What makes people genuinely invested in a movement's success? Giving them a voice.
At Qela, we’ve seen firsthand how participatory decision-making (PDM) can boost community engagement and drive real change.
How Effective is Participatory Decision-Making? Strichka’s Case
Qela’s main objective is to help our clients retain and engage their community, turning them from passive followers into active participators. That is why our methodology is built on the PDM theory.
Strichka is one of Qela’s clients, and the rapid increase in their community’s engagement rates is an excellent example of why PDM proves to be effective for nonprofits and grassroots movements.
Strichka is an international organization uniting hundreds of Ukrainians across multiple countries. One of their primary work avenues is organizing mass rallies to consolidate support for Ukraine abroad. They have been noticing a decline in the number of attendants, which is less than ideal, considering the number of attendants always translates into the media's attention. To change that, they have decided to use an in-built Qela tool based on the PDM theory — the Votings.
“The event gained much media attention, resulting in new people joining the movement. Additionally, in the surveys following the rally, most supporters noted that they inspired them to participate in more of Strichka’s events in the future.”
Instead of deciding what the mass rally should be dedicated to, the organization's managers allowed the community members to choose a cause to which the event would be devoted. Among four choices, more than 60% of the supporters voted for holding the rally on the 1000th day of the russian invasion of Ukraine.
In that voting, Strichka has used Qela’s unique formula that allows more active supporters to have a more significant influence over the final result of the voting. This feature, called Vote Weight, ensures that the principles of PDM are in action — the decision will be carried out by the people who have been the most active in the community.
In the end, the aforementioned rally ended up beating the record for any event they have held prior — with thousands of people participating across 14 countries worldwide. The event gained much media attention, resulting in new people joining the movement. Additionally, in the surveys following the rally, most supporters noted that they inspired them to participate in more of Strichka’s events in the future.
Why Does Participatory Decision-Making Work?
Qela’s implementation of PDM is supported by recent scientific discoveries, including in neuroscience. The latest research on the human brain shows that the behaviorist tactics used in management are not the most effective when it comes to motivation. It’s not about finding the right words or the proper tool to motivate people to do something — “the carrot and the stick” method doesn’t really work when it comes to community management. What helps people change their behavior is focusing them on solutions rather than problems and allowing them to come to their own conclusions. Both of those aspects are integral parts of participatory decision-making.
So, how does it work?
PDM Induces the Feeling of Responsibility
In their thought piece on managing in the knowledge economy, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors of strategy and management, argue that it’s not enough for people’s motivation to have a decision that they are satisfied with — they also need to know that their point of view was taken into account in the decision-making process. If community members participated in the decision-making process via brainstorming sessions, feedback, or discussion panels, they feel more responsible for the final decision. That responsibility then translates into satisfaction with the decision. This, in turn, directly influences whether they will be motivated to bring that decision into action.
PDM Makes the Decision Seem More Legitimate
Because consensus in a democratic society is very unlikely, the decision-making process plays a huge role in whether the community will accept the decision. When people have a say in the matter, even if the decision isn’t what they would like it to be, they feel more accepting of it because their point is still considered.
PDM leaves less room for people to question or be dissatisfied with the decision, which leads to higher compliance and motivation to participate in the decision’s implementation.
When people have a say, they feel heard, valued, and accountable for the outcomes. This sense of ownership fuels their motivation to stay involved and committed to the activities they helped shape. So participatory decision-making is not just about making decisions together; it’s about creating a culture of trust and collaboration that strengthens your collective impact.
With Qela, fostering collaboration, empowering your supporters, and driving meaningful change together is easy. Book a demo to try our volunteer management software for free for 14 days here: https://www.qela.app/