Is a programme that Odemira Town Council is making available to all citizens, for the co-construction of a Territorial Agenda 2030 and a commitment to shared action, as an exercise in direct democracy, towards a transformative process in the management of the territory.
Problems and Purpose
Territory Forum (TF) aims to create the vision for the future of the territory focused on sustainability, inclusivity, and collective well-being. It seeks to adapt to climate, social, economic, and cultural changes by leveraging local resources and fostering unity rather than division. Emphasis is placed on learning, innovation, and reducing waste while valuing human skills and natural assets. The TF aims to attract people who contribute positively to economic, social, and cultural life, while encouraging responsible business practices and environmental awareness. Democratic participation, fair resource distribution, and ecosystem regeneration are key priorities, alongside open dialogue with migrants and newcomers to promote integration and mutual understanding.
Background History and Context
The Odemira Territory Forum pilot project is a pioneering participatory governance process in southern Portugal. It empowers citizens to co-create local development strategies while addressing environmental sustainability and community resilience through the innovative Territorial Commission of Co-design (TCCd), a group of citizens that dynamizes and defines the process. The project is set in Odemira, the largest municipality in Portugal by area, spanning 1,720.25 km² in the Beja district, within the Alentejo Litoral subregion. Odemira is bordered by Sines and Santiago do Cacém to the north, Ourique to the east, Aljezur to the south, and Monchique and Silves to the southeast, with a 55 km coastline along the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The region is characterized by diverse landscapes, including the Mira River watershed, extensive cork and holm oak forests, and the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, which protects 31,470 hectares of its territory. The municipality experiences a temperate Mediterranean climate — with notable extremes like prolonged heat waves, torrential rains, and forest fires — demanding robust adaptation and mitigation strategies in the face of climate change. These environmental conditions set the stage for local debates on water scarcity, soil conservation, and sustainable energy practices, all of which have become central to the Forum’s agenda.
With a population of approximately 29,576 inhabitants (2021), Odemira has a low population density of 17.2 inhabitants per km². The municipality is notable for its high percentage of foreign residents (36.8%), primarily due to the demand for agricultural labour. The economy is dominated by agroforestry activities, with intensive greenhouse farming, cork and eucalyptus forestry, and livestock farming playing a significant role. Tourism, particularly ecotourism and coastal tourism, has been growing in importance, alongside small-scale fishing and service industries.
Facing challenges of centralized decision-making and environmental degradation, the project was conceived to bridge the gap between top-down policies and local needs. Its dual purpose is to enhance democratic participation and foster sustainable management of Odemira’s abundant yet fragile natural resources — ensuring that public policies and environmental practices reflect the lived realities and priorities of the community.
Odemira has also been a pioneer in participatory budgeting (PB) since 2011, making it one of the longest-running PB initiatives in Portugal. The process allows residents to propose and vote on local projects, ensuring that public investments reflect community priorities. It includes both municipal and parish-level budgets, covering areas such as public spaces, green infrastructure, environmental protection, and local economic development. Over the years, participatory budgeting in Odemira has fostered greater civic engagement, strengthened local governance, and contributed to a culture of co-decision-making that aligns with the principles of the Territory Forum. The participatory governance initiative aims to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, ensuring that local policies align with the needs of both residents and the natural ecosystem.
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
Odemira’s Municipality is the key player and responsible for the creation of Territory Forum. Nevertheless, the TF is steered by an alliance between local government bodies, civil society organizations, and community representatives. The Dynamizing Comission — a dynamic core group of 6 to 8 citizens, supplemented by a rotating pool of volunteers — plays a pivotal role. Key participants include experienced facilitators from diverse backgrounds and local veterans who bring deep contextual knowledge, ensuring that the project remains rooted in Odemira’s social and environmental realities.
