Participation and communities team
The Participation and Communities Team (PACT) works with individuals and communities to support engagement with the Scottish Parliament.
The team helps people have their views and experiences heard by our committees. This ensures that the conversations are well-informed and more balanced.
We do this by partnering with:
- voluntary groups
- business groups
- charities
- community organisations
We offer awareness sessions – these help people learn more about:
- the work of Parliament
- how to get involved
We have three main areas of focus:
Communities
We are community participation specialists. We bring people together from around Scotland who are most affected by the issues being discussed in Parliament. We connect them to the relevant committee, so that their voices can be heard and considered by MSPs. We value hearing about people’s lived experiences. We work with organisations to make sure we are engaging with the right communities in the right way. We do this through a variety of activities, including targeted communications and workshops.
Find out more about committees
Digital
We know that not everyone can easily engage with Parliament in person. We’re exploring ways to connect with more people online, so that they can have their say in the work we do.
The Scottish Parliament currently uses a consultation website to support our Call for Views, and an online discussion website to help the public talk about issues and put forward their own experiences, ideas, and questions.
Current calls for views
Visit our online discussion website
Deliberative democracy
'Deliberative democracy' is a process for getting people to engage in discussion and debate on certain issues. It encourages people to take part and arrive at a consensus. It's an inclusive approach to democracy. PACT encourage the use of deliberate democracy through Citizens’ Panels.
Read the report: Public Participation in the Scottish Parliament