Weekend 6 Observer Session and Q&A

16:30:06:  Welcome to the Weekend Six Observer Session. Today’s session will begin with an introduction from the Secretariat then you will hear presentations on deliberative democracy from those at the centre of recruitment, design and facilitation. After this, we will have a Q&A session, beginning with the questions submitted in advance on Eventbrite.

16:30:16: Please post any additional questions in this chat and, if there is time, we will try to answer them. Reminder: This session is being recorded.

16:33:27: Susie's audio is not good.

16:51:48: When you say ‘large’ in terms of numbers - stewarding/ secretariat/ facilitators/expert leads and evidence givers what does this represent in actual numbers?

16:52:40: How has the process differed between the citizens assembly and the citizens climate assembly?

16:54:58: I can answer in relation to facilitators: we have 15 small group facilitators, 2-3 lead facilitators per weekend, plus 2-3 people on direct member support

16:55:10: When I was referring to it being a large process I was meaning the over 100 members

16:56:27:  I was referring to Oliver’s presentation - but couldn’t send the question till much later - sorry!

16:56:47: I mean numbers in terms of admin and support for the 100+ assembly members

16:57:37: Hi [REMOVED], our stewarding group is 22 people, the secretariat is 10 and there are 15 table facilitators and 2 lead facilitators. There are 9 people in our evidence group

16:57:45: Hi [REMOVED], approx. 28 in Stewarding Group, and approx 10 in Evidence Group, Secretariat

16:58:06: Apologies [REMOVED], [REMOVED] has the correct numbers!

16:58:22: Many thanks to all the facilitators for their hard work. My question is whether the facilitators ensured that a wide variety of voices are heard and balanced in the numbers of adherents to different perspectives,

And was the level of difficulty in talking alleviated after the meetings that lasted six weeks, because perhaps at the end it was easier for people to express more opinions once they were familiar with each other?

16:58:38: https://www.climateassembly.scot/Stewarding-group for more info on who is involved

16:59:46: Can I ask how many participants per break out rooms you had? what do you think about having also an expert per each break out room?

17:00:02: It is also worth saying that the observers and stewarding group don’t join the breakout rooms so the Assembly members can work uninterrupted

17:00:35:  Thanks so much for all this info! I’m interested in regional citizens assemblies, so all that practical stuff is so important when considering the feasibility of this kind of thing!

17:00:46: Breakout groups were usually 6-7 participants and a facilitator.

17:02:05:  hi. huge gratitude for the huge amount of work....you said to offer questions... can I ask...does the process allow for participants to explore ...and share...whether they themselves are now willing to accept or champion personal implications of any recommendations they make...  imagine this might help with wider impact ?  also I recognise this may be an ask too far however ...given the topic.... have there been moments where participants were enabled / supported to consider and perhaps challenge framing assumptions of the process eg  big picture urgency .... and relative weight of potential gaps and contradictions in current planning scenarios eg imagined technologies for carbon capture... and the ways current policy may be pulling against each other....

17:02:17: We have heard the challenges of online facilitation , but what are its benefits ?

17:02:56: Exccellent. Very helpful for your sharing. We see some of the ups and downs in the process we run in [REMOVED]. We do see there is something in the depth of the conversations that needs more focus and work

17:03:03: Because of the range of evidence and information the members were being presented with we tended to provide opportunties for expert input to the groups on request - rather than there either observing or (a risk of) influencing  the member's open contributions.

17:04:06: Benefits of online would include, it can be recorded so you don’t lose anything, you can use digital tools to support data and input collection, you can include people that may have struggled with in-person due to geographical constraints, you can more quickly ‘move’ people around between ‘rooms’….

17:05:00: You do lose a lot of the signals you would normally rely on in-person for intervening when you need to but there are a different set of signals, so it’s adapting to those different signals

17:05:00: [REMOVED] it doesn’t have to be this scale, mini-public can be run very effectively with smaller groups, but it is the quality of the facilitation and the design of the work.  A really clear question that will lead to action

17:05:51: was it possible to bring experts into breakout rooms on demand - to ask further questions?

17:06:07: Yes [REMOVED] it was.

17:06:16: [REMOVED] - Yes, we have a range of experts available

17:06:54: thank you

17:06:56: One further benefit of online is that some members are probably more comfortable in an online environment than in a physical environment where they any be overawed by others

17:07:36:  We also used a really nice Expert Q&A carosel process that worked really well online where experts were put in to a breakout room for x minutes and then moved to another breakout and then another, so our evidence and expert input was at times a 1:6/7 ratio rather than 1:100+

17:07:39: @[REMOVED] - one thing we notice from a recruitment point of view is that noticeably fewer people raise support needs relating to care or physical disabilities when working online. Moving online seems to support some people to take part who might otherwise not do - of course the reverse will also be true and we can carry on working on supporting people to take part online.

17:08:18: Was representation across social groups improved through online format to the target vs. in person? (given not needing to travel, childcare considerations, etc)

17:08:21: I had a question relating to the public consultation that began the process back in October - how much of the process was guided by these submissions and how exactly was the information gathered in this consultation brought to the assembly?

17:08:55: Who makes the decisions on the content of the assembly? Is this purely down to the evidence leads or do other members of the wider CA team input?

17:08:56: Did the members choose which areas they discussed?

17:09:47 @[REMOVED], no members didn’t choose they were allocated to work streams, goals and recommendations

17:11:28: @[REMOVED]- the broad parameters and initial framing information for each topic was led by the Evidence leads and scrutinised by the Stewarding group. Once into the  process members were able to identify aspects of the topics that they wanted more information on - this was most evident in the evidence shared in weekend 5.

17:11:29: Is there a general evaluation of online and real life engagement through the assembly being carried out in view of group dynamics, as mentioned, and the ability to participate without (environmentally harmful) travel which may allow those with differing demands 'attend', e.g. caring responsibilities, how software may be improved to emulate real world dynamics to adapt to the barriers faces. i.e what learning is being taken forward for a new normal of citizen and political engagement.

17:11:58: [REMOVED] yes definitely as the process developed we have seen people’s confidence build and people who would have shied away from engaging speaking out much more confidently.

17:12:29: @[REMOVED] - they were allocated to ensure that each workstream was demographically balanced

17:13:07: @[REMOVED] interesting question. It's hard to compare sign-up rates for different demographics online/offline without running the exact same event as an in-person one :-)  we do notice some trends in different people applying to the online events; anecdotally it's harder to attend in person events if you're a single parent, perhaps obviously. By inviting enough people, we usually get very near to all the targets whether it's an online or in-person event.

17:14:14: It will be so interesting to see how closely the recommendations of the members assembly reflect the asks/ needs expressed by the childrens parliament listed in their brilliant video!!

17:14:44: Lots of members references the videos from the Children's Parliament today in their feedback.

17:15:28: Support 100% what [REMOVED] has said, and would add that through a well designed structure and process you can achieve this.

17:17:15: How is participation encouraged and motivated and how to make sure participants feel valued in the process?

17:19:01: Hi [REMOVED], first of all through the process we really emphasis that we value that members being involved. They all receive a gift to recognise the value of their involvement in the process.

17:19:37: thanks,[REMOVED]!

17:20:02: @[REMOVED] The Facilitators have a key role in encoring and motivating engagement and participation, and also for ensuring that everyones voice is heard, equal distribution of time and input and that participants can see that their contributions are captured and documented.. a bit of thank you and praise also goes a long way, also equally distributed too of course!

17:20:41: Question: Wondering how young people (particularly under 18s) were supported to have their voices heard through the process.

17:20:43: How and along which criteria were the members of the stewarding group selected/recruited?

- And what is the experience of the stewarding group so far? Are their any findings/ recommendations regarding the diversity of the stewarding group by the members which should be taken into consideration when conducting a future citizens' assembly?

- How is the perception of the participants regarding the influence of the moderators on the process of the Climate Assembly in general and the deliberation process in particular?

- Has any participant stopped?

17:21:08: Question:  How were the experts selected given that an almost inexhaustible number could have been proposed?

17:21:50: Presumably the experience that facilitators and evidence givers have had, there will be the possibility of producing blueprints of how to run such online conversations and debates most effectively and most inclusively? Just like blueprints exist for ‘live ‘ conferences and workshops…?

17:21:55: This is truly ‘experts on tap’ rather than ‘on top’ - I think it’s one of the most powerful elements: being able to bring all sorts of people to speak from all sorts of places

17:22:34: I like that - experts on tap not experts on top!!

17:22:50: It’s not my quote, but I love it too

17:22:52: Yes, thanks [REMOVED], that's great

17:23:32: Also the ‘experts’ have said they’ve been really impressed about the level of interest and knowledge the members seem to have compared to other conferences they attend!

17:23:33: question: Were participants fully informed before making decisions? (different perspectives given by the panel, opposing views) how extend could ensure the quality of the topics and leading to meaningful results?

17:23:41: Could you give some examples of the questions/topics they where discussing? did you use also world cafe´format to weave the collective intelligence of the members?

17:23:48: What is the name of the algorithm software that was mentioned for the second phase of sortition selection ?

17:23:51: Question: I don't know if this call is the right one for my Question, I'll just try my luck :D Do you know to which extend Scotish Society followed the Assembly? I think in the French CA there was a Survey on how many People knew  that there was happening a Citizen's Assembly at the Moment (and what it actually is)

17:24:07: Question about the expert: What were the topic cover by experts ? I mean, have you got sociologist, political scientific, economist expert, law support or solely climate and "hard science" expert?

(Hope the question is clear, English is not my first langage sorry)

17:24:25: Question: once people are allowed back in the same room, e.g. in future panels, do you plan to retain the option of virtual participation? Do your tools for managing online discussion still work if e.g. 80% of participants are in the room and 20% are dialling in from home?

17:25:01: In particular, with our younger members, sometimes in the breakouts they are a little less open to speaking up and out but as long as they are treated equally and with respect by the facilitators, and that their contributions have equal value, and sometimes you had to encourage them to drop their thinking in to the chat so we don’t lose it if they don’t want to speak up. BUT throughout the process the young people have grown in confidence and self-awareness…

17:25:07: @[REMOVED] - it’s open source, we call it StratifySelect https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/services

17:25:13: Question: when it comes to inclusion of people with lower educational backgrounds or who are less used to participate to political decision making, would you say online participation is helping them to feel at ease or is it more an obstacle versus offline participation?

17:25:53: The Children’s Parliament is playing an crucial role - today members drew / built on their contribution. Check out their latest film and please share with your networks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8uhnyJP3Q&feature=youtu.be

17:25:56: [REMOVED] you can see all the evidence on our YouTube Channel. It is pretty varied! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEfXylgC1hgmMT6UTItl4Pw

17:25:59: A related Question: How were the governance groups originally appointed? What were the factors making decisions on who and what groups should be represented in the stewarding group, secretariat and evidence group?

17:26:15: [REMOVED]: personally, I can imagine a hybrid. I think there’s a lot of potential for a mix of in person and virtual meetings. I think to work with 80/20 you need to have a really good set up otherwise it can be a frustrating experience.

17:27:30: For a local assembly in [REMOVED] & [REMOVED] we had micro group meetings mid week between assembly meetings to help members discuss and embed their learning. It would take a lot more coordination on this scale, but a blend of that online with inperson meetings is really interesting to me

17:27:46: …not everyone agrees on this though!

17:28:31:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEfXylgC1hgmMT6UTItl4Pw

17:28:34: @[REMOVED] - see also some information about independent research we are conducting on the SCA https://www.climateassembly.scot/who-involved/research-team - we are exploring the impact of the assembly and what the wider public understand and think about the assembly 

17:29:06: @[REMOVED] - across the 6 weekends and within the 3 different workstreams, members have heard from around 100 different speakers - some academics, some activists, some from advocacy organisations and/or business - with real effort given to ensure balance and divergent perspectives

17:29:38: Which role do current political events or media reporting on climate change play in the deliberative process? Is that something that you actively discuss during the sessions or do you rather try to screen the assembly from any 'external influences?'

17:29:39: Thanks @[REMOVED], will be interesting to see how that progresses!

17:29:46: I think hybrid is definitely doable but it needs even more careful planning, design and preparation… And also making sure that when in breakouts or even in ‘big’/main’ room you don’t always go to those not in-person last, sometimes go to them first, make sure their voice is heard and can be felt by the in-person.

17:30:02: Thanks [REMOVED]

17:30:13: Totally agree, [REMOVED]!

17:30:51: Great question [REMOVED]!

17:31:05: Excellent question, [REMOVED]. thanks for asking it.

17:31:09: Prospective MSPs at hustings I should think!!!

17:31:18: Agreed, great question [REMOVED]!

17:31:59: Would it be possible to get a copy of this chat (I cant’t seem to save/copy it myself)? There are so many interesting questions and answers which I haven’t had the time to read, while listening at the same time… Thank you.

17:32:25: As one of those champions this is the most important question, but we are learning how to make this effective

17:32:31: Could the top line recommendations be published before May elections?

17:32:33: A lot of great questions and info in the chat--it would be wonderful if the chat log could be shared. Thank you!

17:32:49: Will the recommendations from the Assembly be made public?

17:34:06: There is a plan to produce an interim report to be laid before Parliament on the 24th march (3 days after the last meeting) - with the top line statements and goals. A full report will be in May

17:34:23: Monitoring and evaluation of the CA process - is this being carried out? And by who?

17:34:25: @[REMOVED] - YES

17:34:57: we will most definitely be sharing the recommendations far and wide!

17:34:57: Lots of regional councils are dithering over what actions they should take after declaring a climate emergency. Will the recommendations be shared with them early on - ie in May?

17:35:07: @[REMOVED] @[REMOVED] We will capture the chat and share anonymised information in the follow-up to this session

17:35:17: Thank you!

17:35:34: I know the newDemocracy Foundation in Australia has experimented with CA members advocating for the outcomes to be implemented through a group called “I deliberated, now what?”

17:35:39: @[REMOVED] see some details of our research here: https://www.climateassembly.scot/who-involved/research-team and also research briefings https://www.climateassembly.scot/how-it-works/independent-research

17:35:43: thanks so much for this - and well done. You must all be shattered!

17:35:52: Thank you to everyone for your time - on a Sunday too.

17:36:05: Thank you for this session everyone. It has been really insightful.

17:36:08: Thank you very much for this amazing work!

17:36:10: Thank you for this wonderful session, it was very interesting !

17:36:14: Thanks once again for sharing your process!

17:36:15: Thank you from [REMOVED]

17:36:18: Thanks all!

17:36:22: Thank you very much!

17:36:22: Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!

17:36:23: Brilliant session, thank you all

17:36:24: Thanks to all!

17:36:26: Very interesting - much experience is the same here in [REMOVED], but we also have some variations. We can pick up later.

17:36:27: thank you - and congratulation of what sounds like a great process!

17:36:29: Thanks very much for the opportunity to understand more about this process

17:36:29: Many thanks! I'm looking forward to reading the final recommendations!

17:36:33: thank you -this is so important

17:36:33: Thank you!

17:36:35: very very helpful sharing

17:36:36: thank you ... hope you rest up.... marathon ....

17:36:38: Thank you all for your time, very informative

17:36:44: thank you for commoning this  knowledge!

17:36:45: Thank you for sharing all this.

17:36:51: Thank you.  Really interesting and helpful!

17:36:53: Thanks, everyone!

17:36:54: Thank you all for coming - please do keep engaged, I think you’ll find the recommendations powerful and we need everyone to help share/discuss

17:36:54: really fascinating conversation, thanks