Institutional design in federal public administration is a relevant element in the outcome of social participation seeking to influence public policy processes. However, this variable has been little analyzed by political theory and public policy analysis. This research contributes to the analysis of government design and its effect on the quality and effectiveness of participation in public policy by analyzing the process of the National Conferences in Brazil as a benchmark for participation mechanism for defining and modifying policies public at the federal level. The variables analyzed are the normative design and the Brazilian bureaucracy characteristics.