Annex 1
CITIZENS BRIEFINGS
/ VOTER INFORMATION
SESSIONS
Most people are not aware of the role of parliament
or MPs. This proposal would aim to run short, interactive information
sessions about the work of parliament, linked to opportunities
to learn more about politics and participation through local adult
education services.
The idea is to distribute a voucher for a FREE information
session with voter registration details sent out by all Returning
Officers, to inform people about how the political process works
and ways in which they can have more influence about things that
matter to them. Sessions would be run by trained volunteers from
the area (students and members of the community), in order to
deepen political understanding and a greater sense of shared ownership
of citizenship as something that belongs to everyone, not the
"authorities".
We would like to work with an education provider
(eg the WEA), local authority Returning Officers, citizenship
organisations and community groups to develop, pilot and evaluate—
1. information leaflets inviting people
to a FREE political information event
2. an introductory workshop on the political
process and how to use it effectively
3. what follow-up options people would be
interested in, such as courses, coaching, leaflets or a guide
to online resources
The project will test different ways of promoting
and running sessions in wards or constituencies with low voter
turn out to find out the most effective way of engaging people
in democratic politics.
Each information session will include an interactive
game/activity about the political system, a short presentation
and a "market place" of stalls with information from
different political parties, pressure groups, public services,
the electoral commission and others involved in the political
process. Sessions will also be used to promote local courses and
workshops in citizenship education and local issues.
One model for this is the Parent Information
Project and Transition Information Sessions developed with the
Family and Parenting Institute, Gulbenkian Foundation and DCFS,
which is being rolled out to all schools. The sessions themselves
will draw on extensive experience of grassroots participatory
workshops.
BENEFITS
The sessions will give people (electors) an
enjoyable, non-partisan introduction to how politics works and
ways in which they can have an effective voice.
The pilot project will also demonstrate "what
works" in terms of
a) attracting people to information sessions
in the first place;
b) informing and engaging people once they
come;
c) stimulating voter turn out;
d) encouraging participation in politics,
through campaigning,
Pilot sessions will be targeted at different
groups as well as the general public, to test different approaches
to voter engagement.
For people involved in politics, it will offer
another way of engaging with voters outside of election period,
through the stalls available at sessions.
For education providers it will identify potential
demand for courses/workshops in citizenship, political education
and current affairs.
TARGET GROUPS
Citizens' political information sessions could
be offered to all electors as part of the democratic process,
but a pilot project should be targeted at all residents of selected
wards or constituencies with low voter turn in contrasting areas
(rural, urban, ethnically diverse) and venues (eg schools, pub,
community centre, sports centre, university campus).
It will be piloted in carefully selected wards or
constituencies with low voter turn out in order to explore impact
and feasibility, and could then be rolled out to other areas.
We are looking at the possibility of piloting sessions in Yorkshire,
London or Merseyside.
WHAT KIND
OF ASSISTANCE
WOULD YOU
LIKE FROM
OTHERS?
We would like to do a pilot project and feasibility
study for this project, which would benefit from assistance from
organisations such as:—
— Local Government Association—to
help set up pilots and provide information for the "market
place"
— Community education providers/Take
Part Network—to help run sessions, train "citizen facilitators"
and offer follow-up courses
— Political parties and pressure groups—to
provide information for the "market place"
— Citizenship organisations (eg Hansard
Society, Citizenship Foundation, Westminster Explained)—to
input / advice into the information workshop content and help
with follow-up options, such as courses, leaflets or online resources
— Parliamentary Outreach Service—to
provide input and help organise pilots
— Universities—research evidence/experience
from similar projects in politics or other fields (eg health promotion)
and to support with students on pilot sessions
— Community groups—to help run
sessions and train as facilitators
— Student organisations— to
help run sessions and train as facilitators
Titus Alexander, Head
of Campaigning, Novas Scarman Group
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