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
- community organisations
We offer awareness sessions – these help people learn more about:
- the work of Parliament
- how to get involved
Read our annual report 2024-25 (5MB, pdf) posted 12 November 2025
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.
Find out more about our approach to working with communities (323KB, pdf) posted 16 September 2025
Find out more about our key community feedback for session 7 (720KB, pdf) posted 17 June 2026
Communities Conference
In June 2025, PACT held a Communities Conference at the Scottish Parliament.
Watch the video to find out more
Read our report (1MB, pdf) posted 04 September 2025
Watch the BSL version of this visual note
Children and young people
The Scottish Parliament is here to represent everyone in Scotland, including children and young people.
Read more about our commitment to representing the voices of children and young people, including how we are ensuring that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is being built into all areas of our work:
Scottish Parliament UNCRC Report 2026 (974KB, pdf) posted 23 July 2026
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.
Visit our online discussion website
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.
Read the report: Public Participation in the Scottish Parliament