A Joined‐up Approach to User Participation in Public Services: Strengthening the “Participation Chain”

Abstract

Abstract

Tenant Participation and Social Housing in the UK: Applying a Theoretical Model

“…Adding data from a subsequent SRB-funded project, it can also be applied in two different contexts: TAs and TMOs. TP researchers need to remain sensitive to the setting in which participation is taking place, and to consider what happens when service users and service providers come together in participatory structures and processes (Simmons & Birchall, 2005). For example, it often seems to be assumed that self-management processes require higher levels of motivation and participation from tenants (DoE, 1981;ODPM, 2002).…”

“…The author has previously detailed a theoretical model of what motivates public service users to participate (Simmons & Birchall, 2005). This model was tested and elaborated in a recent ESRC-funded study.…”

Theorising Underlying Notions of Citizenship in the Dynamics of Learning in Public Policy Units

“…Since the 1990s, the formal participation of people with experience of poverty in policy-making has figured prominently on the international agenda as "they have the capacity to place, and indeed sometimes to force, life knowledge on the political, professional, academic and policy making agenda" (Beresford, 2000, p. 493). In order to enhance the performance of key public services, user participation has moved into the foreground of social policy, placing participatory ideas and strategies into a more central position (Lister, 2002;Simmons & Birchall, 2005;Krumer-Nevo, 2005. User participation has been put forward as a way of using dialogue to support new forms of responsiveness and accountability, because it is assumed that user participation has "practical value for the performance of key public services by shaping betterinformed decisions and ensuring that limited resources are used to meet service users' priorities" (Simmons & Birchall, 2005, p. 261).…”

“…It is argued, however, that the participation of service users, such as people with experience of poverty, in social policy-making is a crucial and yet a deeply problematic process (see Cook, 2002;Simmons & Birchall, 2005;Beresford, 2010;Simmons, 2011). In addition, it has been argued that there is a lack of the empirical research which would allow us to discuss the potential risks and challenges of the actual procedures and practices of implementing user participation (Krumer-Nevo & Barak, 2006).…”

The Decline and Rise of Neighbourhoods: The Importance of Neighbourhood Governance

“…In particular it seems that more people are likely to participate, and to participate more, if their participation is valued (and indeed invited) and if they can be confident of the collective as well as individual benefits that their participation will bring (Simmons & Birchall, 2005). These findings suggest that the structural approach to understanding neighbourhood change needs to be extended to cover the effects of policies relating to resident participation, i.e.…”