2. Accountability

So participants know their contribution will lead to real change.

Links to Principles: A Clear Mandate

Core

The non-negotiable minimum

A clear mandate established for how the process will impact decision making, including whether participants’ conclusions are advisory or binding, and setting out how those decisions will be implemented and accounted for:

  • Before: A published, public commitment – made before the process begins – to respond to or act on outputs.
  • After: Clear feedback to participants and wider public on how decisions will be taken forward.

Desirable

Extra depth where resources allow

Ongoing communication to participants and the wider public rather than a one-off report – for example, longer-term updates (e.g. 6–12 months or longer later) rather than a single, final response.

Stretch

Context-specific, deeper power sharing, sustaining and embedding

Decision-makers work directly with the group and wider stakeholders to test and iterate ideas with ongoing participant involvement - including capacity building and community action1. Commissioning this process is the start of an ongoing public participation strategy, not a one-off.

  1. Scotland’s Climate Assembly: Following its 2021 report, assembly members took part in a follow-up programme including media and advocacy training, before reconvening in February 2022 to assess the Scottish Government’s response to their recommendations and giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. See: Involve, Scotland’s Climate Assembly – Ongoing Support. ↩︎