more relevant. In any case, you can\u2019t force participation, you can simply make it as easy as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everything can be co-created<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In engagement processes, we always aim for the maximum amount of co-creation. We think of participation as a ladder<\/a>: informing and consulting sit towards the lower end, while collaboration and empowerment represent deeper, more meaningful forms of participation. As such, we don\u2019t simply want to inform<\/em> our target groups that something is happening, we want them engaged from the start \u2013 empowered by the prospect of being able to shape the services and living environment they use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there will always be details that should<\/em> not and cannot<\/em> be co-created. Residents can\u2019t meaningfully decide everything: technical requirements, budgets, safety standards, procurement rules and climate targets, for example, will always be there as a rigid framework within which we operate. As a result, it is important to manage expectations from the start and clearly communicate what we can<\/em> influence and change and what we cannot. It\u2019s normal for discussion to be derailed by seemingly more pressing issues, but then it\u2019s your job as facilitator to clearly say that \u201cthis<\/em> we can\u2019t change or control\u201d, but we can \u2013 if possible \u2013 still convey this feedback to decision-makers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust is built in the boring bits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can plan and execute the most impressive co-creation workshop ever, but believe me when I say that trust is built in the bits that may seem utterly irrelevant or secondary: through answering emails, showing up when promised, remembering what someone said six months ago, explaining why something can\u2019t be done and doing a thorough follow-up after the co-creation event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes months if not years to build rapport with a certain group, and it can be shattered in less than a day. Always remember to focus less on the post-its during your co-creation event but more on ensuring that participants feel seen and heard by you. After all, it\u2019s you who is the face of the initiative in that moment, not the project branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andra, holding a red umbrella, introduces visitors to an apartment building renovated as part of the SmartEnCity project.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Would you attend your own workshop?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Last but not least, it\u2019s important to sometimes take a step back from the co-creation process and look at it from the participant\u2019s perspective.\u201d. Imagine receiving an invitation to spend two hours discussing \u201cnature-based solutions for sustainable urban regeneration\u201d after work. Would you go? Probably not. Or being invited to \u201cshare your thoughts\u201d with no mention of concrete follow through or what it\u2019s even for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not about criticizing yourself or your work \u2013 I know from my own team that we can be our own harshest critics \u2013 but rather putting yourself in the shoes of your attendee. If you need them to come after work, have you made it as easy as possible for them? Are you clearly stating what\u2019s the outcome, are you offering at least a snack if the person is forced to miss dinner, are you being mindful of how you use the short time you have with them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, good co-creation is not about getting as many people as possible into a room or finding the cleverest workshop method. It is about being clear about what people can influence, respecting the time and knowledge they bring, and following through afterwards. Before planning the next engagement activity, I try to ask myself one simple question: if this invitation landed in my inbox, would I actually want to come? If the answer is no, the workshop probably still needs some work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustration by Ardi Sa\u017eko<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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