Engagement methods
Choosing a method

What engages?

When looking to engage the public, you are much more likely to be successful if:

You have selected an appropriate issue: there is no need to consult everybody about every issue. Issues which the public tend to respond to are:

Close to home: something they can related directly back to their own life
About risk: issues which raise concerns about safety
Strategic: national level debates about policy direction

The people involved feel that:

The process used to engage them is appropriate and convenient for them rather than just the organisation
Their views are likely to be listened to and could lead to change
They will get feedback on their input, including information about what has been done with their information or why their priorities may not necessarily be acted upon.

Lincolnshire – kiosks as outreach mechanism

The Lincolnshire Force was looking for ways to share information with the public more effectively, and to consult local people more widely. It therefore decided to install a number of kiosks across the county in places such as pubs, clubs, local council offices and police stations. The software running the AVI kiosk allows for both consultation and information provision in a user-friendly format.

There is a five-year plan for this project, including an extended roll-out phase. The public were being informed about the scheme through the local media.

How is it funded?

Each kiosk costs around £4, 500, and has been funded by a grant applied for by the Lincolnshire Police.

What progress has been made?

Currently kiosks have been installed in a school, a library and a local shopping centre. The school are using the information on the kiosk to assist with ‘citizenship' modules.

Feedback from the public has been very positive. The project has also strengthened relationships with partner agencies, such as Fire and Rescue, local councils and private sector organisations.

Contact: Jayne Christer; tel: 01522 558243; e-mail: jayne.christer@lincs.pnn.police.uk

Choosing a method

Community engagement methods can be grouped into two main types of approaches, quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative: These usually take the form of surveys. The aim is to be able to numerically measure people's opinions. They can be used to:

test hypotheses;
accurately highlight differences between different groups of people;
track changes over time.

Qualitative: these approaches can be used to explore and understand people's motivations, desires, behaviour and beliefs. It can help get behind the percentages from quantitative research.

Quantitative and qualitative approaches are often used in the same project. A qualitative stage before a quantitative stage can help clarify the scope of a research project, and type of language that should be used in a subsequent survey stage. A qualitative stage after a quantitative one can help explore in more detail some of findings that have come out of a survey.

Quantitative methods are mainly used when information gathering, rather than for consultation and participation. Qualitative methods are suitable for all three stages (see What is community engagement?)

Strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methods

	Strengths	Weaknesses
Qualitative	Enables opinions to be explored in more depth than is possible in a quantitative survey Can be used to start and develop a dialogue with the public Is interactive, participants (the organisation and public) can listen and respond to each other	Results cannot be analysed by statistics Is difficult to extrapolate results to the wider population Analysis can be difficult and open to subjectivity and bias
Quantitative	If well designed, can give an accurate picture of people's opinions which can be extrapolated to the wider population Can be used to accurately monitor change over time Can involve large numbers of people Allows for objective analysis	Often can only give 'top of mind' rather than 'considered' responses Does not create dialogue between the organisation and interviewees Does not allow for interaction between interviewees Only gives a simple numerical picture of opinion

When selecting a community engagement approach for a particular project, you need to choose one which is fit for purpose. There is no single method that will work in every situation. It can be tempting to pick a preferred method off the shelf and hope that it will work. It is far more effective to clarify the aims of the project first and then select an approach which will deliver these aims. An effective community engagement strategy is likely to employ a range of methods. You can find out more on the different options in this section. In tools and templates you will also find some 'quick questions' which may help you to select a method and alert you to some practical considerations.

Sources of advice

There are many other community engagement guides available on the internet. Many of these provide useful advice about how to plan and carry out community engagement activities, and about the different types of methods available. See, for example:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/consultation-guidance/content/methods/index.asp

http://www.oldham.gov.uk/consultation_guide.pdf

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/home/cs-con/cs-con-toolkit.htm

http://www.brent.gov.uk/consultation.nsf/0/1ba5f40a89659aaa80256b28005e24ff?OpenDocument

http://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/libraries/documents/community/consultation/consultation%20toolkit.pdf

Engagement methods Choosing a method