The document discusses increasing localization of planning, budgets, and public services and the need for stronger participation and decision-making at the local level. It notes that civic participation and local election turnout have been declining. While many people want to volunteer more time, current participants are not representative of their communities. The document advocates for building more connection and self-reliance in communities through flexible civic engagement opportunities to grow everyday democratic participation from the ground up. It outlines one organization's efforts to identify and connect local civic networks, learn from participants, and help public services better engage with communities.

1. Monday, 30 April 12

2. Here’s the problem
Monday, 30 April 12

3. Planning, budgets and services
are increasingly being localised
Monday, 30 April 12

4. We need strong participation and
decision-making at that level
Monday, 30 April 12

5. That needs more participation in community action...
37%
Charities unable to fulfil their
goals due to lack of volunteers
63%
Source: National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises, 2010
Monday, 30 April 12

6. ... and in the political system
Local election turnout
80
60
40
English mets
20 English districts
French cantons
0
1973 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1995 1998 2000 2004 2008
Source: French elections: France-politique.fr; UK elections: LGC Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Only years where
all three election types took place included. UK local elections held on same day as general elections excluded.
Monday, 30 April 12

7. Because those who do participate ...
Civic assn
20.5% Participation in civic action
2007-10
Volunteer
Donate
2.1%
4.5%
Civic & volunteer
3.6%
Civic & donation
3.7%
Do all three
1.2%
Do nothing
64.4% Source: Third Sector Research
Centre, Working Paper 73
Monday, 30 April 12

8. ... aren’t representative
Most engaged Least engaged
Middle aged (40-64)
No qualifications
Degree
Actively religious
Routine occupations
Manager/professional
0 15 30 45 60
Source: Third Sector Research Centre, Working Paper 73
Monday, 30 April 12

9. People want to give more time ...
18%
47%
18%
Do volunteer, can’t do more
18%
Don’t volunteer, want to
Do volunteer, want to do more
Don’t volunteer, not interested
Source: Third Sector Research Centre and Giving White Paper, HMG 2010
Monday, 30 April 12

10. ... and would make a big difference if they did.
Political party members
“Willing localists”
0m 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 7m
‘“Willing localists” are citizens not actively involved in a wide range of community and
socio-political activities but who seem the most willing to do so and are those most likely,
realistically, to become so in the future.’ - Hansard Audit
Source: “Willing Localists” - Hansard Audit of Democratic Engagement 2010; UK Voting Age Population: IDEA 2010; Political
party members - House of Commons Membership of UK political parties Standard Note SN/SG/5125 2009.
Monday, 30 April 12

11. But they don’t.
People aren't
participating enough in
Text
their communities
Monday, 30 April 12

12. If we can get participation right , it
will have huge benefits for
systemic reform
Monday, 30 April 12

13. Imagine...
... you’re bothered by young
people making noise in your
street, and you don’t complain.
Instead, you talk to other
residents, and start up a sports
club for them, with your
councillor co-ordinating local
public services to help out.
Monday, 30 April 12

14. Imagine...
... you work for a health action
project, and rather than
spending money on leaflets and
advertising you have free access
to every civic network in your
area, and a trusted place to
reach thousands of active
citizens.
Monday, 30 April 12

15. Imagine...
... you work for the council and
have to take a tough decision,
and your instant reaction is to
throw open all the evidence and
the context to councillors and
people in the community and
work with them to find a
solution.
Monday, 30 April 12

16. That’s the vision.
What do we need to do?
Monday, 30 April 12

17. People want to make a
difference on
their own terms
Monday, 30 April 12

18. Monday, 30 April 12

19. They don’t trust politics
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20. Monday, 30 April 12

21. We Live Here aims
• Build more connection and self-reliance
in communities
• Create flexible opportunities for civic
action, better understood
• Grow everyday democratic participation
Monday, 30 April 12

22. This is what we’ve done
Monday, 30 April 12

23. Identified formal and informal
civic activist networks in three
communities (this is Hangleton)
Monday, 30 April 12

24. Connected them online
(this is Brunswick)
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25. Talked to them about what they want next
Monday, 30 April 12

26. started to pass control
of the network to the
participants...
and planned ways to ensure control stays
with local people ...
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27. ...not the Council
Monday, 30 April 12

28. We have learned
• Don't assume small areas are small tasks
• Inclusive engagement takes longer and starts from
farther back
• Social Media Surgeries are a huge hit
• We have to work with the council on changing service
behaviour sooner than we thought
• People don't think about "democracy", they think
about their needs
Monday, 30 April 12

29. We have developed our approach
• Find the early win, and build reciprocal relationships
in localities
• Better local/central communication in the team
• Put Social Media Surgeries at the front of the offer
• Clearer distinction between development thinking and
project implementation, while staying agile
Monday, 30 April 12

30. And now we're going to
• Work with a group in each area to
develop ideas
• Continue to build connections and bring
people online
• Co-design online tools for two-way
conversation with public services
• Plan for democratic discussions
Monday, 30 April 12

31. Meeting citizens’ needs
“A lot of positive has come out of this project.
It’s all about what citizens need. There is an
appetite in our community to move it on and
take a broader look at ways groups
communicate between themselves, and how
we can make the communication with the
council two-way conversation rather than one-
way.”
- project participant
Monday, 30 April 12

32. Meeting service ambitions
“We want to work collaboratively across agencies and bring
the council closer to the community. We see We Live Here
building a system that uses traditional and new media to form
the basis for new neighbourhood decision making. Our vision
is of an involving public service of loose connections and
networked organisations - We Live Here is an essential
element of that.”
John Barradell, council chief executive
April 2012
Monday, 30 April 12

33. Cost-effectively
Single service consultation
Setup & run a We Live Here site location*
Citizens Panel
Budget consultation
5% of average council comms budget
Large-scale consultation
Consultation on infrastructure project
0 75 150 225 300
Source: Consultation budgets published by Derbyshire and Ellesmere Port & Neston councils; TPA research; CLG.
* setup and first year of WLH at “Connecting” level.
Monday, 30 April 12

34. Building towards the vision
even if the route is unclear
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35. We have committed local partners
• Our communities
• Our partners
• Council
• NHS
• Police
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36. They will support us to take it forward
• Core team
• Existing pilots
• Up to two new pilots
• Involvement in neighbourhood democracy plans
Monday, 30 April 12

37. Creative Councils
• We have in-principle commitments to continue the
programme
• Further Creative Councils investment would give us:
• Research and learning
• Support for service redesign
• Step up engagement and community capacity
Monday, 30 April 12

38. Because this is the mission
“Until we rebuild, both from the bottom up
and from the top down, our institutes of
governance and democracy, we will not be
able to stand up to the fundamental
challenges that we are facing”
Manuel Castells
Monday, 30 April 12