Resources Library

What the Methodology Is

Understanding the foundation and purpose of this approach

  • The EU Children's Participation Platform is a structured, EU‑wide participation framework designed to amplify children’s voices in policy and decision‑making. Through safe, child‑friendly formats such as online surveys, thematic workshops, and focus groups, it enables children to express their views on issues affecting their lives.

    Its core purpose is to provide meaningful, accessible, and ethical participation opportunities, ensuring that children’s experiences and recommendations directly inform EU initiatives, including topics such as social inclusion, online safety, mental health, and climate action.  

    This methodology helps solve the persistent challenge of children’s voices being overlooked in policymaking by offering systematic ways to collect, validate, and integrate children’s input into EU strategies and actions. 
     

How It Can Be Used

Practical applications and implementation guidance

This methodology can be applied in consultations, policy dialogues, participatory workshops, research processes, and youth engagement sessions, helping teams collect structured input from diverse groups of children. It supports activities such as:

  • EU‑wide surveys on topics like poverty, social inclusion, online safety, or mental health.  
  • Thematic workshops where children co‑design recommendations (e.g., climate action, rights awareness, child safety). 
  • Peer learning and exchange visits that allow children to understand and reflect on participation in different EU countries.  

Teams should use this methodology when they need child‑generated evidence, when designing or reviewing child‑relevant policies, or when creating materials that require child validation (e.g., child-friendly documents).

It adds value to participation practice by offering tested techniques for safe engagement, the possibility of reaching large numbers of children, and a direct connection between children’s input and decision‑making processes at the EU level. 

Focus on Inclusion

The methodology places a strong emphasis on inclusion and accessibility, ensuring that children of different ages, genders, languages, abilities, and socio‑economic backgrounds can participate meaningfully.

Inclusion is supported through:

  • Accessible formats: child-friendly versions of policy documents and summaries help children understand complex issues. 
  • Multiple participation channels: online surveys, focus groups, workshops, and peer visits allow children with different needs and contexts to engage.  
  • Safe spaces designed to protect children emotionally and physically while encouraging open expression.  
  • Respect for lived experiences, ensuring children’s own contexts shape the conversation, particularly in sensitive topics like cyberbullying or poverty.  

By grounding participation in the Nine Basic Requirements for Meaningful and Ethical Child Participation, and safeguarding standards, the methodology creates environments where all children feel respected, heard, and empowered to influence decisions. 

Contributors

Organizations and individuals who developed this methodology

This methodology is supported by a group of partner organizations that contribute expertise in child participation, research, safeguarding, child‑friendly communication, and participatory activity design.

Key contributing organizations include:

  • ICF S.A. — Supports the development of the Platform’s work plan and coordinates activities in collaboration with expert partners.
  • Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA) — Provides research on issues affecting children and supports consultations through survey scoping, facilitation, and reporting.
  • Save the Children — Brings expertise in creating child‑friendly spaces, designing and running participation activities, and ensuring safeguarding good practice.
  • SOS Children’s Villages — Helps develop child‑friendly documents and contributes tools and expertise on child participation practice.