How to Democratise Pension Funds: Designing a deliberative mini-public at Pensioenfonds Detailhandel

First, they introduce the key features of a DMP and then they propose how it could be deployed within the context of pension funds when engaging with their members. Afterwards, they show the preparation and execution of a DMP, the first of its kind, at the pension fund for the retail sector in the Netherlands (Pensioenfonds Detailhandel). They describe the DMP’s remit and its design and governance features, and report on each of the three days of the DMP. They make transparent the topics that experts presented to the members, how the members interacted and responded to these experts, and how they deliberated with each other. In addition, they report on the set of recommendations that members created for the board. These recommendations are reviewed and subsequently addressed by the board to inform and update the fund’s future responsible investment policy. Finally, they discuss the key design features of this DMP and their implications for deliberative governance innovations in pension funds.