Page 182 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

180 A Project of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) 10 Information (speakers): The second form in which participants will receive information is through expert speakers in the room. There are a number of different ways speakers can present their information, what method you choose will come down to how much time you have, what kind of information is being presented, and ultimately what the group prefers. Most will start with a chance for speakers to deliver a short 3-5 minute opening response to the question being answered by the citizens before breaking up into small groups for questioning. One method is ‘speed dialogue’, an exercise where speakers sit at small groups and quickly answer questions, rotating speakers every 10 minutes or so. This ensures there are many parallel conversations happening at the same time, increasing the amount of information the group can absorb at one time. It also reduces the groupthink which often occurs in large group settings, where the direction of the first question prompts others to ask related questions. Another method, that will be useful when cost or location is difficult, is through an online video call (Skype, Zoom etc.) If you have the space, you can put a remote speaker on a laptop in another room, allowing them to take part in a speed dialogue. Otherwise, you will need to change the format speakers present in to accommodate someone speaking remotely. Sometimes, information can only effectively be presented through the use of visual aid, this lends itself to speakers presenting to the whole group at once (takes more time but ensures the information is communicated clearly). When choosing speakers you must place a strong emphasis on transparency by explaining how you arrived at the set of speakers you are presenting. This can take the form of a 1-page document that explains who is presenting, how they were chosen and why they were chosen.