ppi network south east 3 march 2010 mr lyn cadwallader research and citizen participation manager...
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PPI Network South East3 March 2010
Mr Lyn CadwalladerResearch and Citizen Participation Manager
Public Service Support UnitTorfaen
Information tools to support Public Involvement
How is research and citizen participation organised at present?
Lyn Cadwallader, Research and Citizen Participation Manager
Andy Wilson, Research and Information Officer Julia Rooney, Public Engagement Officer Donna Edwards-John, GIS Officer Julia Evans, GIS Assistant Chris Lewis, Customer Focus Support Officer (p/t) Adam Logue, Torfaen Trainee
Where it sits within the organisation…
Centrally located since 2006 and part of PSSU since April 2009
Although Research and Citizen Participation activity also currently carried out within service departments
Joint working with other public service analysts/researchers/citizen participation officers
Information about us…
What do we do?Economists do costs, so what will researchers and citizen participation people do?
• Undertake analysis to better understand resident attitudes and behaviour
• Responsible for advice/guidance/carrying out public surveys and research activity by local government/partner agencies eg supporting funding applications
• Increasingly will collate much of the evidence that supports the Community Strategy/Shared Outcomes work streams
• Currently developing/deploying the Research and Citizen Participation Service capacity/tools
We’re about helping to provide the evidence base to support decision-making…
“It’s really quite simple –
this is how you embed
evidence into policy making.”
…and helping people avoid the pitfalls!
Challenges for PSSU
To capture/analyse citizen engagement & research information
Produce useful, relevant and clear material which will be of value to the community
To better equip public service staff and public service decision makers
To make this available in accessible formats for use by the public and public service staff alike
Why are these challenges important to us?
Better information can help to improve…
The evidence base for decisions Needs assessment & more effective
targeting of services Forecasting of future needs & demand for
services An understanding of “what works” Cost savings and service effectiveness The identification of problem areas & areas
for improvement
How can PSSU assist? What are we currently doing?
Providing the tools to do the job…
Citizen Engagement Research Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) Local Land Property Gazetteer
(LLPG)
Citizen Participation…
Knowing the limits of engagement tools
For example
• Surveys are best for enumeration and description• They are not a good analytical tool thathelps you understand ‘why?’
“If your only tool is a hammer, allproblems look like nails.”
Mark Twain
SNAP Survey software
‘My Say’ Consultation System
Torfaen People’s Panel
Viewpoint – Survey Tool
Licence currently held by CYPP Limited use to date Functionality particularly geared
towards children/young persons
Citizen Participation – next steps
•Publishing our own standards definingcommunity engagement – implementing the Public Engagement Strategy
• Training and supporting staff throughlearning and product support - e-Learning Toolkit
• Joined up Citizen Engagement programmes
• Then telling the community what to expect – Report Cards
Research Tools
SASPAC – National statistics query tool
Research
Population Projections
Research – next steps
A regionally relevant data observatory
Improved data sharing eg vulnerable persons/swine flu preparations
Research programme based on the information needs of the community strategy/shared outcomes
What is G.I.S.?
Geographic Information Systems
…or…
Computer-based mapping
The data can come from anywhere….
A-road network / school sites
Height levels / minor-roads
Ward / community / ‘whatever’ boundaries
OS MasterMap TM / Aerial Photography
My Torfaen information portal
My Torfaen – citizen centric information
…how about the L.L.P.G. & N.L.P.G?
UK-wide list of all addresses (including land, monuments etc)
The ‘link’ in the chain - for all TCBC systems
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
“…big picture…”“…support network…”“…one tool, many uses…”
Capture multiple datasets in one place…
GIS / LLPG – Next steps
Development of Location Strategy based on recent Ordnance Survey Review
Improved metadata (better information about the information we hold) in accessible format for staff/public
And so to the future…
Working in partnership…
But…we need to build capacity
• We are dealing with a paradox - citizens don’t need training in how to be engaged or told how to use information – we do
• Citizens are engaged daily/living in an information rich environment
• Councils/public services are only just learning
• Research and Citizen participation meansaddressing our skills and knowledge gaps
• Also, we need to improve how we communicate this information to the public – currently multiple platforms to access information
The way forward•Developing the role of the Torfaen Research and Engagement Network – avoiding duplication, better quality assurance• Setting up research and citizen engagement programmes of work in collaboration with Partnership Boards• Identifying gaps in current knowledge with Partnerships eg child obesity data• Strengthening communications eg My Say consultation system/data observatory•Reviewing how information is deployed• Stronger links to budget setting•Review of research and citizen engagement – better co-ordination and joining up of analytical services.
And…
…any questions?
Mr Lyn CadwalladerResearch and Citizen Participation ManagerPublic Service Support [email protected] 766230 (Ext. 6230)