Defining Legislative Public Outreach
Legislative public outreach can include almost “any systematic effort on the part of the members of the national legislative body to communicate with the electorate” (Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues, 2004). The objectives for conducting public outreach will vary among parliaments and MPs, as will the intensity and the quality of interaction with the public. Following are three varieties of public outreach:
- Information communication is a one-way relationship from the electorate to the people in which the purpose is to provide access to or to disseminate information. For example, this can be done through fact sheets and websites;
- Public consultation is a two-way relationship between the electorate and the people for which the objective is to seek different views or get feedback on a defined issue or agenda, for example through surveys, focus groups or Town Hall meetings.
- Citizen engagement is also a two-way relationship in which a more structured partnership has been formed with the citizens in order to define a problem and jointly analyze various solutions. Citizen engagement is often a reflective, deliberate and mutual learning process and can be conducted through citizen advisory committees or citizen assemblies.
Box 1
Making Parliamentary Debate Belong to the People
The Citizens’ Assembly in Kenya is an open and inclusive movement of citizens and organizations committed to the realization of a good constitutional dispensation, social justice and good governance in Kenya through sensitization, mobilization, and engagement of citizens in matters affecting their democratic rights. The objective is to sensitize, mobilize and engage citizens in matters affecting their democratic rights in order to have a more accountable and transparent Government. Regional Citizen Assemblies have been convened all over Kenya in public places that are accessible to ordinary citizens. Discussions have included debates on budget monitoring, HIV/AIDS, a proposed media bill, voter registration, ethnic violence, women’s rights, election violence and leadership. Many members of the Kenyan public feel that they parliament lacks adequate representation or information on policy debates. Citizen Assemblies can provide the space for citizens to participate and engage in policy discussions with MPs to resolve problems that affect them, and hence create a space for making their voices heard.
Source: www.soros.org/initiatives/osiea/focus_areas/governance; www.citizenassembly.or.ke |
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