Ladder of Participation
The Ladder of Participation is a simple reflection tool that helps you think about how much power, influence and decision-making input people and communities have within engagement and change processes.
Adapted from Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation, it shows how engagement can range from limited or no involvement through to partnership working and shared power. It encourages reflection on whether engagement is being done to, for or with people and communities.
The Ladder of Participation contains eight sections:
Empower, Co-produce, Co-design, Involve, Consult, Inform, Educate and Coerce
Active engagement
Ladder sections: Empower, co-produce, co-design, involve, consult
People and communities have more voice, influence and power in decisions as engagement increases towards empowerment.
Non-participatory engagement
Ladder sections: Inform, educate, coerce
People and communities are informed or directed, with no scope to influence decisions and outcomes. Engagement is organisation-led and largely one-way.
Doing with
Ladder sections: Empower, co-produce, co-design
A partnership that increasingly shares power and decision-making with people and communities.
Doing for
Ladder sections: Involve, consult, inform
People and communities are actively involved, but decisions are not shared and power stays within the organisation.
Doing to
Ladder sections: Educate, coerce
No seeking input in decisions, no transfer of power.
How to use the framework
Use the Ladder of Participation to support planning, discussion and learning by helping you consider:
- How much influence people and communities have
- Where your current or planned approach sits on the ladder
- Whether the level of engagement is appropriate for the purpose, context and decision being made
- How clearly you are communicating the level of influence people can expect to have
- Opportunities to strengthen participation, engagement and share decision-making where appropriate
The ladder is not a checklist or a target to always reach the highest level. Instead, it supports honest reflection about power, influence and participation.
Different situations will require different levels of participation. The key is to be transparent about the level of influence available and to ensure that engagement approaches are meaningful, proportionate and appropriate to the context.
Based on Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (1969), adapted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (2026). © Healthcare Improvement Scotland content may be copied, shared and adapted for non-commercial use with attribution under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0