Insights into Participatory Policymaking: Analysing the National Citizen Science Policy Development in Finland

Elena Svahn; Jonni Karlsson

doi:10.7557/11.8084

Authors

Elena Svahn Åbo Akademi University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9446-2318
Jonni Karlsson Federation of Finnish Learned Societies https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3575-6747

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/11.8084

Keywords:

citizen science, participatory policymaking, stakeholder engagement, open science, science policy development, institutional frameworks, participatory governance, Federation of Finnish Learned Societies, Finland, policy design, stakeholder theory, public participation

Abstract

This article explores how Finland created its first citizen science policy by involving the stakeholders in the policymaking process. The aim is to assess how engaging stakeholders can shape science policy.

The basis of the study is in the shift of responsibility for coordinating open science in Finland from the Ministry of Education and Culture to the Finnish research community, specifically the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV). We examined documents from the TSV citizen science working group, including meeting notes, survey results, and the final policy paper, to understand how stakeholder participation influenced the policy-making process.

The results show that involving stakeholders helped shape policy recommendations, especially in improving institutional support, guidelines, and funding visibility for citizen science. However, challenges like uneven awareness and engagement among stakeholders could limit the effectiveness of participatory approaches. By placing these findings within the context of participatory policymaking and stakeholder theory, the article provides insights into how inclusive policy design works. This study adds to the understanding of how participatory governance and science policy development can be integrated into institutional frameworks to drive practical change.

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