Citizens' Juries, Citizens' Panels and Citizens' Assemblies

Citizens' Panel

A Citizens' Panel is a large group of people that represent the community's diversity.

They are regularly engaged to share their opinions and preferences. Statutory agencies typically use these panels to understand what the community cares about and to get feedback on specific topics. Citizens’ Panels can range in size from a few hundred to several thousand people.

illustration of 6 people talking to each other with speech bubbles above their heads.

Suitable for:

Citizens’ Panels are particularly useful for ongoing consultation processes, allowing authorities to track public opinion over time. They are typically used to gather a wide range of public opinions and preferences on various issues.

Type of engagement:

The consult and involve icons in a row.

Consult | Involve

How to do it:

Citizens’ Panels usually involve a rolling programme of research and consultation. It is therefore important to be clear, when recruiting members, what involvement will include and how frequently panel members will be asked to participate.
Clearly outline the goals of the panel, such as to gather public opinions on specific issues or consulting on local priorities.
To recruit participants: use random sampling from the electoral roll or postcode address file to recruit a diverse and representative group of citizens. Ensure that socially excluded and hard-to-reach groups are included. Use various communication channels like digital adverts, direct emails, and local media to reach out.
Inform participants about their role and what to expect.
A Citizens’ Panel is not a standalone engagement method; it will typically involve engagement through surveys and other methods. Regularly engage the Panel through surveys, focus groups, and workshops to gather detailed feedback on policy options and other issues.
Analyse the collected data and provide feedback to participants and the wider community. This can be done through newsletters, local media, or online platforms.
Keep the Panel database up-to-date and periodically renew the Panel to ensure it remains representative of the population.

Advantages	Challenges
Citizens’ Panels helps gather a wide range of public opinions and preferences on various issues They provide detailed feedback on policy options, helping to shape decisions that reflect community needs They engage a diverse group of citizens, ensuring that different voices are heard They can be used for regular surveys and in-depth research, such as focus groups and workshops They can help to track local opinions over time.	Citizens’ Panels require a lot of staff time to set up, and to maintain It can be difficult to be truly representative of the community Keeping participants consistently engaged over time can be challenging Some issues may be too complex for Citizen Panel members to fully understand processes, without more background information and support.

Advantages

Challenges

Citizens’ Panels helps gather a wide range of public opinions and preferences on various issues
They provide detailed feedback on policy options, helping to shape decisions that reflect community needs
They engage a diverse group of citizens, ensuring that different voices are heard
They can be used for regular surveys and in-depth research, such as focus groups and workshops
They can help to track local opinions over time.

Citizens’ Panels require a lot of staff time to set up, and to maintain
It can be difficult to be truly representative of the community
Keeping participants consistently engaged over time can be challenging
Some issues may be too complex for Citizen Panel members to fully understand processes, without more background information and support.

Further information:

Citizens' Panel | Involve

Case study:

Citizens’ Panel to bring together people across Scotland to inform and influence key decisions about health and social care policy and services (Healthcare Improvement Scotland - external).