Wolverhampton City Council Citizens Jury
Wolverhampton City Council wanted to involve the public in deciding on its budget priorities for the year 2009/2010. A Citizens' Jury – where people get the chance to be active partners in shaping decisions, rather than simply responding to consultation – offered an innovative way to achieve this. The council wanted to build on its excellent reputation for consultation and engagement and ensure that local people had a truly meaningful opportunity to influence the council’s priority setting process. The project also allowed them to gauge the appetite for participatory budgeting within the community.
The Campaign Company (TCC) used our wide experience of delivering innovative community engagement techniques deliberative consultations to develop a bespoke methodology for the two and a half day event. Our expert facilitators worked with a group of jurors who were broadly representative of the borough, considering written statements, interviewing expert witnesses, and working on complex information about the budget. By creating a dynamic but supportive context, we enabled the jurors to use the information they needed to make the best decisions as a group.
At the close of the event, the jurors had ranked the 28 budget priorities in order of importance, giving the council a detailed and rigorous resource to use when allocating funding. The event gave the jurors a real sense of ownership over the council's decision making, further building its reputation as an empowering authority.
Last Updated on Monday, 05 July 2010 15:04