Barriers to Engagement
Tackling Barriers to Citizen
Engagement Workshop

What is this?

This is the workshop design used in the 50+ Citizen Engagement Project.

What is its use?

We used this design to generate suggestions of different ways of getting people involved in citizen engagement. Some of these suggestions became pilots in the Project.

Workshop design

The workshop design involved familiar ingredients: post-its, flip-charts, group work and discussions.

Step 1 – Circulate information

We circulated to those attending, the background information and purpose of the workshop. For example

  • The interpretation and context of the keywords and topics you will be using: such as ‘engaged citizen’
  • Additional information: such as the different types of engagement already in use
  • Understanding what citizen engagement is
  • Coming up with ideas for different and innovative citizen engagement projects
  • This link (PDF, 113k) takes you to the information we provided for our workshops and the relevant websites

You need to send this information before people attend and go over it on the day, as not every one reads the information in advance.

Step 2 – Barriers to engagement

The barriers to engagement checklists were explored using:

Barriers to 50+ citizen engagement – your views

  • What are your reactions to the people’s view of the barriers listed?
    • are they true?
    • are there any more?
    • other reactions?
  • Your reactions to the professionals’ view of the barriers listed?
    • are they true?
    • are there any more?
    • other reactions?

Reporting back: as your group wishes

Step 3 Doing things differently

(Reminder focus on specific people & issues)
Consider the questions below

  • Think about a range of methods of engagement and participation and what might work in your case.
  • Is there a different way of doing it that might suit you better?
  • What is the issue?
  • What are the interests and needs of your target group?
  • 57 and more varieties of engagement.
    See: http://www.makeitanissue.org.uk/Beyond%20the%20Ballot.pdf

Step 4 Group work

Listed below are steps in this type of workshop

Your Ideas for innovations in types of engagement

  • Jot down on post-its your own ideas for innovations in engagement.
  • Stick your post-its on your group's flipchart.
  • Discuss ideas in your groups.
  • Collect together similar or shared ideas.
  • Write up each idea on a flipchart - include the "Mad Ideas"
  • Display group flipcharts
  • Admire your ideas.
  • Report back
    • General comments
    • What ideas would you pilot first - pros & cons

Step 5 Summarise and evaluate

A key part of the workshop is to summarise what you have discussed and achieved. Before everyone leaves it is important to check whether they have found the workshop of use and what changes might be useful if you were to run this again.

Step 6 Write up the notes and Feedback

After the workshop write up the suggestions and send or show them to those who attended the workshop and ask them for any additional comments and whether they would support or be interested in a particular idea.

Step 7 Do it!

Review the workshop results and choose the most appropriate or well-supported idea and make it happen. Making sure you tell those attending that their idea is happening and you will let them know how it goes.