Members of the public are invited to attend one of four focus groups set up to gather feedback on the Supporting Communities Fund voting pilot project that took place in April 2018.
Argyll and Bute Council has commissioned independent research company Social Value Lab to evaluate the process, with all responses being anonymously included in a final report.
If you voted in the Supporting Communities Fund Participatory Budgeting pilot project, your experiences will be valuable in assessing what was good about the process and what could be improved in the future.
The four voter focus groups will be held as below, with refreshments provided at all venues:
- Monday 2 July, 1pm – 2.30pm: Green Tree Room, Rothesay Moat Centre
- Wednesday 4 July, 10am – 11.30am: Ante Room, Victoria Halls, Helensburgh
- Thursday 5 July, 10.30am – 12pm: Top Floor, Templar Arts and Leisure Centre, Tarbert
- Friday 6 July, 12pm – 1.30pm: Studio Theatre Room, Corran Halls, Oban
Limited spaces are available for the focus groups and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register your attendance in advance by contacting Social Value Lab at esha.khimji@socialvaluelab.org.uk or 0141 530 1479. If you have additional support needs and require any assistance to enable you to attend the event, please inform Social Value Lab.
- The purpose of the focus group is to gather your views about:
- The effectiveness of the marketing information that you received or saw about the project
- The effectiveness of the voting process
- The use of using digital technology to present ideas and facilitate remote voting
- The effectiveness and accessibility of voting events
- The impact of geography, in particular rurality, on the process
- The variety of voters that were engaged in your area, e.g. different age ranges and backgrounds, minority ethnic communities and disadvantaged groups
- The extent to which you feel that the process empowered your community and transferred decision making to local residents
- Your willingness to engage in a similar project again in the future
- Any challenges of getting involved in the project and suggestions for improvement
Your views will inform an evaluation of the Supporting Communities Fund Participatory Budgeting Pilot. Social Value Lab will prepare an evaluation report for the council to demonstrate the impact of the project and to make recommendations for similar projects in the future. All views will be represented anonymously in the report and identify no individuals.