Using sortition to promote greater diversity in participation
Who actually takes part in local participatory processes – and who might not have been reached so far? Random selection procedures can be one way of involving people in participatory processes in a targeted and, as far as possible, diverse manner. But how do they work in practice? What can they achieve, what conditions are required, and what legal considerations need to be taken into account?
The Allianz für Beteiligung will be addressing these questions in its online event series ‘Broad Participation – In Practice!’ on 4 November 2026 from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm. Together with experts from academia, the field and the Alliance for Participation, participants will examine the opportunities, limitations and practical implementation options of random selection procedures.
Programme
1. Theoretical overview (Dr Stephanie Bock and Dr Bettina Reimann, German Institute for Urban Studies):
Why a lottery? Opportunities and limitations of lottery-based selection processes.
2. Legal overview (Alliance for Participation):
What is the legal situation regarding lottery-based selection processes in Baden-Württemberg?
3. Practical overview (Vanessa Watkins, City of Herrenberg):
How does a sortition-based selection process work in practice? What steps are required?
What you can take away from this session
- The session explores the extent to which sortition-based selection processes help to strengthen the inclusivity of participation.
- Using examples and focusing on Baden-Württemberg, the session explains how sortition-based selection processes work in practice within local government participation processes and how the legal framework for them is structured.
- From an academic perspective and using concrete examples, the discussion will cover why random selection procedures are carried out, what they achieve, when they are appropriate, what conditions and support they require, and where their limitations lie.
Who is this event aimed at?
The event is aimed at local stakeholders (local government and local politicians) as well as initiatives, associations and organisations that wish to learn about random selection procedures and encourage local authorities to adopt them.
Speakers
Dr Stephanie Bock (geographer and planning scientist) and Dr Bettina Reimann (sociologist) are team leaders in the ‘Urban Development, Law and Social Affairs’ research division at the German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu). Their research focuses in particular on participation, governance, integrated urban development, migration/inclusion and gender aspects in spatial planning.
Vanessa Watkins heads the Department for Participation and Engagement at Herrenberg Town Council and is responsible for the council’s participation strategy. She is an expert in the field of citizen participation and forward thinking, and a lecturer at Ludwigsburg University of Applied Sciences and formerly in Taiwan.
Register now!