ABSTRACT
As a procedural instrument of public policy, public participation correlates with macro-outcomes, namely, responsive, accountable and responsible local governments. Despite the pressure on governments to actualise public participation in Africa, participatory deficits typical to normative and structural mismatches and overlaps remain while contributing to ineffective local governments and citizen apathy in policymaking processes. This chapter discusses public participation in local governance in Africa by examining common participatory models and processes and tools for measuring citizen participation in policymaking. It steeps in the stages model of policymaking, the interpretive research philosophy and documentary analysis to arrive at different hypothetical generalisations of the models and the role of citizen participation in policymaking in Africa. Its discussions and recommendations aim at informing the pursuit for improved participatory models for accountable, responsive, effective and efficient governance at the local-state level, which are critical for delivering Agendas 2063 and 2030 across Africa.
