Participation Audits

Human Sciences conducts and facilitates community participation audits in order to assist local authorities and other agencies to reach benchmark standards of public participation.

The audit package used by Human Sciences draws on work done at Bristol and Brighton Universities in the UK, and is the best-practice model for auditing and benchmarking community participation.

The audit process has the following characteristics - it can be, or is:

• Comprehensive
• Regular
• Comparative
• Externally validated
• Transparent

Proper auditing of community participation can facilitate learning and dialogue, among staff, community participants and management.

Participation audits:

• draw on many perspectives
• reflect local circumstances
• encourage enquiry and learning
• can be peer-driven, rather than top-down
• can be qualitative, rather than just quantitative

Using tools developed with communities in the UK, Human Sciences moves through a set audit process, under which partners:

• map the history and context of participation
• assess the quality of participation strategies in use
• assess the impact of participation programmes
• undertake action planning and benchmarking
• assist in implementation of plans

Information about Human Services Community Audit product and services can be obtained by emailing info@humansciences.com.au.