In the last three years, the Territory Forum has been supported by the HORIZON project PHOENIX – The Rise of Citizens’ Voices for a Greener Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101037328), that provided external evaluation and guidance, facilitated knowledge exchange, shared good practices, and offered opportunities to learn how to overcome challenges. With the support of Oficina, the local partner responsible for the pilot, the project was able to document the history of the Territory Forum, helping to shape it and better understand its strengths and weaknesses, leading to potential improvements. It also served as a means to disseminate the project.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
Selection for the TCCD: The initial core group of the Dynamizing Commission (hereinafter Commission) was formed organically during the first three open Forum sessions. These sessions were structured to define the objectives, model, and Charter of Principles for the Forum. Citizens who attended these early sessions and demonstrated regular participation, enthusiasm, and a willingness to help shape the process were invited to join the Commission. This resulted in a dynamic core group of approximately 6 to 8 members who remained active over time. Their diverse backgrounds — ranging from long-term local residents to newcomers and spanning a wide age range — ensured that the Commission could provide a broad perspective on local challenges and priorities.
Selection for Centralized Sessions: Centralized sessions were held at a fixed venue in the municipal center of Odemira, namely the Municipal Market, open to all residents. Participants were recruited through the Municipality means (website, social media, local newspapers, …). These sessions served as the initial platform to gather a wide range of views and allowed interested citizens to volunteer for further involvement in subsequent stages of the process.
Selection for Decentralized Sessions: To ensure geographic and social inclusivity, decentralized sessions were organized in all the parishes across Odemira. The local municipality, in collaboration with community leaders or parishes presidents, identified key locations in each parish areas to ensure attendance. This was an effort decided by the Commission members that envisioned the need for a larger involvement of Odemira’s citizens and to reach more participation.
Selection for School Sessions: Recognizing the importance of engaging younger citizens, dedicated sessions were held in local schools. Coordination with school administrations enabled the organization of interactive sessions aimed at students. Good relations and connections of the Commission members with those school administrations were determinant for the good outcomes. These sessions not only provided an opportunity for children and youth to express their views but also helped build a foundation for long-term civic participation. Teachers and local educational authorities assisted in encouraging participation and facilitating discussions tailored to different age groups (from 3 to 18 years old). From these sessions children’s need and worries emerged, as long as ideas for school projects (some of them to improve the school grounds).
Selection for Market Sessions: Market sessions were organized during 2024 in local marketplaces to reach citizens who might not participate in formal municipal meetings. By setting up informal discussion booths in busy market areas, the organizers were able to capture the input of daily shoppers and local vendors. This strategy was particularly effective in engaging segments of the population whose work and life routines might prevent them from attending scheduled public meetings.
In total, these targeted recruitment efforts resulted in approximately 420 participants in the centralized (up to 2024), around 240 people in decentralized sessions done in the 14 parishes (during 2023). The sessions in schools have reached 555 children and youth from 3 to 18 years old (during school years of 2023/24 and 2024/25). The sessions conducted in the local markets have reached around 250 participants (done in 2024 and 2025). The selection methods ensured that the Forum included a broad mix of residents: from those living in urban and rural settings to diverse age groups and even immigrant workers. This comprehensive approach laid a strong foundation for subsequent discussions and was instrumental in shaping the lessons learned regarding inclusivity and engagement. The allocation of €50,000 to fund projects served to strengthen participatory development and decision-making within the Citizens’ Assembly in the third annual meeting held in 2024.
Methods and Tools Used
A blend of participatory methods and facilitation tools underpinned the approach of the Odemira Territory Forum, enabling efficient and inclusive engagement across diverse groups. The general tools employed included:
SPIRAL Methodology: This methodology (Societal Progress Indicators for the Responsibility of All) of the Council of Europe is a bottom-up method based on the fight against inequalities and exclusion. Although it unfolds in 7 stages, is especially useful to elaborate a diagnosis of the territory based on the citizens perceptions by providing moments of individual introspection followed by group discussion and consensus building, possible by applying its first stage called “consultation”. It was widely used in the decentralized sessions and repurposed to use with the schools and local markets events. The diagnosis is elaborated with participants by asking them to reflect on what generates wellbeing on one side, and on the other, what generates illbeing. Finally, there is a discussion on what can be done to alleviate those discomforts. All the results are documented to produce a local georeferenced diagnosis of the territory.
Deliberative Dialogues and Consensus-Building Techniques: Facilitated group discussions aimed at merging diverse viewpoints into a shared understanding and actionable priorities. These methods encouraged reflective debate and helped build consensus on the production of The Charter of Principles. There was also the focus group done with the Commission to assess the experience of building the Territory Forum and its achievements and challenges.
