People who feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area
About this Indicator
This indicator looks at the percentage of people who agree with the statement “I can influence decisions affecting my local area”.
| Indicator | 2018 Baseline | 2021 Target | 2028 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| People who feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area | 27% of people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area | At least 35% of people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area | At least 50% of people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area |
Source
Data up to 2019 comes from the Scottish Household Survey Data Explorer, Scottish Government. Here, Local Services is selected and the question “percentage of people who agree with the statement ‘I can influence decisions affecting my local area’ by year” is looked at. Shetland Islands is selected under “local authority/Scotland.”
The 2022 data came from supporting files to the national report. The tables relating to Public Services, with the specific table ‘Percentage of adults agreeing with various statements about their local council by year’ is used. The results are published following a return to the traditional methodology of face-to-face interviews. This is after the experimental statistics produced in 2021, as this was done via telephone rather than face to face. In March 2020 the fieldwork approach was altered in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This resulted in the majority of the 2020 survey fieldwork, and all of the 2021 survey fieldwork, being carried out using telephone interviewing. Due to a smaller sample size in 2020, the data could not be broken down and published at local authority level.
Most recent data
30% of people felt they could influence decisions affecting their local area in 2022.Why do we monitor this indicator?
The principle of empowering people and bringing communities, decision-makers and service providers closer together is that this results in: better decisions being taken; resources being used more effectively; and improved outcomes for communities. It is therefore important that people feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area. The participation of and with communities lies at the heart of community planning (Scottish Government Community Planning Guidance 2015).
This indicator contributes to monitoring the desired outcomes outlined in the Participation and Place priorities of the Partnership Plan
“Communities will feel empowered and the majority of people in Shetland will feel more able to influence the decisions that affect them and have a strong understanding of how and why decisions are taken.”