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Challenges
This project aimed to enhance how local councils consider community needs in policy-making. The CLI model prioritises lived experience and citizen voices, ensuring data-driven insights inform decisions. Traditional consultation methods often exclude some citizens, making it essential to balance digital engagement with traditional approaches for more inclusive public input in policymaking.
Approach
CLI prioritises citizen involvement in policymaking, enabling individuals to share their insights and experiences. This collaborative model fosters ownership, inclusivity, and trust in policy decisions.
The CLI training event equipped local council officers with tools and methods to involve citizens in policy creation, ensuring policies reflect community aspirations.
The event featured engaging activities, discussions, and practical applications of the CLI model, emphasising equitable engagement, data-driven decisions, and empowering marginalised voices.
Council officers received their Citizen Led Impact certificates, beginning a new era of community engagement in Northern Ireland.
Outcomes and benefits
Council officers are now trained to apply CLI principles in their local authorities. The next step is to integrate these practices into daily operations, ensuring community voices guide policy-making in Northern Ireland.
The training also achieved:
- Broader public engagement in policymaking.
- Better-informed decisions with comprehensive input and data.
- Increased transparency in the policymaking process.
- More effective interventions for specific community needs.
- Strengthened trust between government and citizens through inclusive processes.