Georeferenced Mapping and Visual Communication Tools: Mapping techniques and infographics were utilized to visually represent territorial challenges and data gathered in the different sessions done with the participants, making complex information accessible and aiding collective analysis across the municipality.
Co-Design Workshops and Design Thinking Sessions: Structured, interactive sessions where participants collaboratively generated ideas and developed local strategies. These workshops provided a framework for brainstorming and interactive refinement of proposals. Those were specifically implemented in the 3rd annual meeting and the subsequent events done to ensure the implementation of the co-designed projects.
These general tools collectively enabled the project to capture, organize, and synthesize citizen input efficiently, forming a solid basis for participatory decision-making and action planning.
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
Given the complexity of the intervention in Odemira, the process evolved over time through a series of well-defined phases that allowed public voices to be continuously heard and integrated into the decision-making framework. The historical overview of the pilot’s evolution begins with its inclusion as a pilot project in the PHOENIX project.
In September 2021, local political change and a methodological shift signalled a new direction within the PHOENIX negotiations. Following local elections, although governance remained stable, a new local executive was elected. Initially, the pilot was linked to the established Participatory Budgeting process, which, during Covid-19, had been conducted online with a thematic focus on climate issues. However, once restrictions were lifted, the process reverted to its generic approach. With the emergence of the new Mayor’s vision, negotiations resulted in the adoption of a new participatory project — named the “Fórum do Território”— designed to broaden the focus beyond budgetary proposals and embed comprehensive citizen-led decision-making.
Between 2021 and 2022, the TF focused on centralized sessions and structured dialogue as part of the early engagement phase. The pilot was launched with a series of open, centralized sessions held at Odemira’s Local Market and during the first annual meeting at the Riverside Garden area. These meetings were crucial for defining the Forum’s purpose and gathering a broad range of community inputs. Early discussions focused on identifying local challenges and co-constructing the objectives for the participatory process, which led to the initiation of a preliminary draft of the Forum’s Charter of Principles. These early sessions laid the groundwork for building trust and establishing a common language for deliberation, setting the stage for more specialized and localized discussions in the future.
In 2023, the TF expanded its reach through decentralized and thematic engagement. To ensure that residents in rural and peripheral areas could participate, decentralized sessions were organized across the 13 parishes of the Municipality. These sessions were specifically tailored to address local concerns, ensuring that voices from less-centralized areas were also heard. A significant turning point occurred in August 2023 when a devastating wildfire affected approximately 8,400 hectares of forests, pastures, and agricultural land. Officially declared a natural disaster, the wildfire intensified discussions on environmental recovery, water management, and climate adaptation, becoming a pivotal topic that influenced citizens and Commission members views and concerns. Additionally, following the completion of the decentralized sessions and the presentation of results at the second annual meeting held in June 2023, the need to reach children, youth, and those who typically do not participate in formal settings became increasingly apparent.
By 2024, the process had reached a stage of consolidation, co-creation, and effective communication of outcomes. Recognizing the importance of engaging younger citizens and others who might not participate in formal settings, separate sessions were organized in local schools and markets. These informal gatherings captured fresh perspectives and provided accessible forums for dialogue. Later in the year, during the third annual meeting of the Territory Forum, an event that convened participants from all previous sessions. Structured workshops at this event enabled citizens and Commission members to co-create detailed proposals addressing key priority areas previously identified in the process, such as Health and Wellbeing, Housing, Culture, Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Mobility. The Commission played a central role in synthesizing the inputs from various sessions into a coherent participatory territorial diagnosis. Although the process was inherently open-ended, the structured workshops enabled the co-creation of solutions to respond to the challenges diagnosed and the discussion and prioritisation within the working groups. Once this process was concluded there was a final moment for deliberation, in which participants could select and vote the most important projects. The commitment of Odemira Municipality to implement the most voted projects – within the €50,000 budget - was one of the revelations within the 3rd annual meeting of the Forum.
