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Participation Handbook (935KB pdf)

Why has it been produced
During the first session of Parliament, a range of civic participation events took place but it was recognised that there was a need to reach a much wider selection of people, particularly those who are not connected to more formal civic society organisations. This takes time and energy and this Handbook offers practical suggestions on how to reach people and organise events so that our collective effort is well focused and participation enhanced.

Who is it for?
The Handbook is for Committees and Clerks who would like to extend their ideas on how to engage more marginalized groups. However it should also be of some help when organising any event. Even more formal meetings or conferences which are targeted at the professional or business community can be made more interactive, and a better dialogue created, through some of these considerations.

How it is organised
The Handbook is divided into 5 Sections, and contains examples and reference sheets which can be accessed for further information. Section 1 offers a basic introduction to participation.

Reaching people in the first place is one of the biggest challenges for staff under the pressure of time, and a number of suggestions for getting to more marginalised groups are outlined in Section 2.

Paying attention to some of the small practical details that enable better participation is as important as finding the right methods and this is covered in Sections 3 and 4.

Snapshots of a range of methods, covering small to large events are covered in Section Five.

We expect that more examples and contacts will be added in future editions.

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Andrew Mylne, Roy McMahon, Mark Brough, Levi Pay, Kate Tough and Gwynneth Williams for their comments and help at various stages in the production process.

Participation Handbook (935KB pdf)