Use media outlets, documentaries and short films to highlight Parliament successes and real life stories of engagement to improve public perception and trust. We heard that the Scottish Parliament needs to do more to tell people about its engagement and participation work, as those it reaches are positive about the experience. Then it is a matter of finding the best marketing practices to reach as many people as possible. Use people who have had positive interaction and experience with Parliament to tell their story through national and local media (tv/radio/newspaper etc) and community groups. The public sometimes find it easier to digest information by way of another person telling them. Make sure people know about the teams of staff working on engagement as well as MSPs.
But it has to have cross party support, or it will be seen as propaganda, Mu unanimously or one dissenting vote. Must be confirmed by a cross party committee.
Beware social media, but TV, radio are important means of communication to the majority of people. People need to know what their Parliaments are doing, what they are considering and especially need to know why.
This is always such a tricky area to get right, in my experience, but so valuable and important to build trust and confidence in the process and value of meaningful engagement and participation. Suggest that there are ways the Parliament could ensure that the public can 'track' issues from start to finish e.g. a simple timeline tracker of where an issue is sitting within the parliament's processes?
In April this year, as a portion of the social security budget was devolved, the government stopped reassesment for many disabled people with a higher rate assesment. I have a daughter with a higher rate of assessment and neither I nor anyone I have discussed this with, knew about this (well, one). Stop communicating through "professional" channels and communicate directly with disabled people and their carers.
JustCitizens welcomes this recommendation and we believe it would be incredibly powerful and insightful to get to hear directly from MSPs about their work, their real challenges and achievements. But also they could discuss how they decided to work for the Scottish Parliament and highlight different paths that young people could take if they were interested in a similar career path.
Engage with faith groups, sports clubs and other civic society bodies directly to build up links with their members. Think of creative competitions and artistic iniatives that can inspire people to get involved and are easily shared on social media.
We like the idea of documentaries - for example the Covid-19 recovery committee could do a short film about how people have found the pandemic and the impact it has had on their mental health and then this could be used in evidence to be sent to the government.
The Parliament should show average people in Parliament, of different age groups, and show diversity.
Young people would be more likely to view this information via social media but also if young people where given specific time in school to read emails and watch videos from the Scottish Parliament.
Pupils felt there should be a greater diversity in the people telling the stories. More younger people. Social Media promotion would help reach young people: YouTube adverts or TikTok videos. Billboards on e.g. bus shelters where young people were more likely to gather.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation