Today I’m at the ‘Talking about money’ event at Adur Civic Centre, where staff from statutory agencies across Sussex are talking about budget consultation – and in particular how to more effectively engage communities about budets, spending and priority setting to inform financial decision making.
I and others will try to keep you up to date with some of the things happening (and being talked about) on the hashtag #sussexbudgets.
Here’s the agenda:-
REN
Research, engage consult and network – South Coast Joint Event of Research and Consultation networks, West and East Sussex and Brighton and Hove
Talking about money
How can Councils more effectively consult and engage communities about budgets, spending and priority setting to inform financial decisions?
24th November 2011
10 – 1.30pm
Adur Civic Centre, Shoreham, West Sussex
The aim is to share ideas, learn best practice, challenge thinking and showcase what is going on already. Workshops aimed at research and consultation officers, managers, policy, finance and diversity specialists and those developing engagement for local communities, Big Society and localism.
Voluntary and community organisations and local companies involved or interested are also welcome to come and help explore the issues local authorities face, to more effectively involve communities.
Welcome, Sarah Garbutt 5mins…
Talk 1: Talking about money – Davy Jones 20mins
Why is it important to talk to residents and communities about money? Can it be done and what difference will it make? Key note talk from Davy Jones Freelance consultant and commentator working with councils and local public services on a new policy agenda for local services, citizen empowerment and participatory budgeting (PB). Davy leads the South East PB Network.
Guest presentations – 20mins each + Q&A time
2. Social media for budget consultation and engagement
Anthony Zacharzewski founded the Democratic Society, a non-partisan membership organisation promoting civic participation and better democracy. Tomorrow he’ll be talking about what participants in Brighton & Hove’s budget consultation said about how they’d like to be consulted (and the ways in which we could do it next time).
3. Exploring the Budget conversation, case studies/national best practice including Your Local Budget and Church Action on Poverty
Thom Townsend – Your Local Budget. YLB is a new web-based set of tools for public sector bodies who want to involve local people in decision-making on budgets.
11.15 COFFEE – 20mins
Local experiences – 20mins each + Q&A time
4. Customer Journey Mapping – Case study to re-shape services
Dermot Torney, our Customer Service Manager – Sussex Police
5. Informing budget setting processes
Sue Buxton – East Sussex County Council
6. Exploring Budget conversation & methodologies
Nora Davis – Crawley Borough Council
7. Can Local Carbon Budgets help communities lead carbon reduction?
Warren Hatter will explain how WSCC has found a new way to understand the carbon footprint of the County that is easier to understand and communicate than anything you’ve seen before – and ask you to play a game to prove it! He will then ask a set of questions to give you the chance to discuss whether community consultation can help West Sussex as a County achieve its carbon reduction ambitions.
Close approximately 1.30pm
