Problems and Purpose

The COVID-19 crisis impacts the daily lives of all citizens, but some segments of the population have been more impacted than others (young people, the elderly, women, and minority communities). As a result, the pandemic has posed the risk of further entrenching the social, racial, and economic inequalities present in Bristol. [1] To address this concern, Bristol City Council proposed a participative and deliberative initiative aimed at integrating citizens’ perspectives, particularly those who have been more affected by the crisis, in the City’s recovery plan. [2] The citizens’ assembly discussed the following question: “How do we recover from COVID-19 and create a better future for all in Bristol?” [3]

Background History and Context

In January 2020, Bristol City Council voted in favour of two pilot citizens’ assemblies – including, potentially, one on the climate emergency. This push was part of an effort to “reboot” democracy by reaching out to communities that are often overlooked and by expressing a commitment to engage citizens in the political process. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council began to rethink how best to use deliberative processes to provide greater public input in its strategy to address the long-term social and economic effects of the crisis [4]. They decided to organize a three-stage participatory and deliberative process that included Bristol’s first citizens’ assembly. [5] 

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

The citizens’ assembly was convened by the City of Bristol. Involve was mandated with its organization and the Sortition Foundation was in charge of selecting the participants. 

Participant Recruitment and Selection

The citizens’ assembly was composed of 60 randomly selected participants. The group reflected the diversity of the population in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, disability, employment status, and geographical location. The participants were compensated for their participation. [6] 

Methods and Tools Used

Two mechanisms preceded the citizens’ assembly and were used to orient its work. First, six focus groups were held in summer 2020 to gather input about the citizens’ experience of life in lockdown and identify issues that concerned them. The city then ran a survey in August and September structured around 81 different actions and ten themes identified during the focus groups. The survey questions concerned the lockdown and its effect on citizens’ lives. Citizens were also asked to rate their preferences regarding a series of actions and share their views and recommendations. [7]  

The information gathered from these first two mechanisms oriented the work of a citizens’ assembly that took place between January to March 2021. The citizens’ assembly was organized entirely online. Participants deliberated in small groups and plenary sessions. Thirty-three speakers were invited to present balanced information and respond to the assembly members’ questions. In addition, an online platform was used to share resources and information. [8] 

What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation

The focus group and survey were used to identify the themes and issues addressed during the deliberative phase of the project. The citizens’ assembly focused on the following three topics [9]:

1) Climate change and housing: How do we rapidly reduce the impact of our homes on climate change? 

2) Transport: What changes should we make to our neighboords to make how we travel easier, healthier, and better for the environment?

3) Health and social care: How should we tackle health inequalities in Bristol?

The citizens’ assembly met for four weekends: January 16-17, February 6-7, February 27-28, and March 6-7. Each weekend entailed three sessions of 2.5 hours each. During the first weekend, the participants learned about the deliberative process and began discussing the principles that should underpin their work. For the second and third weekend, the assembly was divided into three groups of 20 people, each considering one of the three topics. They heard evidence from the speakers and worked on elaborating their recommendations. During the last weekend, the whole assembly discussed the three topics. After hearing from their colleagues, the participants went back to their subgroup to finalize their recommendations. Although the process was largely consensual, the participants voted on the recommendations to demonstrate their level of support or opposition to each of them. [10] 

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

The recommendations generated by the citizens’ assembly will be presented in spring 2021 to the “One City Economy Board” as well as the City Council’s Cabinet to provide input in shaping future strategy and actions. [11]

Analysis and Lessons Learned

See Also

References

[1] Cllr Asher Craig, “Using Deliberative democracy To Build Back Better in Bristol”, Democratic Response to Covid-19, Involve, and the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Westminster University, https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/blog/opinion/using-deliberative-democracy-build-back-better-bristol.

[2] Bristol City Council, Bristolians to help shape the city’s recovery post COVID-19, https://news.bristol.gov.uk/news/bristolians-to-help-shape-the-citys-recovery-post-covid-19.

[3] Bristol City Council, Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/bristol-citizens-assembly/.   

[4] Cllr Asher Craig, “Using Deliberative democracy To Build Back Better in Bristol”, Democratic Response to Covid-19, Involve, and the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Westminster University, https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/blog/opinion/using-deliberative-democracy-build-back-better-bristol.

[5] Bristol City Council, Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/bristol-citizens-assembly/.   

[6] Bristol City Council, Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/bristol-citizens-assembly/.   

[7] Your City Our Future, Citizen Survey. 

[8] Bristol City Council, Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/bristol-citizens-assembly/.   

[9] Bristol City Council, Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/bristol-citizens-assembly/.   

[10] Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, “How do we recover from COVID-19 and create a better future for all in Bristol?,” Interim Report, March 2021, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/user_uploads/bristol-ca---interim-report.pdf . 

[11] Bristol Citizens’ Assembly, “How do we recover from COVID-19 and create a better future for all in Bristol?,” Interim Report, March 2021, https://bristol.citizenspace.com/user_uploads/bristol-ca---interim-report.pdf . 

External Links

Notes

This entry was written in collaboration with Jon Toy, Hannah Shackleford, and Gail Kendell from the City of Bristol.