Consequently, many of these measures prove inadequate and ultimately have no effect at all. Problems concerning participation therefore conceal an underlying problem, which holds for all citizens: namely, the difficulty experienced by citizens when trying to understand the society they live in, the interrelations present within that society, and how to link their own personal experiences with current social structures. For example, most people experience their life situation in its entirety, whereas people living in poverty experience exclusion in different aspects of life (e.g. living, working, learning, health) at the same time. As a result, a fragmented policy with measures addressing each individual aspect will not be recognisable as such by the poor, nor will it reverse their overall situation of poverty.

This report will discuss the participation of disadvantaged citizens in policy-making in general, as well as their participation in policy-making for poverty reduction in particular. Concretely this means that politicians, the government and the administration should take action on all levels to ensure transparent policy-making and administration, and provide clear information to all citizens. This information should cover the overall vision of a given policy, and the policy options available, and should be accompanied by procedures to ensure the effective dissemination of this information.