Deliberative Engagement Best Practice Guide
Ipsos has been at the forefront of the delivery of deliberative engagement studies in the UK, and we are keen to share with you what we have learnt.
Deliberative democracy is not a new concept. Rooted in Athenian democracy, this school of thought claims that political decisions should be the product of a fair and reasonable debate among citizens.
In recent years deliberative engagement has become attractive to decision makers in the context of a political environment that is dominated by polarisation, mistrust in government and politicians, misinformation and a perception of a lack of transparency around how decisions are made.
As we recover from the pandemic we face a number of big ethical and societal challenges and deliberative engagement is one way of putting people – through informed discussions, involving diverse perspectives, and understanding lived experiences – at the heart of decision making. It differs from other forms of engagement in that it allows those involved to spend time considering and discussing an issue at length before they come to a considered view.
Ipsos has been at the forefront of the delivery of deliberative engagement studies in the UK, and we are keen to share with you what we have learnt.
Our deliberative engagement best practice guide is based on both our own practical experience – which we have finessed through working with engagement partners at Imperial College Health Partners and Involve – and the broader participatory democracy literature. It is a ‘how to do it’ guide for those considering using this methodology.
