Participation and public sector: a democratic challenge

Résumé

The last few decades have provided evidence on how governments at different scales are called upon to effectively respond to rapidly changing social, political and economic scenarios. Scientific community seems to have paid scarce attention to the analysis and understanding of bureaucratic changes linked to the enactment of new forms of interaction between political institutions and civil society. Participation of civil society can rely on either circumscribed or broad political projects involving and affecting the ways public sector formulates and delivers the public services. In this paper I take stock of the scientific debate concerning margins of reform in public sector through participatory processes. On the basis of my academic experience on and practice with participatory initiatives, my argument is that we need to foster new reflections on the ways public sector can achieve effective goals through participation.