The Citizen Engagement Method Builder helps city teams design engagement processes that really fit their context. It’s a hands-on, visual tool that makes choosing the right methods easier and more playful.

You can either use our printable canvas, or our Miro template to run this activity.

How to run this activity

Time needed: 2 hours
Participants: 2 - 10 people

Step 0: Context Analysis

Before anything else, take time to understand the context where your engagement process will happen. Context shapes the opportunities and constraints for your work. Ideally, someone on the team has prepared a context overview before the session.
You can use our resource Context Questions for Citizen Engagement Processes to guide this step and make sure you capture the key elements.

Step 1: Method Builder Canvas – What, Who, How, Influence & Results

The Method Builder Canvas is built around five key questions. Each question comes with a set of Design Choice Cards. As a group, discuss each question and select the card(s) that best fit your context.

There are no inherently right or wrong answers. Some choices may simply be more suitable for your situation. Consider:

• What are the advantages or disadvantages of your choice?
• Who benefits or is excluded?

For example, when deciding Who should participate, “Whoever wants to” may seem inclusive. But in practice, self-selection often means only people with time, resources, or strong opinions engage.

You can choose more than one option, but aim to prioritize and be intentional with your choices.

Connect your choices. As you move through the canvas, you will realize that some cards relate to others. For example, you might select a specific target group and a specific way to involve that group, but also what to involve other groups with different levels of intensity. To ensure you keep an overview, link your cards with lines together.

Step 2: Method Finder

The Method Finder gives a visual overview of 15 suggested methods. Use it to find methods that fit your context.

• If a method fits, grab the corresponding Method Card and place it in your Method Builder Canvas.
• If you know of other methods that work, add them as sticky notes.

This step helps you connect your design choices with concrete, actionable engagement methods.

Step 3: Final Reflection

Look at the methods you selected. Ask yourselves:

• What do you notice when you look at the Canvas you created?
• Do the methods match your ambitions and goals?
• Are they realistic given your team’s capacity?
• Will they meet the needs of those you want to engage?

Important: The aim of this exercise is to find citizen engagement methods that truly fit your context. For engagement to be meaningful, it should be part of an ongoing participation strategy, not just a one-off event.

Resources to Download to run this activity offline

You can either use our printable canvas, or our Miro template to run this activity.

If you would like to run this activity offline, please download and print the following resources

• Citizen Engagement Method Builder - Canvas: The Method Builder Canvas is built around five key questions and builds the foundation for the selection of methods that fit your context.
• Design Choice Cards: The Design Choice cards are to be used together with the Citizen Engagement Method Builder Canvas. 

• Citizen Engagement Method Finder - The Method Finder canvas is a visual tool that links your design choices to practical engagement methods. It provides an overview of 15 suggested methods, organized by how participants are involved and how much say they have. You’ll also see estimated cost, duration, ideal group size, and which target groups each method reaches, helping you turn your ideas into actionable strategies that fit your context.

• Citizen Engagement Method Cards - This card deck is a curated set of citizen engagement methods. Each card clearly explains how a method works, what it is best suited for, who it can reach, and the time, budget, and capacity it requires.

• Citizen Engagement Method Builder - Manual - A printout manual, that guides you through the activity.