Samenvatting

The Participatory Value Evaluation (the Dutch abbreviation is PWE for ‘Participatieve Waarde Evaluatie’) is a democratic innovation that has been applied more than 80 times in the Netherlands. The essence of a PWE is that residents take the place of a policymaker and give advice on policy dilemmas. This article determines the distinguishing elements of a PWE by comparing PWE with other methods such as the referendum and the citizens’ council. In addition, this article describes experiences with the PWE of policymakers and participants in nine cases. Policymakers appreciate that the PWEs provide concrete, usable insights. Because participants in the PWE experience the same dilemma as policymakers, their advice can be translated into policy more easily. Policymakers appreciate that a large and representative group participates in the PWE. This also includes constituents that they normally do not see at offline participation moments such as residents’ evenings. For example, people with a nuanced opinion (‘the silent middle’). Policymakers consider PWE to be an efficient citizen participation method and appreciate the focus that the design process of a PWE provides. Participants are generally very positive about their participation in the PWE. However, there is a group of participants who have a greater need to provide advice outside the policy options offered.