Page 109 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

This is more useful for everyone involved as it neither constrains the community’s involvement in the problem or limit the extent of valuable advice they can provide to decision-makers. A survey process may ask about values in the decision. Online engagement might ask who they want as experts and what questions they have for them. All of these options go to principles about diversity of sources and not rushing to a decision. Remits become very important for a deliberation. This is not a consultation exercise where communities are asked for input or feedback. They are addressing real challenges and have to provide viable recommendations. They need a task. Of course, one of the impediments to a viable remit may well be obstruction by a decision maker who does not want to admit that a problem exists. This is a key qualifier for a project from the outset – that elected representatives feel they can safely say there is a problem. 107