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Expanding citizen participation

Understanding deliberativeness: bridging theory and practice (pdf 200kb)

This article draws upon the experience of the author in promoting community participation in deliberations about government policy and practice, reviewing two case studies carried out in Western Australia that were designed to resolve standing issues and draws out the lessons learned from each one.

It contains principles and lessons about how common issues are resolved using processes of deliberation, representation and influence. The techniques used relate to social movement or working from outside to generate better government but are also inclusive of and endorsed by government.  

The article highlights the fact that deliberative processes can often 'reframe' the question so it is better aligned to citizen or user needs and thus gain ownership in decisions made. The examples describe a 'citizen jury' process to determine the course of a major road through built up areas and a 'deliberative survey' to determine appropriateness of a new building development project.  The case studies clearly describe the process and as such could be used as models for promoting government community consultations.

 

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