People who feel they want to be more involved in decision making

The graph and table show that the percentage has fluctuated from the 2016 baseline of 41% to 37% in 2025, with a low of 20% in 2019. Due to a smaller sample size in 2020, the data was not able to be broken down and published at local authority level. The 2021 survey was carried out using telephone interviewing, so its results are not directly comparable with those from other years.

The 2025 figure of 37% is an increase of 7 percentage points from 30% in 2024 and is the same as the Scottish figure of 37% in 2025. This could indicate a greater desire to participate in local decision-making, or that existing opportunities are not fully meeting people's wishes to be involved. The survey does not establish the reasons for this change.

Greater involvement in decision-making links strongly to participation, which is a priority of the Shetland Partnership. The current rolling Delivery Plan for the Shetland Partnership is supported by a Place-Based Program of Change, which is about working alongside communities to achieve better solutions and outcomes. All improvement programmes within the Shetland Partnership Plan involve participation, and participation is a priority of the Community Learning and Development Plan 2024-2027.

Some examples of partners encouraging participation include Shetland Islands Council and NHS Shetland having dedicated webpages with links to open consultations, feedback and complaint forms. These are all opportunities for people to have greater involvement in decisions affecting their local area.

Participatory budgeting is a way in which community members can have a say in deciding how, and where, local money is spent to deliver services and address local needs and issues. Shetland Islands Council has been delivering participatory budgeting projects with communities since 2010 as part of a wider approach to increasing participatory democracy (see examples of past projects here).

It is important that everybody’s voice is heard and those who want to participate can do so in a variety of ways. ‘Voices For’ was a Shetland Partnership Participation project which aimed to reduce inequalities in Shetland. The project recruited people from different parts of the community and paired them with people who influence and have responsibility for making decisions. The project meant that people experiencing inequality were able to share their knowledge directly with those with responsibility for Shetland’s public sector resources.

The Participation Hub and Toolkit is available on the Shetland Partnership website. It is for use by partners and communities, to help with planning and carrying out engagement activities.

The variation, over time, in people who feel they want to be more involved in decision making could correlate to opportunities available to become involved, some of which are outlined above. However, lower percentages could also be down to a lack of interest in being involved and it is important to continue focussing on participation and ensuring that people are closely involved in shaping the future of their communities.

Last updated: October 2026