Why another toolkit?

Through the analysis of the aforementioned toolkits, some preliminary lessons can be drawn. To begin with, all toolkits assume as their ultimate goal the increased involvement of citizens in government. This is to be achieved by promoting inclusiveness through community-building and participation in decision-making, hence making progress towards (more) collaborative forms of governance. Thus, citizens seem to be always at the center. It is also important to specify that Open Government toolkits are more process-oriented while the Public Innovation ones are output-oriented without offering plenty of room for experimentation during the implementation process.

However, in most cases a high level of technological expertise and an advanced understanding of government procedures is required, and often assumed, on behalf of the citizens, which may reduce the overall impact and inclusivity. It is important to mention that although no toolkit can offer universal solutions, it should attempt to facilitate adaptability to each community’s needs. A step to this direction is the inclusion of the citizens, not only in the implementation, but also in the design and development of the various tools, enabling a learning process bridging the gap between the government and civil society. Further, transparency and access to information varies across the different toolkits and the same goes for the documentation of how these toolkits plan to achieve their goals, which diminishes democratic accountability.

Last, the incentives and motivations of the respective organizations developing a toolkit should be taken into account to assess whether and how the claimed goals meet the real societal needs. For instance, a toolkit developed by a public university or an NGO might incorporate different values than one developed by a profit-driven organization.

Hence, the motivation behind the development of the REFLOW Collaborative Governance Toolkit are reflected in the values and ethics underpinning the project, and are embedded in the particular understanding of Collaborative Governance presented earlier.

As there are many dimensions that Collaborative Governance may entail, this toolkit aims to foster forms that are:

• Bridging the divide between the government and the other domains, thus aligning public and private interests;

• Encouraging collaboration initiated and driven by citizens and other non-government agents, individuals, informal groups or organizations;

• Aiming for long-term arrangements supporting this interaction; and

• Outcome-oriented, towards a qualitative change in public affairs and the administration of life.

Thus, the methods and activities documented in the Reflow Collaborative Governance Toolkit are premised on collaborative practices on city level that enable and support above elements, which include specific iterations such as commons-based peer production, urban regeneration, urban sharing, critical making, and grassroots and solidarity movements. The motivation of this toolkit is to unleash the potential of such radical alternative social forms to foster circular transition.