an introduction to public engagement simon burall/ director science communication conference 25 may...

An Introduction to Public Engagement

Simon Burall/ Director

Science Communication Conference25 May 2011

• Introductions • What is it? • Why do it?• Who does it?• Q&A

Agenda

Who are you?

Turn to your neighbour and find out:• Who they are?• Where they are from?• What turned them on to science?

Public Engagement can be:• Science Communication• Education (e.g. scientists talking in schools) • University outreach• New Media (e.g. Twitter to update people) • Science festivals • Policy consultations • Debate and dialogue• Collaborative research

How many do you recognise? User Panels

Participatory Appraisal

Neighbourhood Forums

Online forums

Democs™

Planning for Real™

Citizens’ juries

Citizens’ Summits

Deliberative Polling™Local Involvement Networks

E-Petitions

Opinion PollsCitizens’ Panels

World Cafe Forum Theatre

Focus Groups

Future SearchOpen Space

Wikis

Participatory Budgeting

Lectures

Public talks

Public Engagement

Arnstein’s Ladder (1969)

Involve

Consult

Collaborate

Empower

Inform

The Participation Spiral

EmpowerAnd another way

CollaborateInvolveConsultInform

Number of people involved

Not just science...

It happens in:• Health• Youth services• Criminal justice• Environment• Planning

• Etc.

At different levels:• Local• National • International

Different reasons

Governance

OwnershipLearning

Improved ServicesSocial Cohesion

Law & Regulations

Making it all add up

Outcome(What)

Process / Structure

(How)

People(Who)

Context(Where)

Purpose(Why)

Process/ Structure

(How)

TransmitTo inspire, inform, change,

educate, build capacity and involvement or

influence decisions of others (e.g. the public)

ReceiveTo use the views, skills,

experience, knowledge of others (e.g. the public) to inspire, inform, change,

educate or build your own capacity or decisions

CollaborateTo collaborate, consider,

create or decide something together

Public Engagement Triangle

Thinking about the benefits• Engagement as an end in itself• Engagement as an means to an end• Engagement as an external requirement

• Engagement to benefit institution• Engagement to benefit participants• Engagement to benefit society

Key players

• Research Councils• Universities• Museums and Science

Centres• Third Sector• Private Sector

• Scientists• Engineers• Teachers• PE Specialists• Civil servants• NGO staff• Public

Lessons learned• Don’t engage unless you mean it• Resource properly• Support staff to develop the skills• Understand your participants• Communicate clearly

Where to go for more information

• BSA www.britishscienceassociation.org

• Wellcome Trust www.wellcome.ac.uk

• NCCPE www.publicengagement.ac.uk

• Sciencewise ERC www.sciencewise-erc.org.uk

• People&Participation www.peopleandparticipation.net

Event parametersNumber of participants: 50

Level of deliberation: High

Time requirements: Series of events

Participants are: Self-selecting

PeopleandParticipation.netYou could use:

• Conversation Cafes • Deliberative Workshops • Design Charrettes • Online Consultations • E-petitions • Area Forums • World Café • Online Forums • Mystery shopper • Planning for Real • Participatory Appraisal • Open Space Dialogue• Democs• Appreciative Inquiry

Questions and Answers

involveRoyal London House 22-25 Finsbury Square London EC2A 1DXt: 020 7920 6470e: simon@involve.org.ukt: www.involve.org.uk

Thanks to:

The following Flickr users who made their photos available under a Creative Commons licence:– Michel Filion – Hey Paul – lepiaf.geo– Ezioman– Xurble– Burningkarma

– Chris Campbell– Purpleslog– Dave Schumaker– NuageDeNuit– Involve