Participatory policy processes in a black box? Stakeholder interviews about the development of Germany´s national...

Stakeholder participation in policy processes can make processes more effective, democratic, and foster consensus in complex policy fields - if managed well. However, little is known about the conditions driving meaningful stakeholder participation in national-level policymaking.

We investigated Germany's 2024 national nutrition strategy to understand conditions for meaningful stakeholder participation.

We invited all organisations officially listed as stakeholders in Germany's national nutrition strategy (N = 123) to participate in 30-minute semi-structured interviews. In the interviews, we asked about their perceptions of the process. Interviews were transcribed and analysed with MAXQDA. Using Clarke and Brown's approach to thematic analysis, we inductively coded positive and negative perceptions of the strategy.

A total of 55 experts from 54 organizations participated in the interviews. They represented industry associations (n = 15) and public-sector researchers (n = 14), followed by NGOs (n = 13). Stakeholders welcomed the participatory nature of the nutrition strategy development, seeing it as an opportunity to contribute their perspectives and drive political change in health and sustainability. Building networks with other stakeholders was also seen as a positive outcome. However, many expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in the process - in particular how their input would influence the final strategy. Some feared their participation would legitimize outcomes they could not support.

The participatory process to inform Germany's national nutrition strategy resembled a consultation. Our interviews suggest that transparent communication, especially clarity on how stakeholder input is used, is crucial to encourage genuine collaboration. These insights can help policymakers fully leverage stakeholder participation.