Public Engagement in the Welsh Parliament

What is it about?

This article discusses how public engagement is understood and applied by the Welsh Parliament as a means of opening up the democratic process to the public. We provide research findings from interviews and parliamentary documentation to identify institutional 'narratives' (patterns of understanding) relating to public engagement. We draw three main conclusions: that there is (1) a need for a shift from public-facing to public-engaging committee work, (2) a lack of clarity on desired outcomes, and (3) a continued tension around sources of evidence and knowledge (i.e. those providing input into parliamentary activity). The institutional narratives we identify, and the conclusions we draw from them, are relevant and applicable to parliaments across a range of contexts and at various levels of decision-making (practical, strategic, and conceptual).

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Photo by Tim Graf on Unsplash

Photo by Tim Graf on Unsplash