Page 70 - Enabling National Initiatives to Take Democracy Beyond Elections

Common Blocker: “We don’t have the resources” 68 A Project of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) Answer: Long form deliberative democracy is a big commitment in time and money. There are options to reduce the overall costs which can include the use of online platforms (webinars) and deliberative polling. Time required by the organisation to prepare all the background documents depends on the amount of available information. Whilst it is a large up- front commitment of time, these background documents are invaluable in the future as it allows the organisation to draw upon their challenges and opportunities and build community understanding of these. The up-front investment has a massive return on investment over the next 2 – 3 years as the Citizen’s Jury recommendations unfold in the community. The long-term benefits include: • Increased trust between elected officials and community • Greater shared understanding of challenges and opportunities • New, highly informed and considered ideas for implementation (that are well supported by the broader community).