On 22 September 2025, NALAS launched a new E-Learning Course on Organising a Deliberative Process at the Local Level.

More than 50 participants – including mayors, local administration officials, and representatives of Local Government Associations (LGAs) from across South-East Europe – have embarked on this learning journey that will last until 20 October 2025. The course is designed to help participants comprehend the principles and added value of deliberative democracy to local governance; get acquianted with the methodology to plan and implement a citizens’ assembly cycle; understand how to facilitate inclusion, legitimacy and diversity management and ensure tangible outcomes and impact and how to work on translating citizens’ views and recommendations into viable and actionable policies, backed by participatory monitoring and evaluation.

Deliberative democracy is increasingly recognised as a vital approach to strengthening trust between citizens and institutions, especially in contexts of polarisation, low participation, or complex policy challenges. By creating space for inclusive dialogue and citizens’ assemblies, local authorities can ensure that diverse voices are heard and that decision-making processes are transparent, participatory, and impactful.

This initiative enriches the offer of the NALAS E-Academy, providing timely and practical resources for local leaders committed to building more open, responsive, and citizen-centered governance.

We look forward to seeing these new skills put into practice across South-East Europe, bringing citizens closer to decision-making and fostering stronger, more democratic communities.

The e-learning course was developed under the project “Promoting deliberative democracy and innovative approaches to citizen Participation in South-East Europe”, led by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in partnership with NALAS.