Participation and Communities Team
The Participation and Communities Team (PACT) works with individuals and communities to support engagement with the Scottish Parliament.
The team helps people have their views and experiences heard by our committees. This ensures that the conversations are well-informed and more balanced.
We do this by partnering with
- voluntary groups
- business groups
- charities, and
- community organisations.
We offer awareness sessions – these help people learn more about
- the work of Parliament, and
- how to get involved.
Take a look at our latest annual report:
PACT Annual Report 2023-2024 (2MB, pdf) posted 24 September 2024
We have three main areas of focus:
Communities
We are community participation specialists. We bring people together from around Scotland who are most affected by the issues being discussed in Parliament. We connect them to the relevant committee, so that their voices can be heard and considered by MSPs. We value hearing about people’s lived experiences. We work with organisations to make sure we are engaging with the right communities in the right way. We do this through a variety of activities, including targeted communications and workshops.
Digital
We know that not everyone can easily engage with Parliament in person. We’re exploring ways to connect with more people online, so that they can have their say in the work we do.
The Scottish Parliament currently uses a consultation website to support our Call for Views, and an online discussion website to help the public talk about issues and put forward their own experiences, ideas, and questions.
Deliberative democracy
'Deliberative democracy' is a process for getting people to engage in discussion and debate on certain issues. It encourages people to take part and arrive at a consensus. It's an inclusive approach to democracy. PACT encourage the use of deliberate democracy through Citizens’ Panels.
Contacting the team
If you would like to know more about the work of PACT, please email the team at [email protected].
You can follow the team on Twitter at: @Engage_SP.
Presiding Officer's visits
As part of the Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary, the Presiding Officer is visiting all eight regions of Scotland, to talk to people who live there, and find out what the Parliament means to them.
See a map of Scotland's constituencies and regions
PACT have produced reports about these visits:
South Scotland: Burnfoot Community Futures (3MB, pdf) posted 31 October 2024
South Scotland: Borders Community Action (2MB, pdf) posted 31 October 2024
Other information
Committees are regularly looking for the public to share their views on various legislative issues.
Find the latest list of calls for views
You can also read about our Privacy Policy, and our statement on trauma-informed working.