PAPER 10 AGORAS MANUAL, FRANCE, V1

IPSG MEETING 15/16NOVEMBER 2007 LISBON

DGME - Mission of the international relations / SQS

5QC

Preparation and organisation of the agoras

V1October 2007

1.Summary of the objectives and principles of operation of the agoras

The Agoras intend to provide the audiencewith an opportunity to debate on specific issues which illustrate the themes and sub-themes of the conference. Typically, 3 to 4 selectedpanellists will start the debate by responding to the questions of an experienced facilitator.

An Agorawill last one hour. The discussion among the panel members should last no longer than 20 minutes; afterwards the public should participate to the debate while the panellists may be given the opportunity to participate at the very end of the panel.

The agoras must clearly differ from the best practice workshops. No case presentationsshould be made. Indeed, in the agoras the panellistscould be grouped around a Parisian “bistrot” table which would be “chaired” by a facilitator. Once the panellists have given their inputs the facilitator should invite members of the audience to ask questions or give their views on the issue debated.No formal presentationsareexpected.Visual materials could be used only when strictly necessary (e.g.. two slides maximum to introduce the speaker and his/her attitude towards the topic, a video taking no longer than three minutes, etc.)

The idea is to manage the agoras around questions, prepared beforehand and received from the audienceduring the agora.

The agoras will be conducted by experienced facilitators.

12 agoras are planned according to the following topics:

  1. Is it possible to place the citizen at the heart of the conception and changes of rules and regulations?
  2. Is deliberative democracy the solution to further integrate the citizen?
  3. Are the needs of the citizens well apprehended?
  4. How to make public services more accessible to everyone?
  5. Are all citizens equal regarding public services?
  6. Is it possible to foster quality without staff engagement?
  7. NGOs: what role to play in the production of public services of good quality?
  8. Is participatory evaluation of public action useful?
  9. Citizen charters: myth or reality?
  10. Has e-government kept its promises?
  11. How to make behaviours evolve? Rights and obligations of citizens in order to improve quality
  12. Does outsourcingimprove service quality?

2.Preparation of the agoras

For each agora, a list of the desirable panellists' profiles was drawn up. Panellists were identified thanks to the IPSG and other actors involved in the preparation of the 5QC. Based on these suggestions, possible speakers have been selected with the scientific rapporteurs.

Facilitators will be selected among IPSG or other EUPAN working groups members, or among people suggested by this network

1.Stage 1: The participants' confirmation

The participants of an agora are the facilitator and the panellists.

The aim is to have a variety of different profiles, nationalities and genders in each agora. Ideally, each profile will be represented by only one panellist.

  • The 5QC team will contact each panellist, by associating the people who suggested his/hername, in order to confirm his/her availability and motivation to take part in the agora. The general presentation of the 5QC and the definition of the agoras are communicated to him/her.
  • As far as possible, a backup person is identified for each confirmed panellist, either directly with the panellist himself/herself, or with the person who suggested his/her name.
  • A first approach of the panellist’stestimony, relevant experience or attitude toward the topic, is outlined at this stage.
  • The title and the exact role of the participant, as they will be published on the programme, are confirmed.
  • The 5QC team willcontact each facilitator.

2.Stage 2: Clarification of the positioning of the agora

  • When all the participants of anagora (the facilitator and the panellists) are confirmed, a telephone conference will be organised by the facilitator to clarify the contents and focus of the agora. Such a conference can be managed by the facilitator on the basis of the following agenda:

Contents / Duration
1 / Presentation of each participant (role, point of view related to the topic of the agora) / 10 min
2 / Presentation of the initial description of the agora / 5 min
3 / Discussion to identify what each panellistsuggests to bring to the debate: point of view, experience, questions and issues, etc. / 15 min
4 / Review of the description of the agora to take into account the orientation that panellistsare likely to opt for: eliminatingtopics or questionswhich will not be approached;adding points which will probably be discussed, etc. / 20 min
5 / Drafting the description of the agora for the programme: 2 or 3 sentences describing the key issues + 2 or 3 key questions to be addressed in the agora / 10 min
  • Following the telephone conference, the description of the agorais finalised by the facilitator and the 5QC team. It is addressed in the following week to all the panellists for validation under 8 days.
  • The comments or requests are submitted to all the participants by e-mail to obtain a consensus.
  • The validated description is published in the programme of the conference. (N.B.: Under no circumstances does the description of the agora aim at answering or orientating/issuing recommendation, but simply to raise awareness of existing positions on the subject of the agora and the mainissues raised).

3.Stage 3: Script of the agora

  • Facilitators and panellistsare kept regularly informed by the 5QC team of the preparation of the conference so as to remain mobilised.
  • Based on the previous step, the facilitator analyses the panellists’ profiles and their possible contributions, and works out a possible framework for the agora:
  • list and sequence of questions,
  • expected answers of the various participants (in terms of point of view andtestimony),
  • questions forthe audience
  • Interactivity methods with the audience (if possible): for example which "questions to assistance" will be asked (questions to be answered by vote).
  • The facilitator, with the aid of the 5QC team, organises a telephone conference 5 to 6 weeks before the 5QC to discuss, enrich and amend the framework. Following this telephone conference, he/she finalises the script of the agora and communicates it to the participants.
  • During the 5QC, the day before the agora, he/shegathers the panellists to make sure that each one identifies well the other participants, the script is re-examined and adjusted if needed(e.g. new elements, question from the of citizens panel, etc). Meeting points for the participants of each agorawill be defined on the premises of the conference.

3.Facilitation of the agoras

Each agora will have:

  • the selected panellists,
  • the facilitator of the agora,
  • One (or several) assistants to collect the questions of the audience in the room,
  • A "scribe" to take notes in order to report after the conference the contents developed.

Each agora will be conducted according to the detailed script worked out by the facilitator along with the speakers.

These scripts will include all the following elements:

  • introduction of the question process: the audience is invited to formulate the questions they wish to address during the discussion. These questions will then be given to the facilitator for being asked introduction of each participant,
  • answering the questions collected during the agora.

After the introduction of the panellists, each agora will started by a question addressed by a citizen, stated as such. Panellistswill make their comments and/or share their experience on this basis. If needed, a short "introduction of the topic" will be made by the facilitator or one of the panellists before the panellist answers.

During the debate, participants will be invited to write questions on papers. These papers will be collected by the assistants and submitted to the facilitator 15 minutes before the end of the agora. The facilitator will then distribute the questions to the panellists, or choose among themone of the panellists to answer it.

4.Deadlines for the preparation and organisation of the agoras

Action / Who / When
Participants’ confirmation (panellists and facilitators) / 5QC team + partners (IPSG, others) / 30Nov 07
1st telephone conference / Facilitators + Panellists / 30 Dec. 07
Clarification of the positioning of the agoras / QC team + agora speakers / 15 Jan. 08
2nd telephone conference / facilitator + speakers / 15 Sept. 2008
Detailed script of the agora / facilitator / 1 October 2008
Finalisation of the agora / facilitator+ speakers / 19/20/21 Oct. 08
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