The DEPART research-action is aimed to assess the needs and challenges of the local policymaking processes.  It approaches the formal and informal aspects affecting the local policy making processes, its functioning, and the relationships between its stakeholders.  Specifically, it promotes a diagnosis of the migrant involvement in policymaking processes considering two essential aspects:

• Mobilization and representation of migrants and refugees: How migrants and refugees collectives mobilise and build themselves as collective actors? What representation mechanisms are developed in these collectives and what are their implications for the legitimacy of their representatives?
• Participation of migrants and refugees in policymaking processes: How migrants and refugees individuals and collectives take part both conventionally and non-conventionally in policymaking processes?

DESK RESEARCH in order to put together the knowledge accumulated in the academic literature and previous projects, including:

• participatory methodologies for policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• national and local contexts of mobilisation, representation and participation of migrants and refugees in policymaking processes;
• best practices at EU level, in particular civil society, and public administration initiatives.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH based on focus groups and interviews to assess the needs and challenges of the policy making processes with reference to migrants and refugees’ inclusiveness in hosting society, especially to understand the obstacles to mobilization, representation and participation of migrants and refugees and to compare the current practices with the best ones identified at EU level. In-depth interviews and focus groups involved:

• TCNs (migrants and refugees);
• CSOs;

public administration of different territorial levels.