2023 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The Secretary of Citizen Participation of Medellin develops a theoretical and experiential approach to social innovation processes and the methodological and procedural design based on the implementation of citizen laboratories as mediation to generate joint dynamics of co-creation and construction of new relationships with citizens. These actions are framed in a horizontal governance model, which promotes alliances and co-responsible actions based on neighborhood, community, population or thematic scale experiences. The objective is to identify experiences of organizations and collectives with innovative initiatives or with innovative potential in the social sphere and favorable to the strengthening of democracy and citizen participation. 

This process of linking and co-creation by the hand of citizens is committed to an ecosystem of social innovation, based on alliances that motivate co-responsible relationships with the strengthening of citizenship as the centerpiece. The process is driven by methodological designs that incorporate agile methodologies and design thinking or design thinking for the formulation of initiatives called transformation plans. The objective of the transformation plans is to motivate the divergent, the unexplored, the novel, and to address challenges related to citizen participation and advocacy in the public sphere. 

The process began in 2020, addressing challenges of citizen participation with individuals, organizations and collectives that, due to their experience or interest, could formulate alternatives with innovative potential or strengthen existing ones. For 2021, continuity is given with the dynamization of a strategy to activate a Social Innovation Ecosystem, enhancing digital citizenship, creative thinking and co-responsible action in strengthening participation. In 2022, the actions of co-creation, recognition of experiences and addressing challenges in areas of action of the participating organizations or groups and the collaborative construction from their stakes and capabilities, around the identification, prioritization and resolution of social problems of collective interest are strengthened. In the current period (2023), strength is given to the generation of alliances, making approaches with social and community organizations, social leaders and government agencies to join efforts in specific territories.  

These laboratories are a collaborative work strategy, co-responsible, of territorial readings, and approaching challenges associated with citizen participation, which have as a background the formulation of social initiatives called transformation plans.

To date, 87 plans have been formulated on various topics such as the environment, gender equity, circular economy, habitability of territories, memory, peace, reconciliation, gender, diversities, training, participation and citizen culture, increasingly linking new stakeholders in the perspective of promoting social co-responsibility and the qualification of democracy and citizen participation.

The evaluation and assessment seeks to promote its sustainability, enhance its relevance and leverage its appropriation by those involved, making it possible that through the return of the inputs and products generated, not only to qualify and improve its collective construction, but fundamentally to project scenarios of cooperation, synergies for its implementation, visibility and recognition from communication resources that bring allies and opportunities for its consolidation.

More information:

• https://siciudadania.co/index.php/laboratorio-2022/
• https://siciudadania.co/index.php/2021/10/13/laboratorio-2021/
• https://laboratoriosciudadanos.siciudadania.co/