My citizenship action's overall goal was to persuade the local council to install recycling bins in our local park. Success can be measured against this aim.
The outcome achieved was partially successful. After presenting our petition to the local councillor, she agreed to raise the issue at the next council environment committee meeting. This was a significant step and a successful outcome of our lobbying. However, six months on, no bins have been installed yet, as the council has cited budget constraints. Therefore, we have not yet achieved our ultimate goal.
Looking at the elements of our action, the successful parts were the research and the petitioning. Our survey provided strong evidence, and collecting over 200 signatures showed clear community support, which made the councillor take us seriously. The presentation to the councillor was also successful as it was well-prepared and persuasive. An unsuccessful element was our follow-up strategy. We did not have a clear plan for what to do after the meeting, and we lost some momentum. We should have maintained pressure on the council.
If I were to do this again, I would improve our campaign's public profile. We relied only on the petition and direct lobbying. Next time, I would also contact the local newspaper and use social media to create a public campaign. This would have raised wider awareness and put more public pressure on the council to act on their committee's discussions, potentially overcoming the budget excuses. This sustained pressure is crucial for turning a promise into a concrete outcome. In conclusion, while we succeeded in getting the issue onto the council's agenda, the action was not fully successful as the tangible outcome has not yet been achieved, highlighting the need for a more sustained and public-facing campaign.
This is the capstone question for the Active Citizenship Investigation. It requires you to reflect critically on your entire project. The key skill being assessed is analysis. You need to break down your action into its different parts and evaluate them against your original aims. A top-level answer will be balanced, acknowledging both successes and failures. It will also show maturity by reflecting on what could be improved. This is not just about describing what you did, but about evaluating its effectiveness and learning from the experience. Using the bullet points as subheadings can be a very effective way to ensure your answer is well-structured and covers all the required elements.
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