Abstract
For several decades, numerous citizens’ assemblies involving citizens in public decision-making have been multiplying at all levels of power. This development of a more participatory, deliberative or collaborative democracy implies the transformation of public administrations and public servants. Various studies show that civil servants are key actors in the organization of participatory processes, in their institutionalization and in their follow-up. However, they remain under-analyzed. In this chapter, we define and analyze more specifically the profile and role of public servants specialized in participation, those we call deliberative public servants. Then, we review the results of research on the relationship between civil servants’ perception of participation and the processes they implement.We conclude by identifying research perspectives for the analysis of public officials and CAs.
