Create a system such as a webpage where people can register and be notified about opportunities to engage The Parliament should create and advertise means for people to register their details and interests with the Parliament. MSPs and Committees would be able to contact individuals about opportunities to engage in the work of Parliament when an issue arises that individuals are interested in. This idea was inspired by the amount of issues discussed at parliament at any one time passing the public by - this solution could ensure that no one misses the chance to engage.
"A web page" -Wow - I think that is an over-simplification of the complexity of the issue.
Most people do use the web, and having a website where all the issues are placed would be valuable. It should also include a place where people could input information about things that concern them. A two way information service.
Accessibility and clarity is important. The new Scottish Parliament website has proven somewhat counterintuitive and difficult to use for those of us who already know Holyrood well and know what we are looking for. Any new form of communication that tells the wider public about opportunities to engage and participate needs to be accessible and easy to use, and take into account those who don't use social media.
It is extremely important that people are made aware of all issues that arise so that they can engage. it should not be necessary for people to register a specific interest in advance. All major proposed changes to law, such as those relating to full-term abortion for babies with Downs, the right of 16-year-olds to decide their gender, and all laws curtailing our freedom of speech or right to demonstrate, should be explained clearly to the public, and people should be given the opportunity to vote on whether such bills/laws should be passed or not. At present, most people find out about about laws once they have already been passed. This is not democracy.
I struggle to see how this will increase engagement. The keen individual or group will already be part of either a lobbying organisation, activist network, mailing list etc which keeps them in the loop of current developments. Meanwhile the less engaged are unlikely to be wanting to provide thier personal data for a Parliamentary database on the off-chance that the Parliament is discussing an issue that they are informed to discuss. Ultimately I cannot see this encouraging engagement.
Agreed, but there needs to be enough time given to allow people to engage and sharing of the opportunities via multiple channels. Adding incentives for participation (e.g. prize draws, the way private companies do for banks of participants to respond to new surveys or idea testing) might also motivate some to participate who otherwise wouldn't.
A range of methods to contact / make communities aware should be used, from social media/emails/website info to adverts saying where/how people can access the opportunities to participate. The range of opportunities also needs to be advertised so that people know what they can get involved in - there is such a lack of awareness even among those who are linked in.
Utilising effective community development expertise, skills and experience is crucial in order to ensure a broad audience are involved and ensuring key, relevant partners are involved from the outset
JustCitizens welcome this recommendation, however, we do not think that this should be built from scratch. We think it may be useful for MSPs to reach out to local organisations, centres, and community spaces to ask what works best for the communities they work with. The current website can be very confusing and hard to navigate without guidance or support. The Scottish Parliament can also make use of established communications channels to send important information out. Consultations like this one could be included in newsletters of organisations that do participatory work, so there is a regular and consistent system of information-sharing being built. Engagement activities promoted by the Scottish Parliament should also be brought in local places like schools, libraries, sport clubs and religious spaces. .
Communication technologies can have a positive impact; however, they should be an addition alongside traditional methods of engaging people in participation. Many people have restricted access to desktop computers to access webpages. The Parliament should ensure any online engagement is well accessible to mobile users. The European Parliament has created an App for citizen engagement, which could be a potential template for the Parliament to explore.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation