Methodology and participant selection

A community meeting is only worth something if the method is transparent. Here we describe exactly how we do it — so that it can be held to account.

The selection

Stratified random sampling

If we only drew by lot, chance could easily skew the result: it might produce 60 pensioners or 60 university students. That's why we stratify: we set in advance the proportions in which the group's composition should mirror the district, and the draw takes place within these strata.

The result is a "mini-district": a few dozen people who reflect the district's main demographic characteristics. Not experts, not activists — simply the district in miniature.

Why not based on applications? Because then the people who came would be those with strong opinions and time on their hands. Sortition brings in precisely those a town-hall meeting would never reach — even though they live here just the same.

By what criteria do we stratify?

The criteria for stratification and the basis of the quotas.
Criterion	What do we match it to?
Age	The district's age structure (Central Statistical Office data)
Gender	The district ratio
Education	The district's distribution
Place of residence	The proportion of neighbourhoods within the district
Being affected	Depends on the topic (e.g. whether they have a car, a small child)

The assembly typically numbers 60–80 people.

The process

What happens from start to answer?

The full process typically takes four to six months. The assembly itself is only its visible part.

MONTH 1
Framing the question

We formulate the question together with the decision-maker. This is the most important step: there is no good answer to a bad question. We also clarify what is no longer up for negotiation — we state the limits in advance.
MONTHS 1–2
Draw and invitation

We draw the invitees by stratified random sampling and contact them by email. Anyone who declines is replaced within their stratum.
MONTHS 2–3
Compiling the background material

Clear, balanced material is prepared, approved by an expert committee representing multiple viewpoints. If experts disagree on a question, we present that disagreement too — we don't decide it for them.
MONTHS 3–4
The community meeting

A weekend session: getting informed, hearing from experts, moderated deliberation, then formulating and ranking the recommendations.
MONTHS 4–5
Handing over the recommendation

The written recommendation, approved by the participants, is handed to the decision-maker — publicly, together with the full documentation.
MONTHS 5–6
Public answer

The decision-maker gives a reasoned answer to every recommendation: it will be implemented, partly implemented, or not — and why. Without this, the whole process loses its meaning.