Cocreating Inclusion in Scottish Charity Governance: Toward a Dialogic Approach

Abstract

Placing beneficiaries at the center of governance and accountability arrangements in charities is widely acknowledged as critical, however, engaging these individuals in a meaningful way represents a fundamental challenge. Mechanisms to facilitate this remain underdeveloped and there is limited understanding of how this can be operationalized within the governance structures of charities, particularly in relation to marginalized groups. This paper contributes to filling this gap by undertaking a longitudinal case study of a Scottish human rights-based charity working with individuals with learning difficulties, exploring how beneficiary participation can be operationalized in practice. A framework is developed which integrates critical dialogic accountability with coproduction principles, providing a unique perspective on how participatory governance can foster greater social inclusion of individuals with learning difficulties.