Spotlight: Inviting public engagement when there aren't enough resources
/Spotlight: Inviting public engagement when there aren't enough resources
Public participation is more harmonious in times of plenty. But when there aren't enough resources to go around, conversations can get heated.
One participation platform with experience in hosting difficult conversations is Delib, developed in collaboration with the British government. Its Simulator product lets public officials invite participants “inside” to see the trade-offs of various decisions. Residents weigh in on which projects to prioritize in resource-limited scenarios.
Screenshot of the Delib software. Image: Delib
The platform allows participants to use simple sliders that assign a weight to various options. This lets people rank the items they care about most. They also see the consequences of their choices on their other priorities.
Users may then adjust the sliders to get as much done as possible. In doing so, they experience conditions similar to those that government officials face in their own deliberations. This kind of guided public decision-making can inform choices when budgets are tight (as they were in Liverpool, when the city budget was cut substantially).
Democracy isn't only measured by the final decision. Instead, it's also important to consider the journey -- the often difficult process of debate, conversation, and collective decision.