Participation level:
- Medium (Opinions noted)
- Low (Information only)
Innovation level:
- Medium (Some new elements)
Facilitator skill level, and other support required:
- High (Specialist skills)
- Medium (Computer & other expertise)
Can be used for:
- Showcase product, plan, policy
- Engage community
- Communicate an issue
Field trips aim to let people to 'see for themselves' the place where a development is proposed to be placed, or to have a demonstration of a technique, for example, water quality testing, in the environment where the technique can be tried, and where it is most able to be seen, remembered, and understood.
Field trips provide people with an understanding about a place and/or practice that allows them to incorporate a new method into their practice, or to provide informed opinions on a proposal or issue.
- Used when the issue being considered has a geographic focus
- Used when a large number of stakeholders are involved in the process
- Used where participants require information or education and these are best provided or explained on-site
- Used when a demonstration will be more effective than presentations
- Adds transparency and education to the process of participation
- Provides opportunity for rapport with key stakeholders
- Creates greater public knowledge of issues and processes
- Costly if a large number of experts are engaged to present on site.
- Larger number of participants require large number of staff/facilitators
- Number of participants is limited by logistics.
- Potentially attractive to protesters.
Organizing Field Trip
How many people to organize?
- Large (> 12 people)
- Medium (2-12 people)
- Individual
Time required:
- Long (> 6 months)
- Medium (6 weeks-6 months)
Cost:
- Medium (AUD$1,000-AUD$10,000)
- Low (< AUD$1,000)
- Publicise the field trip
- Select times that suit the largest number of participants (e.g. select from after hours for full-time workers, daytime for retirees or parents with small children).
- Field trips can run from several hours to full days to allow the greatest number of participants to attend (depending on the time participants can spare; distance to be traveled; availability of expertise and/or case studies).
- Advertise the agenda and times of key presentations in appropriate place, e.g. local media; posters at local stores and libraries. This will allow participants to attend for shorter periods if necessary, and will allow them to choose sessions of interest.
- Ensure adequate staff on site to provide assistance (e.g. give directions; be available for first-aid; organise food and drink (catering, set-up and clean away), etcetera.
- Create and display signs that publicise the location of field trip through attachment of maps/directions with a pre-posted agenda.
- Ensure all publicity (signs, media releases, brochures) provide directions from major routes near the site.
- Allow time for participants to approach experts for one-to- one discussions.
- Provide printed public information materials during the field trip for interested participants.
- Appoint staff to act as note takers during the discussions.
- Provide feedback forms/survey/response sheets to facilitate public input.
- Pay attention to duty of care/safety issues. If site is difficult to access or contains elements of risk, make necessary preparations to avoid accidents with an emphasis on participants with disabilities.
- Organise catering if appropriate
- Ensure toilets are available
References
Description
Field trips are organised trips where participants visit physical sites. They are a venue for providing information and at times, opportunities for participant input. Public input is possible when other participative activities are combined with the field trip. A popular technique for environmental, planning and design related participation processes, field trips are especially useful as a complement to conference presentations, or when written work such as reports are inappropriate.
This page originally copied with permission from the Citizens Science Toolbox
