Scottish Government

Linda Nicholson
The Research Shop
ISBN 0 7559 2699 4 (Web only publication)
This document is also available in pdf format (584k)

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND AND METHOD
1.1 Background
1.2 Definitions
1.3 Method
CHAPTER 2: RANGE OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN 2004
2.1 Policy initiatives supported by civic participation activities
2.2 Civic participation activities reported
2.3 Nature of civic participation activities reported
2.4 Aims of civic participation activities
2.5 Targeting civic participation activities
2.6 Gaps in achieved respondents/participants
2.7 Ongoing engagement
2.8 Summary of key points
CHAPTER 3: PLANNING OF AND SUPPORT FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION
3.1 Sources of advice
3.2 Roles of others involved
3.3 Future support needs
3.4 Civic participation network
3.5 Scottish Executive civic participation ethos and support
3.6 Summary of key points
CHAPTER 4: EFFECTIVENESS OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
4.1 Extent to which participation activities met their aims
4.2 Aspects of activities which worked particularly well
4.3 Aspects of activities which did not work well
4.4 Views on future use of activities
4.5 Intentions to evaluate the activity
4.6 Extent to which policy initiatives were influenced by activities
4.7 Other direct or indirect benefits to emerge as a result of civic participation activity
4.8 Summary of key points
CHAPTER 5: EXPERIENCE OF USING the CONSULTATION REGISTRATION AND EVALUATION SYSTEM (CRES)
5.1 Experience of registering with CRES
5.2 Perceptions of CRES
5.3 Feedback on difficulties experienced with CRES
5.4 Changes which respondents wished to see made to CRES
5.5 Summary of key points
CHAPTER 6: COMMENTARY ON FINDINGS
6.1 Scope of research
6.2 Type of activity
6.3 Issues of evaluation of activity
6.4 Difficulties encountered
6.5 Summary of overarching recommendations
6.6 Summary of specific recommendations
ANNEX 1: SUMMARY OF IAP2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SPECTRUM
ANNEX 2: SURVEY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITY IN THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE WITHIN 2004
ANNEX 3: TOPIC GUIDE FOR CASE STUDIES
ANNEX 4: TOPIC GUIDE FOR TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS RELATING TO CRES

TABLES

Table 1: Average number of civic participation activities per initiative by Department
Table 2: Proportionate use of different activities by Scottish Executive Departments
Table 3: Aims of civic participation activities
Table 4: Targeting of civic participation activity
Table 5: Targeting of participation activities by Department
Table 6: Sources of advice sought by staff when developing and executing civic participation activities
Table 7: Nature of involvement of Scottish Executive staff and external organisations in Scottish Executive civic participation activity
Table 8: Extent to which participation activities met their aims
Table 9: Extent to which participation activities met their aims by Department
Table 10: Extent to which individual participation activities met their aims
Table 11: Evaluation plans by civic participation activity
Table 12: Perceived extent of civic participation activity influence on policy initiatives
Table 13: Experience of using CRES

FIGURES

Figure 1: Departmental distribution of policy initiatives supported by civic participation activities in 2004
Figure 2: Breakdown of civic participation activities undertaken in 2004
Figure 3: Application of findings on purpose of activity to IAP2 Model of Public Participation
Figure 4: Comments supporting assessments that activities had largely met their aims
Figure 5: Comments supporting assessments that activities had largely met their aims only partially
Figure 6: Percentage of activities perceived to have "highly influenced" or "very highly influenced" their respective policy initiatives by Department

The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and
do not necessarily represent those of the Department or Scottish Ministers.