About

Open Public Dispatch helps general readers make sense of public information: notices, agendas, minutes, consultations and the language of institutional decisions. It is for anyone who wants to follow a public process without needing specialist vocabulary.

What we cover

We explain how common public documents are organised, what their terms usually indicate and how different stages of a decision relate. The focus is on reading and interpretation, not on advising readers what position to take or how to act in a particular jurisdiction.

How we approach it

We define terms before using them, distinguish a proposal from a decision, and make clear when a document does not answer a question. Examples are explanatory rather than claims about a specific authority. Readers should consult the relevant official source when they need information about a particular process.

Who it is for

The publication is written for curious readers, community participants, students and anyone encountering public records for the first time. We aim to make the material legible without assuming prior knowledge.