An internal evaluation session held on March 14, 2024, provided further insights into the process. The evaluation praised the dynamic integration of centralized, decentralized, school, and market sessions, highlighting it as a strength that enriched the overall dialogue. Commission members emphasized the importance of adaptive communication strategies and the ability to pivot in response to external events — such as the wildfires — as essential for maintaining momentum. Feedback from participants underscored that the process had created a robust platform for citizen participation, with clear mechanisms in place for influencing decision-making and ensuring that recommendations were effectively communicated to both local authorities and the broader community.
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
The Odemira Territory Forum is successfully achieving its intended results, aligning with its theory of change by fostering inclusive, participatory governance and embedding citizen-driven decision-making in municipal planning. The process has yielded multiple effects across different sectors.
In the realm of public policy, the Forum has influenced local governance by co-creating policy recommendations that might directly impact municipal action plans. For example, the Municipality allocated €50,000 in 2024 to implement proposals formulated during the third annual meeting in key priority areas, reinforcing the institutionalization of participatory governance. Additionally, projects decided by young citizens through school sessions have also been materialized.
The Forum has also strengthened ties with non-governmental organizations. Although participation is conducted on an individual basis, there is a strong connection between citizens’ backgrounds, their social and work relationships, and broader connections to NGOs and activist movements. Several partners have been identified within the co-created projects, and the strategy for implementation includes establishing a collaboration protocol between local entities, such as associations and NGOs, and the Odemira Municipality.
While private sector engagement has remained limited, discussions within the Forum highlighted the need for stronger business involvement, particularly in environmental and social responsibility initiatives. Some local companies have contributed with resources, such as donating materials for school projects that arose from the children's involvement in the process — one notable example being the donation of paint for a preschool mural co-created by young participants.
The Forum has made a significant contribution to social cohesion by strengthening local networks and fostering a culture of active citizenship. It has provided a space for dialogue where residents can address shared concerns, particularly those related to environmental sustainability and community resilience as shared during the Commission focus group. On an individual level, participants have reported an increased awareness of local governance processes as well as environmental, social, and inclusiveness challenges, statement particularly evident through the comments addressed by the several participants in the annual meetings (2nd and 3rd). There is a growing recognition that diverse opinions are valuable, even as some segments of the population remain underrepresented. Despite the slow pace of some initiatives, participants are confident in the process and believe that its outcomes will positively influence local politics and the community agenda.
Beyond official policies, the Forum has catalysed grassroots initiatives. Inspired by discussions initiated in the Territory Forum, citizens mobilized around many important themes such as environmental sustainability and regeneration (wildfire recovery efforts following the August 2023 disaster might be a responsible event), and projects emerging from school sessions have addressed environmental concerns through student-led initiatives that aim to improve both learning environments and broader community settings. Although environment plays an important role and was one of the main concerns diagnosed in 7 parishes, discussions address many other issues present in Odemira, like: health and wellbeing, housing, culture and social integration, education and youth, infrastructure and public space, entrepreneurship and economic development, mobility and public transport and public safety.
Although the TF has largely met its objectives, challenges remain in ensuring long-term sustainability, particularly in gaining engagement from private sector stakeholders and immigrant communities. The evaluation conducted in March 2024 by PHOENIX project emphasized the need to refine outreach strategies and enhance communication efforts to sustain participation. As mentioned above, it clearly identified the need to engage the private sector, immigrant communities and improve communication. In this sense belonging to an international partnership helped to conserve a certain distance and provide a more comprehensive view. Despite these challenges, the Forum has established a strong foundation for ongoing participatory governance, demonstrating its potential as a scalable model for citizen-led policymaking.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
The Territory Forum of Odemira represents a compelling example of democratic innovation in action — a participatory process that has sought to reimagine local governance through the co-construction of a Territorial Agenda 2030. Born out of a context where participatory budgeting had long been established as a cornerstone of civic engagement, the Forum was envisioned as an opportunity to broaden the scope of citizen involvement by addressing a wide range of issues, from environmental sustainability to social integration. This evolution, documented throughout open, centralized, decentralized, schools, and market sessions, has been a journey marked by both significant successes and key challenges that offer valuable lessons for future initiatives.
