CivicLab Symposium
Once a year we sit down with the people who design participatory processes — local-government professionals, researchers, moderators — and talk through what worked and what didn't.
What it's about
A professional workshop, not a conference
The participation profession in Hungary is small, and much of its knowledge isn't written down: it lives in the heads of the people who do the work. The symposium exists so that this knowledge gets spoken aloud.
That's why it isn't a classic conference: few talks, plenty of workshop work. We learn the most from the moment someone tells us what went wrong — and what they'd do differently today.
Next symposium: 13 November 2026
Topic: What happens to the recommendations? — the practice of accountability.
Venue: InnoK Tudásmenedzsment Intézet, 1184 Budapest, Üllői út 286.
Attendance is free but requires registration.
Programme
What does a day look like?
The morning is for experiences, the afternoon for work. The closing round always ends with the same question: what will you take home for tomorrow?
- 9:30
Arrival, coffee
Informal conversation.
- 10:00
Case studies
Three processes, told honestly — pitfalls included.
- 11:30
Workshop work
Small-group work on real, unsolved cases.
- 13:00
Lunch
A shared meal.
- 14:00
Methodological debate
A contested question, moderated.
- 16:00
Closing round
What will you take home for tomorrow?
Our past symposia
What have we talked about so far?
Who do we leave out without meaning to?
On involving hard-to-reach groups — and on why good intentions aren't enough.
The question that decides the process
Why do most participatory processes fail already at the framing of the question?
Sortition in practice
Our very first symposium: how does statistics become a working invitation letter?
Would you like to be there?
Write to us and we'll let you know as soon as registration opens. We'll also announce it in our newsletter.