Title: Participatory processes and civil servants' perceptions of change in public administration. A study from Lisbon

Authors: Roberto Falanga

Addresses: Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: In the last few decades, participatory processes have expanded across a wide array of policy domains. However, while scholarly production on the political and societal aspects of participatory policymaking has been abundant, little attention has been paid to the changes brought about in public administration. The article addresses this topic by discussing the findings about civil servants' perceptions of change in the municipality of Lisbon. The study was conducted with 29 civil servants engaged in the management of four participatory processes between 2011 and 2012. The discourse analysis of the interviews allows for the identification of four main changes perceived by civil servants, which entail the combination of organisational models; the implementation of new institutional designs; the reconfiguration of political and administrative powers; and the definition of new goals of social justice.

Keywords: participatory processes; civil servants; public administration; discourse analysis; Lisbon.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2024.140547

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2024 Vol.14 No.2, pp.212 - 231

Received: 08 May 2020
Accepted: 29 Nov 2020

Published online: 23 Aug 2024 *

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