Participation policy

The climate of participation has changed considerably since the inception of Participation Cymru in 2001. The Welsh Assembly Government in particular has embraced the principles of citizen engagement and participation. This has been mirrored in the many voluntary and community sector organisations in Wales who see user and community participation as crucial to the development of both their organisations and the services they provide.

This change in thinking is also reflected in the changing priorities of a variety of organisations and institutions such as the Welsh Assembly Government, Local Government, Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies and the Health Service. Action plans, policies, reviews, research and programmes such as

• Signposts Two – putting public and patient involvement into practice - Welsh Assembly Government (2003)
• Making The Connections: Delivering better services for Wales - Welsh Assembly Government (2004)
• Delivering the Connections: From Vision to Action - Our 5 Year Action Plan for delivering better services in Wales - Welsh Assembly Government (2005)
• Communities First - Welsh Assembly Government
• A better Wales: the natural environment of Wales in 2010 - Countryside Council for Wales
• Creating a Better Wales 2006–11 - Environment Agency Wales
• Making the Connections: Delivering Beyond boundaries: Transforming public services in Wales - Welsh Assembly Government (2006)
• Engaging the Public in Decisions – the Citizen’s Voice - Welsh Assembly Government (2006)
• Building Better Customer Service – the Citizen’s Voice - Welsh Assembly Government (2006)
• Beyond Barriers: Identifying conditions for embedding effective public involvement - Welsh Assembly Government / ORS (2007)

These demonstrate the imperative for all to engage with citizen and community participation.