Local civil servants and democratic innovations: do role conceptions matter for the assessment of participatory decision-making instruments?

Leading civil servants are pivotal in policy-making systems that increasingly integrate participatory decision-making instruments. This study offers empirical insights into local civil servants' preferences for various instruments, their conceptions of participatory roles, and their relationships. It uses data from a survey among leading civil servants in Flanders (Belgium). First, civil servants perceive consultative instruments as most preferable. Second, they conceive a wide range of participatory roles as positive. We identify two complementary role components, reflecting older and newer administrative paradigms. Finally, traditional role conceptions are associated with preferences for traditional instruments, whereas newer role conceptions correspond with innovative instruments.