Scotland Meet-ups

Open Government Meet-ups in Scotland

Campaign Plan August 2017 – April 2018

Objective
Provide the opportunity for local citizens to come together to discuss, plan and take action on issues of importance to them.

Rationale
Many people feel powerless and dissatisfied with how decisions are made at local, national and international government level. Citizens have so much information and connectivity at our fingertips, yet seem to be excluded from many decision making processes which can have a large impact on their lives.

Aims
The campaign has five main goals:
 * encourage more meet-ups to take place across Scotland
 * ensure equality groups are well represented and integral to the meet-ups
 * promote greater autonomy and ownership of groups
 * make process of establishing a meet-up group easier
 * record and track the development and activity of meet-up groups

Actions

 * Connect with and support organisers of already planned meet-ups
 * Determine current status of meet-ups
 * Develop both a campaigns plan and a comms plan
 * Identify and contact equalities groups
 * Create and upload plain language meet-up guide to encourage participation and local leadership
 * Encourage participants to blog and share their experiences via social media

Equality Groups
The following groups will be asked to participate:
 * Young Scot
 * BEMIS
 * CEMVO
 * Inclusion Scotland
 * Young Women’s Movement
 * Glasgow Disability Alliance
 * Stonewall Scotland
 * Engender
 * Health and Social Care Alliance
 * Scottish Refugee Council
 * SAMH
 * Scottish Council on Deafness
 * Poverty Truth Commission
 * Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC)

Targets
The project aims to work with equality groups representing women, young people, black and minority ethnic communities, refugees, disabled people, people in poverty and LGBTI groups.

Budget
There is approximately £3,000 available to assist participation. Venues with free meeting spaces will be encouraged.

Planned timeline of key events
{| class="wikitable" !2017-18 !Aug!! Sep !! Oct !! Nov !! Dec !! Jan !! Feb !! Mar !! Apr
 * Review current status of meet-ups|| X || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  |
 * Campaign plan || || X ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  |
 * SCVO comms plan || || X ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  |
 * Plain language meet-ups guide |||| X || ||  ||  || ||  ||  ||  |
 * Advertise for local meet-ups || || X ||X|| X ||  || X ||  || X ||  |
 * Contact equalities groups || || X ||X||  ||  || X ||  ||  ||  |
 * Review progress – number, location, content of meet-ups || ||  || ||  || X || X ||  ||||  |
 * Final Report || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X |
 * Advertise for local meet-ups || || X ||X|| X ||  || X ||  || X ||  |
 * Contact equalities groups || || X ||X||  ||  || X ||  ||  ||  |
 * Review progress – number, location, content of meet-ups || ||  || ||  || X || X ||  ||||  |
 * Final Report || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X |
 * Review progress – number, location, content of meet-ups || ||  || ||  || X || X ||  ||||  |
 * Final Report || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X |
 * Final Report || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X |
 * Final Report || ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X |

Current Status of Open Government meet-ups
Useful content has been uploaded to the meet-ups website, detailing what the Open Government project is all about. An organisers template is needed to encourage more local leadership. A group has met twice so far in Dundee and plans to keep forming (coordinated by Sheghley). One-off meet-ups have occurred in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife, with Ruth coordinating one with the Young Women’s Movement in Glasgow.

Equality events held with Young Scot, Inclusion Scotland and CEMVO means pre-existing contact should yield future meet-ups