In the aftermath of the successful School of Participation Democracy held in September in Istanbul and in October in Ankara for more than 50 representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and local authorities from Türkiye, the Council of Europe, Arguden Governance Academy and STGM contributed to conducting in-depth training sessions on the specific tools presented during the schools.
A follow-up training session on participatory Public Space Planning tailored to the needs of 12 Turkish practitioners and local authorities was delivered online in November 2023 to support them in engaging citizens in decisions related to the design or improvements of public spaces. The participants engaged in practical exercises on the methodology of public space planning, creating consultation plans, identifying stakeholders, making announcements to engage relevant parties, and selecting appropriate engagement methods. The training also provided insights into organizing workshops to prepare a conceptual plan. Participants found value in the real-case examples and experience sharing, gaining practical knowledge to enhance their engagement strategies.
Following this, a comprehensive training on School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) was organised in December to delve into the regulatory framework for SPB, different phases of the methodology, and practical aspects of implementation in schools. Participants explored the unique context of Türkiye and how to use Council of Europe innovative UChange game board to facilitate the SPB process. Expressing their intent to implement SPB in pilot schools and universities, participants also committed to disseminating the acquired knowledge among their peers, municipalities, and schools.
To ensure sustainability in disseminating knowledge, a training of trainers on the Council of Europe Civil Participation in the Decision Making Toolkit took place in Izmir the same month. Turkish experts expanded their understanding of the toolkit's methodology, aimed at supporting municipalities in mapping different community groups and conducting effective citizen consultations. The newly trained trainers then applied the acquired skills by delivering a session for representatives of the municipality of Izmir on December 6 and 7, 2023.
Another training of trainers on CivicLab was conducted in Adana on 20 and 21 December, where participants were equipped to further disseminate this Council of Europe tool designed to assist municipalities in engaging citizens in the development of action plans and other strategic documents. The future trainers were also supported to deliver CivicLab online training for their Turkish peers in January 2024.
Finally, a training session on using the Council of Europe UChange game took place in Istanbul, where participants studied in depth the methodology and its application, aimed at informing groups of citizens on the existing participatory mechanisms available in Türkiye to solve specific issues in a municipality. They applied the UChange online version to a real-case example, discovered successful applications of the game, and engaged in discussions about ways to use this tool in their communities.
The follow-up training sessions support the empowerment of local authorities and CSOs in Türkiye with the tools and knowledge necessary for effective civil participation. As participants embark on implementing these tools in their respective regions, the Council of Europe aims for positive developments in community engagement in decision-making processes at the local level in Türkiye.
