A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (for example, first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in person or online, and finally prioritizing them) with the goal of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.

Examples of participatory processes: a process for electing committee members (where candidates are first nominated, then debated, and finally one candidate is selected), participatory budgeting (where proposals are submitted, evaluated from a financial perspective, and voted on based on available funds), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or standard, the design of an urban space, or the development of a public policy plan.