1. Child Protection Public Consultation
Dhafer Hasan
Lunar_d7@yahoo.com
2012
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2. Community Engagement Model
© Copyright IAP2. All rights reserved. (DSE D. o., 2005)
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3. Public Engagement
One-way relationship (Information):
The aim of the government should be to
keep the public informed by disseminating
necessary information about policies.
Two-way relationship (Consultation):
Consulting citizens requires informing
them then getting feedback; in this form
the public can signal their interests and
preferences over policy making.
Partnership (Active Participation):
This form of engagement suggests active
participation and partnership in policy
process although the final decision rests
with the government.
(OECD, Open Government, 2003)
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4. It is all ENGAGEMENT
DSE. (2005). Book 1 an introduction to engagement.
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5. Public Consultation
Public Participation Goal:
To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or
decisions.
Promise to the Public:
We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns
and provide feedback on how public input influenced the
decision.
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6. Consultation cycle:
In order to conduct inclusive and effective consultation activities it is very
important to develop specific, direct, non-confusing tools and documents; such
as:
• Strategy or policy options paper.
• Consultation agenda and action plan.
• Summaries and briefs.
• Online documents.
• Drafts of the policy, strategy and legislation.
• Child-friendly summaries (for young people).
• Surveys.
Those documents and tools serve as informing and consultation documents
and tools. It should be adjusted and modified to suit each target group.
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7. Consultation cycle:
Informing the public (stakeholders):
Informing stakeholders of the intentions of the
government to develop certain governance Informing Monitoring
tool (policy, strategy, law or a plan) is very the Public
important to promote the those tools, educate
the public, and advocating for the approval of
decision-makers and influencing groups. Consultation
Activities
Consultation Activities:
Consultation activities include all the activities
that aim to engage stakeholders to express Documentation
their opinion. It could include one or different & Analysis
tools such as focus groups, meetings and
surveys. Government institutions could
coordinate and support NGOs and consultation
companies in carrying out such activities under Feedback Evaluation
the monitoring of the government.
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8. Consultation cycle:
Documentation and Analysis: Informing Monitoring
Documentation of stakeholders’ opinions, the Public
interests, suggestions and recommendations is
a key activity in conducting consultation
processes. It is an ongoing process that should
Consultation
accompany the whole process. By the end of Activities
the process those feedbacks should be
analyzed and summarized to provide easy
understanding of public opinion.
Documentation
& Analysis
Feedback:
Stakeholders must be informed of the results
of the consultation process as well as the final
decision of the government. Feedback Evaluation
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9. Benefits of consultation
Successful consultation affects different variables of public
policy, strategy and legislation development processes as well as
the implementation and the evaluation of those governance
tools. It also increases government transparency, reliability and
accountability. It has direct influence on the following:
• Ensuring that the policy, strategy and legislation are Evidence
Based;
• Strengthen Government/ Citizens relationship;
• Participating in Citizens Empowerment;
• Ensuring Ownership over the policy and strategy options and
solution; and
• Helping the decision makers to Understand Stakeholders.
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10. Stakeholders
The engagement of stakeholders in consultation processes depends on
variety of variables; the capacity of the organization, timeframe, the interest
of stakeholders, budget, and the subject of consultation.
• Minorities (religious, ethnic, IDPs, refugees …).
• Children and youths with disabilities.
• Head of Households.
• Children and youths from single head of household families.
• Orphans / children without adult supervision.
• Working children (domestic worker, children working in the streets, children
working in dangerous working places, children victim of sexual exploitation).
• NGOs and political parties and entities.
• Interest groups and professionals.
• Labor Union.
• Government institutions.
• Local, federal and central government.
• Parliament (National and Regional).
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11. Consultation Tools
• Public comment.
• Focus groups.
• Surveys.
• Public meetings.
• Government and organizations
official websites, social
networking websites and mailing
lists.
• Special software for consultations.
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12. Content of consultation activities
• Goal and objectives of the consultation process and consultation activity.
• Stakeholders linkages, influence, affect, benefits…etc of the policy,
strategy or law. (Why are they participating in this activity?)
• Government and public relationships and the process of decision making
in democratic systems.
• Local legal framework (constitution and local legislation) and international
instruments related to the subject (Brief).
• Case studies and local and international experience.
• Options of solutions/ draft/ brief of the policy, strategy or law.
• Mechanism of providing further comments or suggestions such as email
address, website, phone number or mail address.
• Mechanisms of the participation of other stakeholders (if there is an
intention to involve more stakeholders).
• Potentials of further consultation activities and follow up.
• The mechanisms of providing feedback to stakeholders.
• Sources of further information and to follow up with the process for
stakeholders.
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13. END
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