Governments and civil society organizations have explored various innovative participatory approaches to amplify citizens' voices in decision-making, such as participatory budgeting, citizens’ assemblies, and participatory policymaking. However, many of these initiatives have remained pilot projects and have not been fully integrated into standard governance practices.
The Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator (MPA) seeks to support reformers’ efforts to convert these one-off initiatives to more consistent, commonplace, impactful, and high-quality participatory practices. It is a program for reformers currently experimenting with or implementing a public participation program and seeking to mainstream (institutionalize or embed) it as an ongoing government process.
The program is open to government reformers and civil society organizations interested in transforming existing participatory programs into sustainable democratic practices. The accelerator is open to applicants worldwide and has 20 spots in its first cohort. Participants from Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator is a practice-oriented training and support program to develop practical solutions to mainstream and embed high-quality, inclusive public participation practices across key government sectors, processes, and institutions. Over six months, participants will benefit from:
Dedicated mentorship.
Step-by-step resources such as the Participation Playbook, an interactive online tool for designing participatory programs.
Comprehensive "how-to" guides.
Practice-oriented live sessions and online courses.
International peer-learning opportunities.
Peer networking opportunities, including attendance at a two-day international workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, with all travel expenses fully covered by the program.
Learn more about current and past Accelerator participants
Timeline
Applications closed on December 1, 2024.
Program timeline:
October 8–December 1, 2024: Applications were open until December 1, 11:59 pm UTC (check your timezone here).
December 2024–January 2025: Shortlisted participants are notified
January–March 2025: Due diligence and onboarding
March 2025: The program begins with a virtual kick-off session
April–September 2025: Participants develop their action plans with the support of mentors and participate in check-in sessions
September 2025: The program ends
September–December 2025: Participants begin to implement their action plans
November 2025–January 2026: Participants share learnings
Program timeline.
More application details
Government officials, staff members and policymakers who want to transform existing participatory programs into sustainable democratic practices. Please note: Government institutions applying must have a partnership with a civil society organization/non-governmental organization.
Civil society organization staff members who want to work with governments to transform existing participatory programs into sustainable democratic practices. Please note: Civil society organizations applying must work in partnership with a government institution, as they must follow up with the implementation of the action plan.
This current MPA cohort consists of 20 government and civil society leaders. It will start in March 2025 and end in September 2025. In this cohort:
Participants can expect to spend an average of two to three hours per week from March to September 2025 for the duration of the training program and mentoring support.
Participants should set aside a key date (to be confirmed) to attend a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2025. All travel expenses will be fully covered by the program.
Participants also will be asked to set aside a few key dates on their calendars to participate in the program’s live Zoom sessions.
Deliver an action plan for mainstreaming participatory and deliberative democracy within their contexts using the Participation Playbook and program resources.
Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop an action plan.
Attend and participate in dedicated training and mentorship/peer support activities and discussions.
Attend a two-day international workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. All travel expenses will be fully covered by the program.
Report on project progress through surveys and learning reports.
Engage with other cohort members to support each other's work.
The application form contains the following questions:
Does your organization or your partner organization have a current participatory program you would like to improve or mainstream through this program?
What is your experience of participatory or deliberative democracy (PDD) innovations? Please describe your understanding of PDD principles and involvement in initiatives promoting PDD, including a description of the method/type (e.g., participatory budgeting, participatory policymaking, legislative theater, citizen assemblies, others {specify) of your current program, and any leadership roles relevant to PDD initiatives.
What is your experience of engaging key stakeholders? Please describe your experience of engaging with government, civil society organizations, and/or marginalized communities, and evidence your ability to build and maintain strong and productive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. Please highlight how your current participatory program experience addresses this question [300 words]
What are your motivation and goals for being part of the program? Please describe your personal and institutional aspirations and goals for the program, and how the program can help enhance your leadership and contribution to participatory democracy and open government in your country and beyond. Include at least three goals you aim to achieve through this program [300 words]
What are your plans for mainstream participatory and deliberative democracy? Please describe your plans for mainstreaming PDD in your context, including outlining their feasibility, the resources necessary to achieve them, and any challenges you anticipate. [300 words]
What is the impact you intend to have through joining the program? Please describe the intended impact of your project to mainstream PDD, and how you will spread the knowledge and skills you acquire through the program within your country. [300 words]
Please describe the biggest challenges in your participatory program that you want to address through mainstreaming and how mainstreaming helps address this problem. Include the steps or actions you think need to be taken to achieve mainstreaming in your context and highlight up to three potential challenges that you foresee affecting these steps/actions.
Watch the info session
We recently held an info session to explain more about the Accelerators and why you should apply. Watch the recording of it below to learn more.
Learn more about the MPA expert committee
The accelerator participants will receive dedicated support from mentors from the four regional organizations below. The mentors also form the expert committee that will support the development of program sessions and materials.
MOSAIC, Europe
IOPD Africa, Africa
Ciudadanía Inteligente, South America
Kota Kita, Asia
Partners
MPA is a pioneering program launched by People Powered, the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and the Institute of Public Finance (IPF). The program builds on an existing curriculum developed by OGP, the Open Government Leadership Collaborative on Mainstreaming Participation, and the People Powered accelerator model. The program is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
