Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the purpose of the Sciencewise-ERC?

The Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue In Science and Innovation (ERC) is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS). It aims to help policy makers commission and use public dialogue to inform policy decisions in emerging areas of science and technology.

Who funds Sciencewise-ERC?

The Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue In Science and Innovation (ERC) is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS).

What is public dialogue?

Public dialogue is defined by Sciencewise as a ‘two-way’ conversation between policy makers and scientists on the one hand, and the public on the other. It does not seek to find out people’s views on a range of policy options that have already been developed. Rather, it aims to find out people’s hopes, fears and aspirations about potential new areas of science and technology.

It does this by taking place ‘upstream’, in other words before key policy decisions are made, to ensure that the outcomes are able to have some influence and make a difference. 
Crucially, it needs a number of other key ingredients – the involvement of scientists and the space to allow people to discuss and debate the issues, deliberate over time, and come back together again for further discussion.

And most importantly, public dialogue needs to have a policy ‘home’ and be linked to a clear policy issue so that it can make a difference to real decisions.

Why is public dialogue on science and technology important for policy makers and the public?

Public dialogue helps policy makers to think more broadly and deeply around issues. Dialogue can help to challenge assumptions, explore possibilities, and work out implications, opportunities and potential inequalities.

What can’t dialogue do for policy makers?

It can’t make decisions for them.

What are the criteria for Sciencewise funded projects?

Projects have to adhere to our Guiding Principles to be eligible for funding. We also have several other requirements that you can read about here.

I’m a policy maker, how can I find out if a public dialogue is something suitable for me?

Drop us a line via enquiries@sciencewise-erc.org.uk or call our Helpline at 0870 190 6324 and we will put you in touch with one of our Dialogue Engagement Specialists who can advise you on whether public dialogue is suitable in your circumstances.

What can a participant expect from a dialogue activity?

Good facilitation, lots of listening and explaining concerns, lots of thinking and discussions. You should also expect to attend quite a few events, to really think about the dialogue outside the events you attend and also to discuss those events with colleagues and friends.

What happens at a dialogue event?

What happens at a dialogue event, and how it looks and feels will differ greatly depending on where the event is within the process (‘getting to know you’ and information giving or discussion or reporting) and the size of the process – 100 or more people in a room or 15. Read more

Why is it important to evaluate dialogue projects?

There are three main reasons for evaluating public dialogue:

• Accountability: Evaluation enables us to find out whether we have done what we said we would do, and whether we have done  it well and met appropriate standards. Evaluation also validates the findings of the process and answers the questions whether we have reported back to those who took part and other stakeholders.
• Learning: Evaluation enables us to capture learning and improve future practice. Monitoring progress throughout projects gives us information about what worked well and less well.
• Evidence: Evaluation enables us to reveal the value of engagement and reveals shows what costs and benefits the process had for all involved (public participants, policy makers, stakeholders, etc). Evaluation also captures what value the public dialogue to the quality of the policy process.

Furthermore, when spending public resources on a dialogue project there needs to be some sort of procedure in place to ensure the money is well spent and independent evaluation is the best option to do this. Also, having a good evaluator boosts the learning of the department and team running dialogue process, and Sciencewise projects have found that the independent evaluation report is often one of the most valuable documents that come out of the whole process.