Citizens are often passionately concerned about local issues, but struggle to get involved because they lack the support they need, receive support in the wrong way, or government action prevents effective activity. In this strand of work we explore what it is that citizens need if they are to actively participate in building their own communities.

Current projects:

What the public say: public engagement in national decision-making  

Pathways through Participation

Councillor in the Community

peopleandparticipation.net

Publications:

Understanding participation: A literature review

People and Participation

Participation Nation

Citizen Power in Recession? The case for public engagement in local government

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours?

Activating Empowerment: Empowering Britain from the bottom up

Post Party Politics

Pathways through Participation: Progress report and four new briefing papers

Pathways through Participation: Using participatory mapping to explore participation in three communities

Articles:

Duty Free Democracy

Understanding the Big Society Better

Liberated by the Big Society

Big society is small government...

Spending cuts consultation - just a PR ploy?...

Past work:

Say & Play

Scouting Sunday

Involve and I&DeA Informal Engagement in Health Guidance