How to Use
This page provides detailed information on how to use the Take Part resource directory, with search tips to help you filter and sort to find the most relevant results.
You can use the quick links below to jump to instructions on:
Quick Search Tips
- You can narrow your search by either using the filter boxes (Take Part strand, topic, target audience) or by sorting the results using the column filters (organisations, title/summary, author and location), or both. See "Sorting your results" section below.
- When using the filter boxes, you can hold down the CTRL key to select multiple items.
- When using the column filters, you can either select an option from the drop down menu, or enter text to search by keyword.
- If you are familiar with the four strands of Take Part work, you can select "all materials" and just use the Take Part filter headings. If you are not familiar with Take Part strands, you may be best to start with the five browsing headings down the left hand side.
- Don't forget to press "search" after selecting your filters and then the "reset search" button each time you want to do a new search.
- Resources produced by one of the Take Part Pathfinders (funded by CLG 2008-11) will have a yellow border.
- Resources will appear multiple times within the online directory under different sections. If you cannot find a resource the first time you look for it, try searching again using a different route (e.g. if you searched by author, try searching by title). If you still can't find a resource it could be because it isn't listed – please use the "Give feedback" pages to tell us about it.
Main Directory
Browsing
Under the 'Main Directory' area of the site you can search for information under the five key browsing headings listed on the left hand side of the site. To search, simply select the category you want and click on the 'search' icon.
- All Material – search results under the 'all material' category will give you a list of all the material stored in the Directory. This enables you to search using the filter boxes and column filters.
- Policy Context – resources in this section include national policies, strategies and action plans, local government strategies and action plans, and national and regional action frameworks.
- Evaluation and Research – resources in this section include research by academic departments, policy thinktanks, government departments and non-departmental government bodies; evaluations of relevant programmes and initiatives; examples of good practice; and guidance on research and evaluation methods.
- Delivery Methods – resources in this section include training courses and qualifications; guidance on delivering initiatives relating to Take Part; examples of local, regional and national projects; examples of work from the Take Part Pathfinders; explanations of democratic processes and the functionality of places; and discussion papers on delivery-related topics.
- Events – This section of the site holds information related to conferences, awards, forums, activity weeks and event calendars linked to Take Part.
- Promotion and Publicity – searching under this section will provide you with examples of promotion and publicity material to promote Take Part type activities, including e-bulletins, posters, leaflets and newsletters.
You can re-set your search at any time by clicking on the 'reset search' button.
Filtering
Once you've searched for information under the main browsing categories you can filter your results to help you find what you need. This is done by highlighting your selections within the filter boxes above your results and pressing the 'search' button (more than one topic can be selected by using your Ctrl key). There are three ways of filtering: by Take Part strand of activity; by topic; and by audience.
Filtering by Take Part Strand: These four strands are the same as the strands of each Take Part Pathfinder's action plan and are as follows:
- Learning programmes and training – resources and materials related to programmes of learning and training (within a community context) that build skills and confidence, and lead to increased individual or collective action/influence.
- Supporting Community Leadership – programmes and initiatives that offer tailored support for people to pursue civic activism or take up lay governance roles.
- Information on opportunities – projects that provide/develop information for citizens about opportunities to take part, including in lay governance roles, and to support mobility between goverance roles.
- Accreditation – access to accreditation for citizenship learning and skills development i.e. active learning courses with qualifications.
Filtering by Topic: The Directory allows you to filter your results under eighteen different topics. Definitions of each of these topics can be found by clicking here (Opens in new window)
Filtering by Audience: The Directory allows you to filter by the following audience categories:
- Children and young people
- Older people
- Disabled people
- NEETS – young people aged 16-18 Not in Education, Employment or Training
- Asylum Seekers / Refugees
- Migrants
- Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople
- Carers
- Women
- Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Groups
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons
- Faith communities
- Residents in rural areas
- Residents in urban areas
- The local community in general
- Practitioners / deliverers
Sorting
Once you have applied filters using the filter boxes at the top of the page, it is also possible to sort your results using the column headings immediately above your results e.g. organisations, title/summary, author and location. To do this, click the grey arrow and select an option from the drop down menu. Or, if there is no arrow, type a key word into the box and press "search."
Viewing each resource
You can access detail on each search result by clicking the "select" button on the right. A new window will open containing the details of the resource, including the title, author, an overview of the resource content, the date the resource was published, weblink to further online information and a direct link to any relevant documents linked to that resource that can be downloaded from the Directory. Where documents aren't available, you should be linked to contact details for where to go to access/purchase the resource.
Organisations Directory
When searching under this section of the site you will be provided with a list of all organisations stored in the Directory that are linked to the Take Part agenda, either by delivering similar activities or by producing research/policy linked to active citizenship. More information is available on each organisation by clicking "select", this includes a general description, website address and phone number, where available.
Case Studies Directory
The 'case studies' section of the Directory lists a number of case studies of best practice activity related to Take Part. Each case study can be downloaded or printed as a PDF document. Where possible each case study includes a description and details of the author, web link and when the case study was written.
Downloading a copy of the Directory
The Directory is available both online and as a downloadable document (PDF) for you to save to file or print. You can download the latest version of the Directory in document format (PDF) by selecting the 'Download Directory' PDF icon that appears under the 'Main Directory' section of the website. If you are just interested in organisations or case studies, you can download these by pressing "Download organisations" or "Download case studies" on the respective pages.
The PDF version of the Directory holds information on all resources, organisations, and case studies stored in the online Directory (however, please note that resources will only be listed under their primary type, unlike the online version which might list them under several different types.)
If you are viewing the PDF on a computer, clicking the weblink will take you directly to the webpage of the resource. If you are viewing a printed copy, only a shortened version of the weblink will be displayed, so this may not take you directly to the page of the resource.
Contact
If you have read the above instructions and are still having difficulty with using the directory, please contact Emma Perry at the Community Development Foundation on 0207 833 1772.
