The government of Northern Ireland collapsed. And then citizen engagement reached new levels
Trust in government is critical to our wellbeing.
But with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is being tested around the world like never before by citizens’ perceptions of their government’s response. Did government order lockdown too soon? Or not soon enough?
Do we measure our trust in their actions by the number of lives lost, by the number of people helped in our communities, or by our numbers on the global market? Do we feel included, excluded, their equal, or their inferior?
These questions are important not only in times of crisis, but what if you are used to living without a functioning government? Where do you look to for leadership, guidance and policies which improve your quality of life? Where does this trust, or lack thereof, go when there is no government to put citizens at the centre of public services?
Life without government
In 2017, the central government in Northern Ireland collapsed. Yet, despite the political and policy vacuum that was left behind, public services still needed to be planned and above all, provided for citizens. And when there was silence from the centre, the sentiment that life is local never rang more true.
Two years prior, in 2015, a reform programme aimed at transforming local government. Northern Ireland had streamlined 26 local authorities down to 11. It bestowed new powers and responsibilities to the local level and mandated new ways of working.
Taking communications to citizens’ own places and spaces creates an opportunity for dialogue, in contrast to the traditional one-way communication style of government
Among the new portfolio of powers for local government was Community Planning — the duty on councils and their colleagues to develop a shared plan for promoting the wellbeing of the respective local government areas, improving community cohesion and improving quality of life for all citizens. Since the introduction of the new responsibilities, citizens in the 11 local authorities areas have been engaged, priority outcomes for the communities have been agreed and Community Plans have been launched. The strategic direction for the communities has now been set for as far into the future as 2030 or 2035.
Rethinking what reporting can be
November 2019 marked a milestone in Community Planning in Northern Ireland. The Community Planning Partnerships had a duty to publish a Statement of Progress towards the outcomes and actions of their Community Plans for the first time, as part of a two year reporting cycle.
But in the absence of an Executive, the Statements of Progress were about much more than fulfilling a statutory obligation. They were local government’s effort to report on progress, challenges and all to citizens in an accessible way; to reflect on work undertaken and to refocus for the future.
For the first time, in communicating with the public, we saw full reports, as colourful as they are comprehensive; summaries in a seven page infographic style; and video clips by outcome for those mostly interested in social wellbeing, or our environment, or the economy. Progress was reported on digital displays across cities; on buses; at railway stations — indoor, outdoor, and through citizens’ doors. Communications popped up on social media, trips to the cinema and visits to the local leisure centre — while citizens scrolled on their phones and strolled to local amenities.
Central government must also look to, and learn from, local government colleagues and partners on how they built citizens’ trust in the Executive’s absence
Taking communications to citizens’ own places and spaces creates an opportunity for dialogue, in contrast to the traditional one-way communication style of government. It is an attempt to redefine the relationship between local authority and local residents. Doing so is about shaking hands, figuratively speaking, on what has been achieved, holding hands up for what hasn’t yet been actioned and holding out hands to work together on the next chapter. It is simultaneously about achievement, accountability, and co-production. It is about starting a new conversation for new times. It is about gaining, and maintaining, trust.
So when the Executive returned in January 2020, it was clear that there could be no return to 2017 in terms of what the Executive does, and how it does it. Local government has demonstrated that the “parent-child relationship” between government and the governed is no longer fit for purpose. Instead, we must actively facilitate a more inclusive, enabling role for citizens in public services based on the understanding of who is best placed to know what citizens need and who is best placed to provide it.
Building back better
As the Northern Ireland Executive seeks to build back better post-pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust will support them to learn from the three-year hiatus and from who has soared and who has struggled, to secure citizens’ trust during this time. Because there is much work to do.
36% of 18–30 year olds in Northern Ireland surveyed during the government hiatus had no trust in the Northern Ireland Assembly — more than double the distrust held for local government. The New Decade, New Approach agreement which paved the way for the restoration of the Executive and Assembly includes a welcome commitment to new mechanisms for citizen engagement. But this engagement must be meaningful, it must inform what the Executive understands as important to the wellbeing of its citizens and how to achieve these outcomes.
And for this, central government must also look to, and learn from, local government colleagues and partners on how they built citizens’ trust in the Executive’s absence. Because to build back better is, first of all, to build bridges.
