03
Determine the system’s capacity to respond and act on the information collected from the public.
Questions to ask beforehand:
- Who is implementing the plan? Who is the subject of the planning?
- Who has the authority over decisions?
LEVEL 1
LOW CAPACITY Ongoing processes; possible conflict between public demands and the legal framework; complex political issues; limited resources for implementation (time, money, and expertise). 
Participation possibilities
LOW CAPACITY
Participation possibilities
Explaining the situation and informing the public; naming and framing the issue fairly; addressing tough choices in a productive way; advocacy and consensus building; continuous feedback.
LEVEL 2
MEDIUM CAPACITYEarly stages of the planning process – e.g. assessment or pre-draft phase; moderate to high budget; sufficient time for implementation; no legal barriers.Participation possibilities
MEDIUM CAPACITY
Participation possibilities
Collecting opinions; exploring ideas; identifying implementation possibilities; improving ideas already in place; continuous feedback.
LEVEL 3
HIGH CAPACITYEarly stages of the planning process – assessment or pre-draft phase; high budget; compliance with the legal framework or the possibility of adjusting it; strong interest from all parties in the planning process.Participation possibilities
HIGH CAPACITY
Participation possibilities
Jointly generating ideas, plans, and implementation strategies; conflict resolution; shared decision-making.