Participatory innovations, social dialogue and consensus building

Abstract This article aims to contribute to the debate about the effects produced by participatory institutions in Brazilian public administration. It looks specifically at the experience of the Economic and Social Development Council of Rio Grande do Sul. The conclusion reached is that this particular council did indeed introduce changes to the state's public administration and contributed to both transparency and access to information. From the democratic learning point of view, the search for convergence in terms of development was the main innovation proposed by the forum. However, its criteria of composition and its capacity of agenda-setting reduced its overall deliberative potential.