What is the state of digital citizen participation in German municipalities? And under what conditions can it be sustainably anchored in administrative structures? These and other questions were the focus of the symposium “From Data to Action,” which took place on February 11, 2026, in Berlin.
The event marked the first presentation of the results of the project Success Factors of Local E-Participation, funded by the Mercator Foundation, which is the first nationwide comprehensive survey on digital participation at the municipal level. As part of the project consortium, the DIID—represented by Prof. Dr. Stefan Marschall (project manager) and Dr. Nadja Wilker (project staff member)—was involved in the design and implementation of the study and contributed its expertise to the exchange with representatives from administration, academia, and civil society.
First nationwide database on local e-participation
This survey provides the first systematic and empirically based data on digital citizen participation in German municipalities. The results show that around one-third (33%) of the municipalities surveyed currently offer digital participation formats, while a further 14% are planning to do so.
It is clear that the spread of digital participation depends heavily on structural conditions within the administration, such as human and financial resources. While such services are already much more established in large cities, the picture is more varied in small and medium-sized municipalities in particular. Another noteworthy finding is a regional effect: municipalities in eastern Germany offer digital participation formats more frequently than their counterparts in western Germany. This is particularly evident in medium-sized and small towns. The opposite is true for large cities, where western German municipalities are ahead. In addition to the spread of digital participation offerings, the study also looked at related topics, goals, and formats. In terms of goals, municipalities are primarily concerned with improving the transparency of political decision-making processes, greater involvement of previously underrepresented groups, and, in general, more opportunities for citizens to have a say. In terms of formats, there is a diverse landscape ranging from participation via central participation platforms to the use of messenger services.
Dashboard allows map-based analysis
The event also featured the presentation of an interactive dashboard that visualizes the survey results on a map and enables a differentiated analysis of the local participation landscape. The aim is to provide municipalities, political decision-makers, and other stakeholders with an evidence-based foundation for the further development of digital participation formats and to seek networking opportunities.
Between selective participation and ongoing dialogue
The subsequent panel discussion highlighted a key challenge: while participation processes in municipal practice are often organized on an ad hoc basis and for a limited period of time, citizens often have a continuous need for communication and participation that goes beyond specific procedures.
Against this backdrop, discussions focused on how digital participation formats—especially outreach formats—can help create new spaces for ongoing dialogue between the administration and urban society.
In the afternoon, the discussion was further deepened in four workshop formats. In the workshops, participants continued to explore the topics of actors involved in participation, process design, expectations of participation, and the role of AI in participation, and sought to exchange ideas.
Long-term implementation as a key challenge
The event made it clear that the crucial next step lies not only in introducing digital participation options, but also in embedding them in institutions for the long term. Key success factors identified in this regard included networked administrative processes, interoperable platform solutions, sustainable technical infrastructures, and improved reusability of data generated in the course of digital participation procedures.
The DIID will work with its consortium partners to further develop the findings as the project progresses and translate them into recommendations for action in municipal practice. Updates on the project can also be found on the project website.