Key Successes
At its core, the Forum has been celebrated for its inclusive participatory approach. By designing a process that incorporated multiple layers of engagement, the TF successfully captured the voices of diverse demographic groups — from urban residents and rural communities to children, youth, and senior citizens, enhancing its inclusiveness (a fundamental democratic good). This approach was particularly innovative in its use of varied engagement strategies. The SPIRAL methodology, along with deliberative dialogues, georeferenced mapping, and co-design workshops, provided citizens with a range of tools to express their priorities and contribute to shaping policy. Notably, these methods enabled participants to navigate complex issues in a manner that was both structured and adaptive, as evidenced when the Forum swiftly integrated the diagnosis outcomes into the co-creation labs held during the 3rd annual meeting, to provide a space for the co-construction of solutions for the problems identified.
The institutional influence of the Forum is another positive outcome that merits recognition. Policy recommendations generated by citizens were not merely theoretical; they translated into concrete commitments by local authorities. For instance, the allocation of €50,000 in municipal funding to implement co-created proposals is a testament to the tangible impact that participatory processes can have on local policymaking. Moreover, the mobilization observed — whereby citizens initiated co-created projects and the ones done by young citizens in schools, through the Schools Territory Forum (this branch of the project was decided by dynamizing commission) — demonstrates that the Forum has catalysed a broader culture of civic engagement. Other important institutional support from the Municipality was specific resources allocation, such as logistic, production of visual materials and financial compensation to some core Commission members that allows them to allocate more time to the TF and develop the necessary work to keep the Forum alive. These outcomes have contributed to an enduring participatory culture in Odemira, reinforcing the longstanding tradition of democratic innovation that began with participatory budgeting and has since evolved into a more comprehensive model of citizen-led decision-making.
Transparency, another fundamental democratic good, has been another cornerstone of the Forum. Throughout the process, open communication was prioritized, first with the diagnosis sessions (centralized, decentralized, in local markets and schools), after, through sharing visual documents and georeferenced data to provide feedback to participants in a simple manner, with deliberative sessions within the co-construction labs, and regular public updates ensuring that the decision-making process remained accessible to all. Minutes and reports of meetings were systematically recorded and shared by the Commission members and the executive, fostering a climate of accountability and trust. This commitment to transparency not only bolstered citizen confidence but also provided an external check on the process, ensuring that outcomes could be scrutinized and evaluated by both participants and external observers (Oficina Association).
Things to improve
However, while the Forum excelled in initial transparency, makes the effort of graphically report the results in the annual events, further efforts are needed to establish stronger mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of recommendations. One of the necessities is to have stronger digital presence and make all the information available. Enhanced follow-up processes and more robust accountability measures would help solidify the trust between citizens and local authorities, ensuring that the promises made during participatory sessions are fully implemented in practice.
The experience of the Forum also highlights other areas where improvements are needed. One of the most pressing challenges remains the engagement of immigrant workers, who, despite being a substantial part of Odemira’s population, have not been adequately integrated into the process. This shortfall is emblematic of a broader issue in participatory governance — ensuring that every segment of society, especially those facing linguistic, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers, has an equal opportunity to contribute. Let’s not forget that according the 2021 Censos 36,8% of the population is constituted of foreign residents. But, although there is the need to amplify the participation of this segment of the population, there were instances where they have participated, such as the decentralized session in Algoceira, which had the participation of immigrant’s workers of the agricultural sector, or with the activities carried out in the local markets. Furthermore, while local businesses were occasionally mobilized to support community projects, their overall participation was limited or null. Such gaps in stakeholder involvement underscore the need for more targeted outreach strategies and incentives, which could help build a more robust public-private partnership in future initiatives.
Challenges faced and overcome
A reflective analysis of the Phoenix project challenges offers additional insights into the strengths and limitations of the Forum. One of the key challenges identified was the need to improve the understandability and tractability of complex issues, particularly those related to environmental sustainability. Environmental topics — such as climate adaptation, water management, and ecosystem regeneration — are inherently intricate, involving interrelated factors at various scales. This complexity often results in discussions that can be inaccessible to lay actors, inadvertently relegating solutions to expert-led mechanisms rather than fostering a fully democratic dialogue. The central question emerging from this challenge is: how can Democratic Innovations for the European Green Deal be made accessible to all citizens? Addressing this issue requires rethinking the way complex topics are communicated. Future iterations of the Forum could benefit from integrating the already available simplified visual aids, interactive infographics, and layperson-friendly summaries that demystify technical content into a wider variety of channels (in presence, digital, etc) to reach a wider number of participants and profiles of citizens. By translating complex data into more “digestible” formats, the process can empower a broader spectrum of citizens to participate meaningfully, ensuring that technical expertise complements rather than overshadows community input, and making it available in different communication channels can help to disseminate information and reach more participants.
