Related Resources for Techniques

The International Association for Public Participation has developed a toolbox design to help agencies share information.

People and Participation online is an interactive tool from the UK to help those seeking to engage with the public. The Process Planner can help to select participatory methods based on your specific circumstances. The site provides a comprehensive methods database, covering traditional and innovative approaches to public participation from around the world and a selection of case studies,enabling site users to post their own stories to inspire others.

This paper examines some of the issues that have been neglected so far in the debate about e-democracy. S. Coleman and J. Gøtze. London: Hansard Society.  

This site describes the eConsultation Management System (eCMS) used for online participation by the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and a number of British local authorities.  

The State Services Commission e-Government site with a section on ‘Participation’.

This book presents new primary research evidence into the scale and character of current e-democracy practices in local authorities in England and Wales. Authors: I. Kearns, J. Bend and B. Stern (2002). London: Institute for Public Policy Research.

E-Democracy.Org is a non-profit, non-partisan, volunteer-based project whose mission is to expand participation and build stronger democracies and communities through information and communication technologies and strategies.  

This site has a number of publications that examine the possibility for a ‘wired democracy’ in the electronic age.

This is a free monthly email service covering electronic public services, ‘teledemocracy’ and the information society in the UK and worldwide.

The US National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation offers tools for engaging with the public in the development of policy, and provides some examples of hi-tech and online experiments in public participation.

Information Renaissance is a US non-profit corporation that promotes the use of the internet to empower citizens to participate more fully in the functioning of the democratic state, including the legislative process of Federal Government.  

This Policy Brief highlights lessons drawn from OECD member countries' experiences of online consultation. It suggests 10 guiding principles for successful online consultation. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003).

From here you can access dozens of articles and resources on e-democracy.

This is a UK organisation that builds websites to encourage citizens to participate in their communities. Its projects are focused on improving the quality of civic, community and political life.

Zebralog is a not-for-profit German organisation that supports modern democratic decision-making through the use of interactive media. In Germany, they were among the first to conduct online consultations for various State bodies, among them, the Government of Berlin, Hamburg and the South German City of Esslingen.

This book is intended as a source book for students introducing them to the techniques of appreciative inquiry. Authors D.L. Cooperider, P.F. Sorenson, D. Whitney and T.F. Yaeger (1999). Illinois: Stipes Publishing Co.

This chapter provides a simple guide to using the appreciative inquiry technique. Authors J.D. Ludema, D.L. Cooperrider and F.J. Barrett (2001). In Handbook of Action Research. P. Reason and H. Bradbury (eds). London: Sage Publications.

This report provides the results of a pilot series of citizens' juries. Authors A. Coote and J. Lenaghan (1997). England: Ippr.

This chapter evaluates the effectiveness of the citizens' jury as a model of citizen participation. A. Armour (1995). In Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation: Evaluating Models for Environmental Discourse.Authors O. Renn, T. Webler and P. Wiedemann (eds). Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Citizenscape, a website operated by the Western Australia state government, provides information on citizenship-related organisations, activities, resources and projects. It covers issues relating to citizenship, governance, democracy and human rights advice, and techniques for organising and facilitating meetings, getting funded, working with the media and writing grant applications.

This booklet, prepared for PlanningNSW, outlines the steps involved in running a citizens' jury and illustrates how it works in a real life situation.  The main case study is a citizens' jury carried out by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, which examined community attitudes to the introduction of Container Deposit Legislation in the state of New South Wales. Two other case studies show how citizens' juries can be modified to work on a smaller, local scale. Useful material such as sample letters, questionnaires and terms of reference documents are included as appendices. Edited by Dr Lyn Carson, Australia, Feb 2003.

Deliberative public engagement is about giving participants time to consider and discuss an issue in depth before they come to a considered view. The nine principles require that the process makes a difference, is transparent, has integrity, is tailored to circumstances, involves the right number and types of people, treats participants with respect, gives priority to participants' discussions, is reviewed and evaluated to improve practice and participants are kept informed. Involve, the National Consumer Council and Diane Warburton at Shared Practice as the lead author, United Kingdom (2008).

This book describes Open Space Technology and its use as a means of helping groups of people to work together to reach decisions. Author H. Owen (1997). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. 

This book describes search conferences and their use as a means of developing participatory decision-making. Available from the Centre for Continuing Education, ANU, GPO Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601. Editor M. Emery (ed) (1993). Canberra: Australian National University, Centre for Continuing Education.

This updated Toolkit builds on the 2003 manual and is a practical guide for people wanting to organise participation on every level. It indicates the context and the purpose of different participatory methods, but does not overburden the reader with theory. Edited by King Baudouin Foundation and the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology Assessment (viWTA)

This publication discusses the use of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in the policymaking process. Institute of Development Studies (1996). IDS Policy Briefing. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.

This book outlines a process for public deliberation, involving identification of the problem, development of ‘issues guides’ and structured discussions at public forums. Available from David Robinson, 113 Creswick Terrace, Wellington. Email: davidjrobinson@xtra.co.nz. Social & Civic Policy Institute (2001).

This is a training resource for facilitators that can also be used to enable group members to understand facilitation and take on this role themselves. Authors Hunter, D, Bailey, A, and Taylor, B (1994). Auckland: Tandem Press.

This book offers guidance on choosing the best approach to planning learning/training programmes and activities, and developing appropriate systems for assessing the results of those programmes and activities. Authors Davis, J R, and Davis, A B (1998). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.

Presents an eight-step method for resolving differences of opinion and achieving enduring resolution. This is the model used by the Conflict Partnership Facilitation Service of Aotearoa. Weeks, D (1992). New York: Putnam Publishing Group.

This site is sponsored by the Centre for Policy Research at the University at Albany and the International Association of Facilitators. It contains a wide range of resources on the practice and theory of group facilitation.

This book focuses on how to develop principled relationships. Authors Fisher, R, and Brown, S (1988). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

An old book which still offers sound principles for developing good relationships. Authors Fisher, R, Ury, W, and Patton, B (1991). USA: Penguin.

This is a guide to the process of formal meetings, ways of running less formal meetings and tips for making meetings work well.  Mountjoy, L (1998).  Wellington: GP Publications.

In a text written for early childhood centres, Metge and Kinloch examine verbal and non-verbal communication, the use of eye contact, interpreting and reacting to silence, decision-making and time management in cross-cultural contexts. Metge, J, and Kinloch, P (1999). Wellington: Victoria University Press.