Why engage?

"Engagement is a two-way process of openly sharing and exchanging information, understanding different views, listening and responding to suggestions, developing trust and dialogue to support effective working relationships to the mutual benefit of all involved." Planning Aid 2010

If you want policies that have genuine public support you need to show what opportunities there will be for them to help you implement those policies.

The experience of Our Life and others is that true and sustainable public involvement comes when citizens are first given the space to understand and debate issues through deliberative processes.

We believe that engaging and empowering communities leads to:

• a better understanding of the subject in hand and the wider political and decision-making process
• more effective and meaningful involvement, outputs and outcomes for local communities in decisions that affect their lives
• mobilising of community-based expertise and resources
• sustainable solutions to difficult, complex problems
• a sense of ownership by communities
• a deeper understanding of those harder-to-reach communities and individuals
• engaged, motivated and skilled participants willing to take action themselves
  
• increasing social cohesion and enthusiasm about getting involved in the future
• better-decision making
• savings when the right decisions are made with public support