Another critical Phoenix challenge concerns the need to favour behavioural changes among actors to enhance active partnership. The inertia observed among many stakeholders — ranging from citizens hesitant to adopt new participatory practices to institutions accustomed to traditional top-down approaches — poses a significant barrier to the full realization of participatory governance. This inertia directly affects the constitution of the public and raises a pivotal question: how can Democratic Innovations for the European Green Deal be made fully inclusive? Overcoming this barrier involves creating low-barrier entry points for engagement, offering targeted training programs (for example done with the SPIRAL methodology), and incentivizing behavioural changes that align with the goals of active participation. Strategies such as workshops, co-design labs, and demonstrable case studies of successful engagement could serve as catalysts for change. By making the benefits of active involvement clear and by lowering the perceived costs of participation, the Forum can help shift behavioural norms and encourage a more dynamic, engaged public.
The reflections on these two Phoenix challenges highlight a broader tension that lies at the heart of democratic innovations. On one hand, there is a pressing need to ensure that the complexities inherent in environmental issues do not alienate ordinary citizens, thereby undermining the very democratic ideals the Forum seeks to uphold. On the other hand, fostering an environment where all stakeholders are willing and able to change their behaviours requires continuous effort, creative outreach, and the establishment of incentives that make active participation both rewarding and sustainable. In the case of Odemira, these challenges have been partially addressed through a mix of innovative methodologies and adaptive practices. Yet, the experience also underscores the importance of ongoing experimentation and learning. The lessons drawn from Odemira suggest that a successful participatory process must be both flexible enough to respond to unforeseen challenges — such as natural disasters or shifts in political leadership — and robust enough to ensure that every voice, regardless of its technical expertise or socio-cultural background, is heard.
In synthesizing these insights, it becomes clear that the Territory Forum of Odemira has laid a strong foundation for participatory governance, even as it grapples with the inherent challenges of complex environmental discourse and behavioural inertia. The TF’s commitment to inclusiveness is reflected in its multi-layered engagement strategy, which has reached a wide and diverse audience. Its emphasis on transparency — through meticulous documentation and open communication channels — has helped build trust and accountability. However, to fully realize the potential of democratic innovations, future efforts must focus on making complex issues more accessible and on fostering the behavioural changes necessary for a fully engaged citizenry.
The experience of Odemira demonstrates that while innovative participatory methods can open new avenues for citizen involvement, there is always a need for continuous refinement. By leveraging simplified communication tools and targeted behavioural incentives, the Forum can serve as a model for how local democratic processes might contribute to the broader objectives of the European Green Deal. In doing so, it will not only enhance the immediate democratic goods of inclusiveness and transparency but also pave the way for a more resilient, engaged, and empowered public. This reflective process of learning and adaptation is crucial as communities across Europe seek to integrate democratic innovations into the fabric of sustainable development and policy transformation.
Drawing from the experience through this day, the ongoing evolution of the Territory Forum reveals that the journey toward inclusive and transparent governance is as much about embracing complexity as it is about simplifying it. It is about striking the right balance between expert knowledge and lay participation, and about ensuring that every segment of society, no matter how marginalized, can contribute to the democratic dialogue. Ultimately, the lessons learned from Odemira underscore the transformative potential of citizen-led initiatives, while also pointing the way toward the necessary innovations that will drive future success in addressing the challenges of the European Green Deal.
References
https://www.cm-odemira.pt/viver/gestao-do-territorio/forum-do-territorio
PHOENIX D2.4 Diagnostic in Pilots Territories
PHOENIX D3.2 Methodologies for Democratic Innovations in Pilot context
