Community engagement in decision making
How does it work, who is involved, and what helps or hinders them?
Contacts
A look at community engagement in local decision making, from a range of perspectives.
JRF has supported a number of studies that explore community engagement in local decision making by asking the following questions:
- Service quality: what is the relationship between governance and service quality?
- Participation approaches: what instruments and methods can best enable citizens to express their views and engage in local decision making? Are some more suited to the needs of particular groups and communities?
- What are the routes and barriers to engagement in governance and how might the barriers be overcome?
- Who benefits? Does the value of engaging users and residents lie primarily in enhancing the quality of services, or in building the capacity of the community?
- Governors' perspectives: what can we learn from the experiences of those already involved in governance structures with the NHS, schools, regeneration and voluntary sector organisations? What support, skills and resources do individuals and communities need to govern well?
- What role do paid officials and councillors play in community engagement in governance?
- What are the issues for community engagement in governance in dynamic and diverse communities?
Overview
A round-up of the messages from this recent body of work from JRF was published in June 2009.