Open Government Partnership

Participation Framework Feedback Workshops with Deciding Matters – Part 1

August 26, 2024 by Neisha Kirk No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Approach, learnings and reflections

In Spring 2023, Scottish Government’s Open Government team commissioned Deciding Matters to deliver a series of workshops with the public.

Deciding Matters are a small, neutral, non-partisan participatory democracy organisation based in Scotland (Highlands & Edinburgh). Deciding Matters work with governments and organisations to ensure representational voice is heard and directly informs decisions.

The aim of these workshops was to review the then newly published Participation Framework, comment on the inclusivity and accessibility of the document, and identify gaps and areas for improvement.

This blog shares information on the approach taken and an overview of the ideas and feedback that were received, demonstrating the value of working inclusively with the public and stakeholders to develop resources and take decisions. A follow-up blog will set out which of the priority actions identified by participants it has been possible for Scottish Government to change.

What is the Participation Framework?

• The Participation Framework is a guide to good practice in participation work across Scottish Government. It provides information about participatory methods and when to use them, the development of an effective participation strategy, and signposts to further resources ​
• The Participation Framework was first published in February 2023, with the intention for the document to be a first draft to be reviewed by the public before being updated ​

The Participation Framework has since been updated on the basis of this workshop feedback, and is now called the Participation Handbook.

Approach and methodology

Six workshops were delivered over a two-month period, both online (Zoom) and in-person (Edinburgh)​. An in-person workshop in a rural location was planned, but was delivered online following participant feedback. Workshops were scheduled at different times of day, with morning, afternoon and evening options​, as well as weekday and weekend sessions​.

The workshops offered a range of engagement methods, to provide for different participants’ preferences and needs. These included discursive activities, independent written activities (using flipcharts and Jamboard – a digital whiteboard that allows users to collaborate in real time using various devices to share ideas)​, presentations (with closed captions and visuals)​, and participant votes. Information was also shared in advance.

Participants

The workshops were open to any members of the public, but we especially wanted to engage with people and groups who are often unheard or unable to engage in similar processes due to a lack of accessible design.

Recruitment was done through networked communities (e.g. Scottish Community Development Centre) as well as public platforms (e.g. X, formerly known as Twitter). ​

Of the 195 individuals who registered interest, 80 diverse people were invited to take part in the workshops:

• Participants were from 21 Local Authority areas​
• 28.2% of participants considered themselves to have a disability or health condition​
• Participant ages ranged from 18 to 65+​
• 73.4% of participants identified as a woman and 21.5% identified as a man​

Onboarding can be key to ensuring that participants attend and are able to fully engage with workshops like this. In advance of each workshop, one-to-one calls were held with each participant, so we could identify any additional support needs and answer any questions. We also allowed time to put suitable support mechanisms in place.

The insights, time commitment and lived experience of participants are invaluable to a participatory process. For these workshops, participants were given a £40 gift voucher in recognition of their contributions.

Outputs

Participants were asked what equality and inclusion meant to them.

Responses highlighted that a key way exclusion can happen is when those who are affected by an issue are not listened to or meaningfully engaged with. Feeling genuinely included in discussions and decisions about issues affecting their lives can contribute to a levelling of power hierarchies. Several participants felt that it was important to understand this as a collective endeavour, recognising that individual needs are part of a wider human rights approach to delivering change.

Participants were then asked what they thought was missing from the Participation Framework, and to identify the priority actions they wanted Scottish Government to take while implementing the Participation Framework. ​

Some of these related to the Participation Framework, and some related to broader issues. Our follow-up blog will list these priority actions in detail and set out which of these it has been possible for us to change.

Deciding Matter’s reflection and learning

The design and delivery of these workshops presented the delivery team with a number of learning and development opportunities with regards to accessibility and inclusion.

Reflection	Learning
Some participants struggle moving between multiple platforms/apps during online workshops.​	Use any additional platforms/apps during an icebreaker and adapt activity if not all participants can engage.​
Some participants needed more time to process information from presentations before moving into a deliberative activity.​	Build processing time into session plans, giving participants a quiet minute before starting a breakout activity.​
While background information was shared in advance, not every document was suitable for screen readers.​	Avoid PDF where possible, opting for word. ​Provide “easy read” versions wherever possible. ​
Some participants prefer in-person workshops but would be unable to attend due to a range of barriers (travel, cost, time commitment, etc.).​	Plan in-person sessions far in advance to ensure time to understand and mitigate any personal barriers participants might face.

Challenges

Some common challenges that governments can face when engaging with the public are also relevant to this work.

Participants can experience and exhibit disinterest or disengagement, as well as a lack of trust in authority. This can be accompanied by feelings of oversaturation with information available (e.g. through the media) or uncertainty.

Constrained resources and high workloads can also present challenges when engaging with stakeholders. This can be exacerbated when there is a disconnect between community priorities and the issues on which government wants to engage.

It is helpful for those delivering engagements to recognise these issues, and attempt to mitigate wherever possible. Mitigations could include:

1. developing a compelling and clear story or narrative around each engagement, and ensuring these activities link clearly to strategy and higher-level decisions – it should be easy for participants to see the impact their involvement is having
2. ensuring that different areas of government are joined-up in their approach, so that engagements are not repeated and peoples’ time is made best use of
3. keeping up to date with technology and making use of popular and accessible platforms can assist with inclusion and reach 

Contact

If you’re interested to get in touch with Deciding Matters you can contact the team using the email address Hello@decidingmatters.co.uk

Follow the Scottish Government Open Government blog to read part 2 which will cover the changes that were made following the workshops and which priority actions were taken forward.

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