What are the principles of effective deliberative public engagement?

Involve has nine principles of effective deliberative engagement:

The process makes a difference
The process is transparent
The process has integrity
The process is tailored to circumstances
The process involves the right number and types of people
The process treats participants with respect
The process gives priority to participants’ discussions
The process is reviewed and evaluated to improve practice
Participants are kept informed

1. The process makes a difference

A good deliberative public engagement process makes a difference – to participants, to decisions, to policy, and to projects and work programmes…
2. The process is transparent

In an effective deliberative process the information provided to participants, the reporting of participants’ views, and the channels by which their…
3. The process has, and is seen to have, integrity

The integrity and openness of everybody involved – those running it and those taking part in it – are among the most important elements of successful…
4. The process is tailored to the circumstances

There is no single design for deliberative public engagement. Each process is designed to meet its specific aims and objectives. It is also important…
5. The process involves the right number and types of people

The scale of a deliberative engagement process needs to be appropriate to the purpose, context and objectives. Getting the right number and types of…
6. The process treats participants with respect

Participants are the most important resource in deliberative engagement processes. In practice, this means that:Relevant policy- and decision-makers…
7. The process gives priority to participants’ discussions

The main focus of deliberative engagement is always the discussions among participants. An effective deliberative process is one where:In every event…
8. The process is reviewed and evaluated to improve practice

There are two important reasons to build review and evaluation into deliberative public engagement: first, to assess what has been achieved; and…
9. Participants are kept informed

People who are participating in a deliberative engagement process should be given clear information on the process before, during, between and after…
Other principles and values

IAP2 Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)’s “Core Values for Public…