When more than one government looks after a service

A sorting sheet with only one tick per service can teach the wrong lesson. Some public work involves several contributors, so the recording space needs to accommodate shared responsibility from the outset.

A playground proposal can involve different land ownership, approvals and funding; those details need checking before assigning responsibility.

Mark each documented contributor separately. A shared project should not be forced into a single government column merely to complete the worksheet.

Map the contributors, not just the building

Separate delivery from funding questions. Identify what the diagram actually tells us. Add research questions for missing information.

Different roles in one project are not a contradiction. Can a pair name two different responsibility questions?

Use colour-free role labels and an adult scribe.

Resources

• Who Does What? Government Power Match — Use the responsibility matching activity for a separate checked-service comparison.

Further reading

• Parliamentary Education Office — classroom activities
• Australian Electoral Commission — Democracy Rules

Read next

• Local councils: questions children can investigate nearby
• Preferential voting: work through an official demonstration
• Suggested, considered, decided: three different stages

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