Big Lottery Fund
Understanding motivations in public involvement
Across a raft of issues, from voting to the provision of public services, the public's demand to be involved consistently outstrips the supply of public time, energy and motivation actually to get involved. There is a disparity between attitude and behaviour: between what people say about their wish to be involved and their actual level of engagement when given the opportunity.
Recognising this basic challenge, the Big Lottery Fund commissioned SHM in 2007 to conduct research into public motivations to get involved in decision-making. In a two phased research process, SHM engaged members of the public in developing creative solutions to overcome the kinds of excuse and rationalisation offered for not getting involved.
The outputs of this work - a model of public motivations to get involved and six principles for public involvement activity - have been used as the basis for the Big Lottery Fund's public involvement strategy. The outcomes of this research have been published on the BIG website (see the link below), and the findings have been well-received in a number of other arenas - most recently at the NHS National Centre for Involvement's annual conference on patient and public involvement.
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/er_res_motivations_public_involvement.pdf
In April 2009, BIG commissioned SHM to build upon this work through the development and facilitation of a high profile conference on Public Involvement, Involving the public – a gamble worth taking?
This collaboration event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders (including policymakers, public strategists, funders, the media) to explore the challenges of public involvement and the role that the public can play as policy-shapers or decision-makers, as owners or online activists. In addition to disseminating the research findings and providing a forum for sharing interesting practice in this field, the conference inspired delegates to re-consider the potential for public involvement within their respective organisations.
“Very provoking examples of public engagement and good discussions - the discussion allowed me to think in new ways about the work I do.” (conference participant)
Understanding motivations in public involvement
Across a raft of issues, from voting to the provision of public services, the public's demand to be involved consistently outstrips the supply of public time, energy and motivation actually to get involved. There is a disparity between attitude and behaviour: between what people say about their wish to be involved and their actual level of engagement when given the opportunity.
Recognising this basic challenge, the Big Lottery Fund commissioned SHM in 2007 to conduct research into public motivations to get involved in decision-making. In a two phased research process, SHM engaged members of the public in developing creative solutions to overcome the kinds of excuse and rationalisation offered for not getting involved.
The outputs of this work - a model of public motivations to get involved and six principles for public involvement activity - have been used as the basis for the Big Lottery Fund's public involvement strategy. The outcomes of this research have been published on the BIG website (see the link below), and the findings have been well-received in a number of other arenas - most recently at the NHS National Centre for Involvement's annual conference on patient and public involvement.
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/er_res_motivations_public_involvement.pdf
In April 2009, BIG commissioned SHM to build upon this work through the development and facilitation of a high profile conference on Public Involvement, Involving the public – a gamble worth taking?
This collaboration event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders (including policymakers, public strategists, funders, the media) to explore the challenges of public involvement and the role that the public can play as policy-shapers or decision-makers, as owners or online activists. In addition to disseminating the research findings and providing a forum for sharing interesting practice in this field, the conference inspired delegates to re-consider the potential for public involvement within their respective organisations.
“Very provoking examples of public engagement and good discussions - the discussion allowed me to think in new ways about the work I do.” (conference participant)
