Memorandum by Involve
1. MEANINGFUL
ENGAGEMENT
1.1 Parliament has made notable efforts
to engage the public using online technologies in recent years,
and a number of external initiatives have also emerged to open
up parliamentary business to the public. Sites such as theyworkforyou,
and tweetminster wire have opened up Parliamentary activities
in new ways alongside innovations seen at ParliamentUK and
number10; showing that new approaches can come both from
internal and from external sources.
1.2 Involve welcomes these excellent innovations
and the corresponding move towards increased openness and transparency.
We believe that new technology has a significant role to play
in opening up Parliamentary decision making processes to the public,
and that it is important for Parliament and Parliamentarians to
actively engage both with internal and externally generated online
initiatives.
2. BEYOND BETTER
BROADCASTING
2.1 Involve believes that Parliament should
continue to build upon highly improved "1-way" information
broadcast, to commit to a more engaging "2-way" conversation
between citizens and decision makers. We recognise that steps
have been taken in this direction, for example the uptake of twitter
and online forums featured on Parliament UK as used in conjunction
with this inquiry; but that further emphasis should be placed
on meaningful, practical public participation and engagement.
2.2 As one forum user on the Parliament UK website
put it: "Although social media isn't the answer to everything,
they allow direct communication with members of the public. The
House of Lords should use these established tools regularly with,
for example, inquiries."[19]
It is important to acknowledge that social media should be used
in conjunction with existing systems and pathways in order to
enable citizens to effectively input into parliamentary decision
making processes.
2.3 Involve believes that the power of Web
2.0 lies in its ability to enable participation and two way interactions
rather than being simply a more effective broadcast system for
information. This new technology offers an opportunity for citizens
to engage more effectively with decision making processes not
only for more open information and data provision.[20]
Involve believes that citizens have valuable insight to offer
parliamentarians and should be involved in the decisions that
affect their lives, both in order to improve the decisions that
are made, and as a matter of social justice
3. MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
3.1 Whenever new technologies are employed
to engage the community, we must look very carefully at what the
tools themselves are actually delivering that is in itself innovative
other than improved information provision pathways. We recognise
that expectation management is crucial to the implementation of
any such "2-way" interactivity, after all, the UK Parliament
has a stakeholder group of over 60 million people, and cannot
engage meaningfully with everybody.
3.2 The extent to which meaningful engagement
can take place should be set out clearly in order to help the
public understand what kind of input into decision making is possible,
and what this means to them in practical terms. Further information
should be provided for citizens in plain English as to how they
may interact with decision making processes.
3.3 Involve and the National Consumer Council
have out a set of principles for deliberative engagement[21]
based on our expertise in public engagement which underpin good
practice in deliberative engagement.[22]
These principles are aimed at improving the way in which more
complex interactions with citizens can take place and add value
to decision making processes. Involve recommends that principles
for interaction with citizens should be developed for Parliamentary
Outreach and Communication as a whole.
THE NINE
PRINCIPLES FOR
DELIBERATIVE ENGAGEMENT[23]1.
The process makes a difference.
2. The process is transparent.
3. The process has integrity.
4. The process is tailored to circumstances.
5. The process involves the right number and types
of people.
6. The process treats participants with respect.
7. The process gives priority to participants' discussions.
8. The process is reviewed and evaluated to improve
practice.
9. Participants are kept informed.
3.4 Involve believes that online engagement
strategies should always be developed alongside "offline"
or "face to face" strategies in order to make them more
meaningful and sustainable. Creating better information sources
and using tools to reach out to people online is commendable,
but appealing only to certain sections of the population; if we
build it—they will not necessarily come. This can be evidenced
through the comparatively low uptake of online forums and comments
on existing parliamentary websites.
3.5 If we seek to engage citizens who are
not already actively looking for information on Parliament, then
we may well increase understanding and active involvement amongst
those who are currently not active participants. We recommend
that Parliament look into new ways of reaching into communities
using a combination of online and offline methods, and crucially,
of interacting with them meaningfully.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
Involve recommends:
4.1 Development of a set of principles for interaction
with citizens to guide future Parliamentary Outreach and Communication
activities.
4.2 Increased emphasis on "2-way"
communication through online and offline outreach, moving beyond
the realm of existing Parliamentary websites into communities;
particularly aimed at those less likely to engage.
4.3 A stronger focus on the question "How
can I affect decisions in Parliament" on the Parliament website
which links back to the local, personal and practical.
4.4 A drive towards strengthening links
between online and offline engagement activities and communities.
5 May 2009
19 http://forums.parliament.uk/people-and-parliament/index.php?read,1,119 Back
20
Power of Information Taskforce Report (2009). Back
21
Deliberative Public Engagement: nine principles (2008) Involve,
National Consumer Council. Back
22
Deliberative engagement is a distinctive approach to involving
people in decision making. It is different from other forms of
engagement in that it is about giving participants time to consider
and discuss an issue in depth before they come to a considered
view. Back
23
Deliberative Public Engagement: nine principles (2008) Involve,
National Consumer Council. Back
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