The Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) has posted a
number of short videos about local democratic engagement on its
Better Community Engagement and Empowerment community of practice
website. They cover
- Being a councillor - by Improvement and Efficiency South East
with Oxfordshire County Council. It covers the main aspects of a
councillor's role, how to become a councillor and the reflections
of councillors on what they like about their role.
- What can your councillor do for you? - by Improvement and
Efficiency South East with Oxfordshire County Council. It covers
how you can use your councillor, as a signpost, a campaigner, to
help raise or resolve issues and how to contact your
councillor.
- How to vote - by Improvement and Efficiency South East with
Oxfordshire County Council. Explains the ways you can vote, who is
eligible and signposts people onto the
About my vote
website.
- Speaking at a council meeting - by Improvement and Efficiency
South East with Oxfordshire County Council. Covers how to raise an
issue at a council meeting, the time you are likely to have,
sending written submissions and the benefits to people of making
suggestions to improve services.
- Participatory Budgeting (PB) in Walsall NDC (New Deal for
Communities) - by the West Midlands Regional Empowerment
Partnership. Looks at the experience of two community workers who
have used PB methods to engage with young children (6-11 years) to
make budget decisions for activities for young people.
- How to complain to your council - by Improvement and Efficiency
South East and Oxfordshire County Council. Covers how to make a
complaint in writing, by phone or email, to help improve
services.
- How to make a freedom of information request - by Improvement
and Efficiency South East and Oxfordshire County Council. Covers
how to acess information in the public domain and the way that
Freedom of Information Requests are responded to.
Watch the videos (FREE registration required)
30 November 2009