Models like the Change Formula should already be used in the process of preparation of national roundtables and regional consultation to identify factors that might contribute to active participation. As described above, the Change Formula can be a helpful guide in mobilising the necessary energy for collaboration. It was suggested that it might be helpful to better convince the authorities of the price paid by the status quo and the ‘benefits of change’, e.g. cost efficiency of effective procedural safeguards or ‘reframing’ them as police professionalism and ways to increase public trust in the police.58 Moreover, it is necessary to take the concerns of state authorities seriously. Ultimately, the key to engaging state authorities is to invest in building professional and friendly relationships and trust with both police officers and senior management. It is important to identify change agents within the state institutions that provide an entry point for dialogue and establishing trust and can eventually serve as multipliers. The police officers from Ireland and Belgium who were present at several regional consultations are an excellent example. These partnerships take time and are built through successive contacts over different projects and initiatives. Trustful relationships can be fostered by ensuring transparency of our work and involving state representatives from the very beginning of processes. Through active and enthusiastic participation in the national roundtable key change-makers were identified. Alliances were then forged with these actors through active participation, including and involving them with strategic advocacy and event planning and inviting them as experts to join the regional consultations. Offering knowledge and training to actors, even informally, through engagement with projects like this incentivises actors to engage more, to learn, and become more persuasive in their own institutions. A good way to increase the engagement of the police was involving them in multi-disciplinary working groups and the planning of events (see below, § 2.6). 2.4.3 Involvement of suspected and accused persons It was commonly agreed that the involvement of suspected and accused people, adults, and children, in the research and change strategy is most important. Those who have real experiences as suspected or accused persons can share precious information and insights about the practical implementation of procedural rights. In order to better represent the views of suspected and accused persons in Ireland - upon the recommendation of the advisory board member Vicky Conway - a small number of semi-structured interviews with people with lived experience were conducted and read out at the national roundtable. At the EU workshop with CSOs in Brussels, it was mentioned that ensuring effective participation is particularly important regarding those in a situation of enhanced vulnerability and those most impacted by policing. How this should be done in practice needs further reflection. If participation is sought through collaboration with organisations representing these communities’ interest, are they really best placed to do so? If direct engagement/ involvement/ participation is considered, how to ensure it does not cause additional harm to impacted persons? EXAMPLES The principle of participation is for example well developed in the area of children’s rights and much can be learned about effective and sensitive processes from this field (including child participatory approaches in political participation, climate change, migration/children on the move, child protection and child justice). For instance, when the UN General Assembly commissioned an in-depth global study on the situation 58. EU workshop with CSOs, Brussels on 18 October 2022. 26