EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Supporting effective citizenship at local authority level: background research for good practice guidelines Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment

Supporting effective citizenship at local authority level: background research for good practice guidelines Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment

Introduction

This report presents the research behind the good practice guidelines: 'Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment', looking at the activities of local authorities in supporting citizen participation in local democracy.

Description

The main goal of the research was to identify areas where guidance would be useful to local authorities, and to report these – with suitable case study illustrations – in good practice guidance.

These guidelines have now been published as ‘Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment: A Guide for Local Authorities on Enhancing Capacity for Public Participation’.

However, the background research which provided the sampling base and initial leads for the guidelines has provided useful insights in its own right, and it is this research that is contained in this report.

Background information

In December 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) commissioned the Centre for Local and Regional Government Research (CLRGR) to investigate what local authorities were doing to promote civic education.

As part of this good practice guidance on 'Promoting Effective Citizenship and Community Empowerment' was developed with this research being undertaken to provide the background for this.

Methodology

Given the ambiguous nature of civic education, the CLRGR adopted a multi-stranded research strategy:

a survey of council websites;
a survey sent to council Chief Executives;
telephone interviews with officers involved in civic education activities;
and case studies of local authorities which seemed to be engaged in particularly interesting, innovative and effective practice in improving citizens’ knowledge, skills and willingness to participate in local decision-making.

The research also involved an extensive literature review.

Conclusions

While the majority of councils that participated in this research were putting in place practices that will help to encourage effective citizenship, in many instances progress has been achieved by particular conjunctions of political circumstances, committed officers and project-based resources, all raising questions about sustainability.

While most councils are comfortable with the language and practices of consultation, relatively few have reflected deeply on the learning requirements of effective citizenship. Indeed, there was a tendency among respondents to elide learning for effective citizenship with processes and structures for public participation.

Contact info

Communities and Local Government
Analytical.Services@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Publication date

Project finished

//2006

Researcher

Rhys Andrews, Richard Cowell, James Downe and Steve Martin from the Centre for Local & RegionalGovernment Research, Cardiff University, withDave Turner from the School of Environment, University of Gloucestershire

Links

Visit the Communities and Local Government website

Download the "Supporting effective citizenship" Report (PDF, Eng, 491 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation