Hot off the presses, this new report analyses public participation in Europe.  What can we learn? The central point cited in the report is:

"The development of public participation in Europe is held back by the absence of evaluation that asks the really important questions. It is not clear how well participation processes are working, and too many reports fail to show how to make them better. In this report the European Institute for Public Participation argues that well-directed evaluation of public  participation can make it more effective and ensure it makes its intended contribution to democratic life."

Read the full report here.