Authors: Kashefi, Elham; Keene, Chris

Source: Participatory Learning and Action, Volume 58, Number 1, June 2008 , pp. 33-38(6)

Publisher: IIED - Participatory Learning and Action

Abstract:

The authors describe the experience of two community-based citizens' juries that took place in a northern town in England. Jury One was the first citizens' jury to be commissioned and part-funded by a community organisation for the benefit of the local community. Local residents chose the topic of most concern, chaired the process and had input into process development. The jury met once a week for 3 months to discuss the problem of drug-related burglaries in their neighbourhoods and made over 80 recommendations on a broad range of topics such as housing, community safety, prevention, transport, parenting, service provision and support options for users. Although the process itself had great value for the community and for the professionals who participated, the jury's report led to no tangible outcomes in terms of changes in policy or practice. Despite having prior agreement from all key agencies, they took no action because they did not have to - from the outset the process had been set up by us as an activist intervention in the exercise of power, but outside of local governance processes.

Two years later, a second citizens' jury was held in the area, this time considering what would improve the health and well-being of people living in the area. Local activists working through a multi-agency steering group initiated this jury, bringing together professionals working in key agencies together with local residents and grassroots community workers to develop and steer the process. Jurors met over one week and made more than 100 recommendations on a diverse range of topics relating to health and well-being. Contrary to experience with the first Jury, in this instance many of the recommendations were acted upon, in particular through the opening of an innovative healthcare centre in the area with outreach and community work as its core values. The success of this jury rested on many factors, but most importantly, it may have been because there was a match between the issue of importance to local people and government targets for a reduction in health inequalities. As an insider project, this jury was networked into local governance processes.

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Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2008-06-01

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• Participatory Learning and Action (formerly PLA Notes) is the world's leading informal journal on participatory approaches and methods. It is published 2-3 times a year and includes articles of both general and thematic interest. PLA draws on the expertise of guest editors and authors, providing timely accounts and critical analysis about participatory development in specific fields. All articles are peer reviewed by an International Editorial Board. Subscriptions are free to readers from the South. For more information and to subscribe, visit www.planotes.org.

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