A practical starting point for Inclusion

Trust thought for today - something practical about Inclusion (one of the 7 Signals of Trustworthiness).

Wanted to share this excellent Spectrum of Inclusion from the International Association of Public Participation (which is a great org but not active in Europe).

Here also are their Core Values of Participation which together with the Spectrum provide a perfect starting point for anyone in regulation, policy, business or civil society considering how they involve citizens. 

1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.

2. Public participation includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision. 

3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.  

4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision. 

 5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate. 

 6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way. 

 7. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

For a bit more on the reasons why it might be a good idea for you, check out 'Nothing about us without us' a pull out on the involvement of citizens in governance from my report.