Notes from Barriers to Engagement event in July 2012..

Aim: how to “dismantle the barriers to people engaging in a city”

Or “how to make our institutions more like us/ work for us”

Apathy = "without pain"

Learned helplessness  = learned rationally not to try

• Map out how the “engagement” process looks like from a user point of view..?
• What are their motivations for attending..?
• Can we use “volunteering as staff development?”
• “choice based architecture”
• Teach the problem away

Sortition – representative community democracy (on the hawkesworth estate? Major of hawkesworth?) 20 people drawn lots on how the city progresses.

 

Driven by citizens

Driven by structures

Engagement

Or association

Mapping out entry points:

• Networks socially mapped
• Growing social capital
• Skills, relationship

Barriers to Engagement list:

1. past experiences
2. beauracracy/ staff structures
3. local communication methods – noticeboards
4. capability and capacity of staff
5. no time ticking on an issues (chronic rather than acute issues)
6. cynicism
7. don’t understand the decision making structures
8. suspition of certain institutions
9. specifics groups harder to engage (younger/ BME)
10. cronyism – usual suspects
11. lack of a strong cause
12. jargon
13. cultural barriers over processes
14. time to engage
15. measureing progress
16. the way we are viewed/ boxed in
17. assumptions of identity

Drivers of engagement	Engagement forcefield	Barriers to engagement
Politics		Cuts
innovation		Confidence & capability
Lack of cash		Travel
Deprofessionalisation of orgs		Money
Cronic health & social lcare		information
Better services in tough time		Culture of host orgs