Digital tools are often used to increase citizen participation, but more activity does not always lead to better engagement. New research shows how participatory budgeting, where citizens decide how public funds are spent, can be redesigned to create greater public value.
Many participatory budgeting processes struggle with low impact and superficial participation. In her doctoral thesis, Rakshya Bhattarai examines how participatory budgeting can move beyond counting participants toward improving meaningful engagement.

”My research combines a review of the case with interviews of municipal workers involved in the OmaStadi process in the City of Helsinki. It finds that participatory budgeting often focuses on participation numbers rather than the quality of engagement, while cities face unclear goals and limited resources,” says Bhattarai.

To address this, Bhattarai has developed a new design framework that integrates gamification with public value theory. Instead of simply encouraging more activity, the framework uses game elements such as challenge-based gamification, value-driven narratives, role-playing, and real-world impact visualization. This creates deeper discussion, broader inclusion, and sustained long-term engagement in public decision-making processes.

“Participation is not just about getting people to click or vote,” she explains. “It’s about making sure people feel heard and that their input actually shapes outcomes.”

The game mechanisms can include scenario-based policy simulations, community problem-solving quests, and team-based collaboration tasks that reward deliberation quality rather than mere activity.

“Gamification, if used effectively, can help make participation clearer and more accessible by using structured tasks, feedback systems, and interactive challenges that guide citizens through complex participation processes and show how their contributions influence real policy outcomes.”

The research suggests that participatory budgeting is most effective when citizens are able to contribute meaningfully and see how their participation influences real decisions.