Getting people involved

Launch of new participation website

Involve have launched a new website: peopleandparticipation.net. The website is based on their paper guide ‘People and Participation’. The website contains in depth information on over 35 participation methods, links to over 150 participation related websites and online resources and 60 diverse case studies of participation in action. There is also a very powerful (but easy to use) method search.

Instead of assuming that people knowing the names of methods the system asks them a series of questions about what they are trying to achieve, who they want to engage with etc. and the database finds methods which fits these criteria. There are also useful checklists that site users can print out to help with their event planning. This makes it a fantastic resource for local councillors, who are now increasingly called upon to be ‘community champions’ and be able to show how they are engaging with their communities.

The site is not just a static information providing platform.It combines the expertise of a written guide with the dynamism of online interactive websites (such as wikipedia). Registered users can: ask questions about participation (which Involve will respond to on the site for free), upload events, upload case studies and upload links to relevant resources. Almost half of our current case studies have been uploaded by site users, even before the official launch of the site!

The site is available at www.peopleandparticipation.net