Interview with Karin Eyben, Garvagh People’s Forest Development Lead

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We introduce Karin Eyben , Development Leader of the Garvagh People’s Forest project, a project that emerges with the aim of enhancing Garvagh Forest, Located in Northern Ireland, as a shared space in which relationships, connections and friendships between inhabitants are fostered, and different skills and abilities are developed. ideas that enrich both people, as well as the place and the environment. The project seeks to reconnect the local population with nature and the environment through different activities, exploring the potential of the forest as a place of learning and growth.

Karin Eyben, within this project, tries to promote the participation of the population in decision-making and the use of participatory budgets for the benefit of the community and the forest. She advocates a model of democracy in which the inhabitants of a territory are invited to participate in making decisions about those matters that will happen to them.

Escucha “Entrevista a Karin Eyben – Youth PB Garvagh Forest” en Spreaker.

Interview with Agnieszka Maszkowska, President of “SocLab”

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We introduce you to Agnieszka Maszkowska, a sociologist dedicated to the creation and implementation of educational and social projects in the field of social participation, ecology, sustainable development, professional activation and multiculturalism.

Currently, she is the coordinator of various participatory processes, focused specifically on the field of public consultations, participatory budgets (including school participatory budgets), land use planning, and the creation of strategies and programs. As a trainer, she has worked with both adults and youth. Among its main interests is that of involving citizens in decision-making processes on public affairs, promoting good practices in the field of public consultations and participatory budgets, and seeking the cooperation of the local government together with non-governmental organizations. governmental.

In addition, she is President of the SocLab Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to increase the participation of people in public life, trying to increase awareness among residents and active citizens, especially within their local communities.

The activity of the SocLab Foundation aims to support public institutions by providing them with the necessary expertise and supporting them in certain activities related to carrying out participatory processes, always taking into account the opinions of the participants, laying the foundations for dialogue and reliable social diagnoses.

SocLab wants to popularize knowledge in social sciences, and carry out social research related to the organization of public debates. It also aims to foster the growth of civic awareness and the participation of Polish citizens in public life, as well as to increase the level of public debate in the country. They work in the search for social innovations with special emphasis on new technologies, paying attention to the idea of ​​science and open education.

Escucha “Entrevista a Agnieszka Maszkowska” en Spreaker.

Tool 20: A summarising or evaluation workshop

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If you want to meet with students for an evaluation meeting, it is a good idea to prepare a framework scenario in advance. You can read our example here.

Tool 19: Simple evaluation methods

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A summary resource with descriptions of simple visual techniques to collect feedback from participants, such as emoticons and thumbs up/thumbs down can be found here.

Tool 18: How to evaluate the values and enabling conditions

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Reviewing the values and overall aims of the PB process will help the young people to identify what are the most important impacts that should be measured. You can download few sample exercises helpful with evaluation here.

Tool 17: Bingo forms

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A simple bingo sheet template can be used to gather feedback and reflect on the process and is available here.

Tool 16: Evaluation survey

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An effective way to gather feedback with a large number of people is through an evaluation survey. These can be administered to all participants at the end of a school or youth participatory budget. An example can be downloaded here.

Tool 15: Display

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For a more enduring celebration you can also add a notice, sign or plaque to an item that identifies it as an outcome of the PB process. For example, fixed onto new seating or benches, a water fountain in a playground, or in front of a newly planted tree. In this way, everyone will know that the item is a result of the PB process.

The material shows example of label for spaces / items that is a result of winning projects in the participatory budget.

Tool 14: Example of certificate of participation

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The material contains an editable certificate for members of co-design teams or other persons to thank for their involvement in the PB process.

Editable pdf file with graphics.

Tool 13: Picture voting card

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The most common way of selecting projects is through adopting various forms of voting, ideally within rules or procedures which are laid down at the beginning of the process. If you are working with younger children, using picture ballots may be useful. You can download a template here.