1. How To Use The Toolkit
Helping bridge the gap between current practice and best practice in community consultation and engagement in Co. Carlow

2. Introductions
The Wheel began this project with Carlow PPN on 2 Nov 2017 (470 days ago)
Most of what you read in these slides are comments directly collected from the people of Carlow
We have tried to stay true to the feedback we received and present it back to the people of Carlow as we heard it and understood it.

3. Why This? Chance to make Carlow a better place to live!
Reinvigorate consultation in Carlow with public
Want to foster ownership of initiatives
Critically important to encourage the margins in – rural poor, migrant communities, people with disabilities
public more engaged (feel ownership of process), practical benefits e.g. cost savings – everybody wins!
brings a different, fresh mind-set
Chance to make Carlow a better place to live!

4. Why Now?
some parts of the community never engage - understand why not and who are they connecting with?
improve the way consultation takes place
Over longer term 2-3 years, will see the benefit of improved consultation and want to engage
The establishment of the PPN as a driver of change/outreach

5. The Process Research national & international best practice
Consult with the communities of Carlow:
Survey
Process was facilitative, ensure the voices of participants were heard

6. The Result A ‘Consultation Toolkit’ from what we learned
Plain English, practical and user friendly
Not an encyclopaedic reference of all consultation processes and theory
Reflects the main and most frequent points that communities raised, producing a toolkit that would be most helpful to them when completed

7. 940 Days From Now? Saturday, 11 September 2021
We Hope
Has the toolkit been used by communities, Local Authority, Other State Bodies in Carlow?
Are more people getting involved?
Is Carlow a place where communities feel they have a say?
Does Carlow feel like a better place to live?
We Fear
Is the toolkit sitting on a shelf gathering dust?
Nothing has changed
Is there still a gap between current practice and best practice in community consultation and engagement in Carlow?
Do those problems & frustrations still exist?
Is it the few, not the many, getting involved?

8. What Now?

9. What’s In The Toolkit

10. What Makes A Good Community?
Emotional Connection
A right to belong and feel welcome
Basic needs are met and opportunity for recreation & social interaction
People feel they have a say in the issues that affect them
What would be the response of people in your own community to this question?

12. Good Consultation Has…
Genuine Involvement
Takes Time
Important to have feedback

13. Preparation & Engagement
Who should be involved?
How to reach out to communities?
Link in with local supports & services
Be open to advice & guidance on how best to approach each community

14. Identifying & Mapping Stakeholders
Who will be impacted?
Whose help is needed to make the decision work?
Who are the experts who can advise?
Who has been campaigning about the issue?
Who is missing?

15. Methods To Use… Workshops Focus Groups One-to-one meetings
Surveys; Online, hard-copy, door-to-door
Suggestion Box
Submissions
Creative events

16. Methods To Use…

17. The Invitation Personalised
Understand how communities already communicate
Best media and platforms to get the message out?
The influencers in each community who can get people along?

18. The Venue Comfortable Accessible Inclusivity Refreshments
Are people made welcome?

19. Working With Media Know your media Understand deadlines
What is the news angle?
The 5 W’s and H
Press releases
Ponieważ tak do mnie dotrzeć –That’s how to reach me!

20. Write A Submission
Provide a clear and straightforward template for people to use in response
Use Plain English!
No Jargon
Use examples where available

21. Design A Survey Options questions; ‘a, b or c’ (quantitative)
Open Questions; ‘if yes please specify’ (qualitative)
Balance
Less is more. Cut it down to real issue at hand
Free online survey tools
Collect offline and collate online

22. Giving Feedback Each step of the way Check In, ask for feedback
Show draft ideas
Revisit & make changes
Avoid presenting as a fait-accompli
Youth group participant likened it to amazon progress updates

23. Communicate Results

24. Presentation & Celebration
Giving A Voice: People want to see how their input influenced the project
Celebrate the outcomes
Here is what YOU helped us achieve
Create the space to share the results.
Ask participants to spread the word and present to their peers

25. Using The Toolkit

26. Tools & Templates Planning Guide World Café Appreciative Enquiry
Citizens Jury
Consultation Picnics
Community Mapping
Sample Submission Template
Sample Survey

27. Case Studies Town Teams Roscommon Ballyfermot Skate Park
South Dublin County Council Participatory Budgeting
Rathvilly Action Plan
Leighlinbridge Parish Pastoral Council

28. Useful Links
Further reading tips and links dotted throughout the toolkit

29. A Living, Breathing Document
To be used to involve as many as possible
Not just to identify problems but to find solutions
To help those who have struggled to see change and give them the tools to help them achieve it
To ensure Carlow communities feel they have a say in the issues that effect them

30. Questions please ?