Paper short abstract:

This paper will explore the importance and nature of prefiguration in terms of redressing power imbalances via grass roots participation in construction of measures of progress.

Paper long abstract:

'Prefiguration' (see Boggs, 1977 ; cf Williams & Srnicek, 2015) is often heard in New Economy debates - activities and interactions that reflect the sort of society, economy, or politics sought by protagonists. Systems thinking (Mersmann, 2014) calls for support for 'pioneers' undertaking innovations according to new visions, hence demonstrating feasibility and desirability (to attract more actors and spread support).

This paper explores the importance and nature of prefiguration via redressing power imbalances through grass roots participation in construction of measures of progress.

It reflects on modes of democracy in which the 'thin' form of representative democracy (Barber, 1984) is often captured by entities wielding disproportionate influence due to economic strength (Fuentes-Nieva & Galasso, 2014) and contrasts this to potentially deeper conversations enabled by collectively co-creating a view of what 'progress' or 'development' entails via participatory and deliberative processes (Dryzek and Niemeyer, 2012).

Drawing on New Economy thinking in which grass roots participation and power to shape agendas are a key element, the paper examines scope for participatory measures to model mechanisms for interests of those currently not well served by policy making processes to have their views elevated and their perspectives responded to. It seeks to assess the extent to which this role meets the mantra of 'pioneering' called for in systems change literature.

In modelling a dimension of system change, prefigurative perspectives on participatory measures go beyond instrumental rationales for consultation previously emphasised (BRAINPOol 2014) and complement normative calls for widespread participation in construction of new measures of progress.