Page 160 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

158 A Project of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) Step 8: Your role when things are underway In the room, government staff and anyone not either a part of the facilitation or oversight teams are in the room as an observer. This means that the role of the decision-maker in the room is to demonstrate a commitment to the process while maintaining an observational role – not an active role. There are situations where government staff are best placed to answer off-the-cuff questions arising from participants. Typically, they are either too eager or very hesitant to play this role – often concerned about providing their perspectives on a problem because of the way it can be construed as the “government’s” own position. With citizen control and facilitated involvement in the room, an environment can be created that enables government staff to provide real-time fact checks or grounding statements that help the participants find their way to their own decisions. The simple rule is that the participants decide when they want to hear from staff and that staff only act on directions from the facilitator. This role is invaluable. Staff can orient the participants, for example, around areas where the government needs advice, and enables the participants to enter into a consensus-seeking conversation where government advice is on-tap but not on-top.