This Handbook offers a structured and logical way to work through the task of designing and planning any engagement process. It is aimed at citizens, community or public engagement practitioners, elected or government representatives, and other sponsoring organisations or stakeholders.
Reflections on the What Works Scotland initiative
This report compiles reflections from the participants in What Works Scotland and shares the learning from the set-up and operation of this innovative, creative and complex research collaboration.
Facilitation training – new skills to facilitate collaboration
Link to a film on facilitation training in Aberdeenshire, a workshop aimed at developing people’s skills, to enable them to work more effectively with their local communities and achieve better engagement with all populations.
National Standards for Community Engagement
The revised National Standards for Community Engagement. These were developed by What Works Scotland and the Scottish Community Development Centre with a focus on strengthening participation and community engagement, particularly in the context of the Community Empowerment Act.
Urban neighbourhoods: Five ways to make a difference
Animation about five approaches that make a difference in urban neighbourhoods and the implications for change, public services and decision-making.
Public service reform and participatory budgeting: How can Scotland learn from international evidence?
A documentary film exploring how community planning partners from two of What Works Scotland case sites learnt about implementing participatory budgeting on a study trip to Paris, European leader in mainstreaming PB.
Glasgow’s Participatory Budgeting Evaluation Toolkit
This toolkit was produced by practitioners in Glasgow’s Participatory Budgeting Evaluation Group to assess the impact of PB activities and develop an improvement plan. It is aimed at any organisation or community group in Glasgow leading a PB activity.
How to Design Collaborative Action Research
A guide intended to assist practitioners in a wide range of public service organisations to extend their practical skills to design collaborative action research projects that engage a broad constituency and encourage the involvement of colleagues who are less familiar with the approach.
The Cost of the Cuts: a social impact tool
Presentation by a research team from the University of Glasgow working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to produce a Social Impact Tool to help councils assess the impact of cuts on services and the public, particularly on poorer groups of service users.
Creating Effective Partnerships to Deliver Public Services seminar
This event was the launch of ‘Partnership working in UK public services’, an accessible, action-oriented evidence review produced by What Works Scotland’s Evidence Bank.