Deliberative engagement at Ipsos Scotland
Ipsos Scotland is proud to be at the forefront of deliberative engagement in Scotland. Over the past decade we have designed and delivered deliberative research to help bring the Scottish public closer to the decision-making process. We have used deliberative approaches to help understand the public’s views on thorny issues like Scotland’s transition to net zero, the ethics of data access, local government budgets and services, and the future of Scotland’s utilities and infrastructure.
Deliberative engagement puts people at the heart of decision making through enabling informed discussions, often on highly complex issues. Deliberative approaches uncover what underpins people’s views and demonstrate how these may change over time and in response to new information. Ipsos Scotland has expertise in a wide range of deliberative methodologies including public dialogues, citizens’ assemblies, citizens’ juries, deliberative workshops and online communities.
Senior Team
 | Ciaran Mulholland, Research Director, leads our deliberative engagement team in Scotland. He has a particular interest in climate change, infrastructure, and ethical considerations around use of data and technology. He has directed many of our deliberative engagement projects in Scotland, working closely with client partners, subject specialists and our team of skilled facilitators. Ciaran also has an interest in the role of community participation and co-production as part of our wider approach to public engagement. |
 | Sally Abernethy, Associate Director, has over 10 years’ experience in social research and has a particular interest in public dialogue and deliberative methods. She has managed a number of large and complex deliberative projects on wide-ranging and often sensitive or challenging topics such as constitutional futures, health data, and climate change. Sally is passionate about reducing barriers to participation. |
Case studies
Public dialogue on public sector use of data
Ipsos, along with its partners at the University of Edinburgh, designed and facilitated a public engagement panel that was funded and guided by the Scottish Government and UK Research and Innovation’s Sciencewise programme. The panel explored the ethics of different data-led projects, including those that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the dialogue, the panel produced a set of ethical guidelines to inform the way the Scottish Government and public sector organisations use data about citizens.
Just transition deliberative research
Our Just transition deliberative research, for ClimateXChange, used a public dialogue approach, a process whereby members of the public interact with experts and policy makers to deliberate on issues relevant to future policy and research decisions. Through a series of creative online workshops and an online community, members of the public engaged with complex issues and trade-offs, to arrive at a considered view of what a fair distribution of costs and benefits in the transition to net zero emissions means to them for transport, the built environment and land & agriculture. We also gathered learning into the factors influencing participants’ attitudes as a result of engaging in a deliberative process.
Citizens’ jury on QCovid
Ipsos (with the University of Edinburgh) delivered an online citizens’ jury for the Scottish Government exploring the use of QCovid® in Scotland – a model designed to predict risk of death or serious outcomes from COVID-19. Over six sessions, a group of 25 jurors from across Scotland met to discuss the risks and benefits of using public health data to predict people’s risk of dying from COVID-19. The sessions included a mix of expert presentations and small group deliberations, culminating in the development of conclusions.
Citizens’ assembly on Glasgow’s Climate Emergency
Ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, Ipsos designed and facilitated a citizens’ assembly for Glasgow City Council to hear from people living there. The Assembly aimed to understand how Glasgow can work together to become a net zero city in a way that is inclusive, fair, and respectful to everyone. A diverse and representative group of 50 Glasgow residents met online over five workshops to deliberate, producing 15 recommendations for the council across four areas (circular economy; green economy, jobs and skills; home energy; food and diet).
To see more about deliberative engagement at Ipsos and our Qualitative Research and Engagement Centre:
