Stage 6

Key Points from Project Plan Checklist

1. Have you ensured that this exercise is accessible to all?
2. Have the Guiding Principles been used to guide this consultation?
3. Have you used all available means to publicise the consultation?

Engaging Everyone

In any exercise, whether it is service specific or Shetland wide, it is important to try to elicit as wide a response as possible. Otherwise it could produce results that do not represent the views of local people as a whole. Different sections of the community may have needs or views that are different from those of the majority and, if they are not consulted effectively, these needs or views may remain invisible.

The Scottish Executive have produced a respondent information form that can be copied and used to collate information on who responds to your exercise.

Barriers to Participation

The Scottish Executive has identified the following potential barriers to participation in the consultation/engagement process, which should be avoided by those undertaking consultation to ensure all groups who may have an interest in the process can do so:

• Methodological barriers: for example relying on methods which use IT, or which focus only on written materials.
• Physical barriers: for example inaccessible venues or the lack of facilities at events.
• Attitudinal barriers: the ways in which staff approach or respond to groups and individuals and the assumptions they make.
• Financial barriers: many equalities groups lack resources and this often affects whether they can respond.
• Cultural barriers: for example using inappropriate facilities or language.

How to reach the hard to reach

NB for Public Meetings

The special needs of audiences must be considered and arrangements made to meet those needs.

The Area Community Learning and Development Workers of the Community Services Department, SIC provide a useful source of information. They hold general information on each area as well as providing contact with local groups, knowing appropriate venues for holding meetings and advising on suitable methods for publicising events in each community. Area Community Workers can also help to arrange events and act as a facilitator between the community and other Council staff.

Contact Community Development on 01595 744006, or write to Community Development, Hayfield House, Lerwick.

Principles

the following principles are taken from the ‘Standards for Community Engagement’. In developing your planned exercise, it is good practice to build these into everything that you do:

• Fairness, equality and inclusion must underpin all aspects of community engagement, and should be reflected in both community engagement policies and the way that everyone involved participates;
• Community engagement should have clear and agreed purposes, and methods that achieve these purposes;
• Improving the quality of community engagement requires commitment to learning from experience;
• Skill must be exercised in order to build communities, to ensure practice of equalities principles, to share ownership of the agenda, and to enable all viewpoints to be reflected;
• As all parties to community engagement possess knowledge based on study, experience, observation and reflection, effective engagement processes will share and use that knowledge;
• All participants should be given the opportunity to build on their knowledge and skills; and
• Accurate, timely information is crucial for effective engagement.

In summary, these principles highlight the importance of equality and recognising the diversity of people and communities; a clear sense of purpose; effective methods for achieving change; building on the skills and knowledge of all those involved; commitment to learning for continuous improvement.

From this a number of guiding values have been identified, which should be used to guide each exercise:

• Accessible information is crucial: for example to identify required formats or languages and presentation and it is critical that all language used must be inclusive (whether verbal or written);
• Images used in documents, or in presentations, must reflect diversity. Venues should be physically accessible and support for interpretation, transport or care responsibilities should be provided;
• Although consultations should be open and transparent, there are good reasons why some equalities groups might require confidentiality and this should be offered and respected;
• Feedback should be provided to respondents on how their views have contributed to policy and practice, as well as giving reasons why some suggestions may not have been taken forward; and
• Long-term relationships between the public sector and equalities groups (often involving support) enable groups to take part in consultation, as well as increasing the overall understanding of wider issues.

Promotion

Whatever the intended audience, steps must be taken to ensure that all members of that audience are aware of their opportunity to participate. This will mean ensuring that opportunities are properly publicised by a variety of means. There is further information and guidance on dealing with local media.

Promotion Options:

Postcards

Leaflets

Press Release

Newsletters

Offers and Promotions

Brochures

Mail Shots & Direct Mail

Business Cards

Fax

Publicity Networking

Internet

Adverts

Posters

Telesales

Exhibitions

Point of sale displays

Yellow Pages

Directories

Convenience Ads

Petrol Pumps

Sponsorship

Inserts

Events & Launches

Word of mouth

Public Speaking

Drama Groups

Beer Mats/Coffee Coasters

Bus backs and interiors

Bus shelters

E-mail

Tent cards

Drama Groups