THE CONSULTATION INSTITUTE

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CE-110Practical · EngagementEngagement

Ten smart techniques for engagement that works.

Consultation fails when the methods don't fit the audience. This hands-on day gives you ten proven techniques, and the judgement to choose the right one for every situation.

Colleagues laughing together at a networking event
1 day
Duration
£295+VAT
Public · per delegate
POA
In-house
30 CPD
Credits
Fig. 01 · Methods in practice
01
Overview

The technique you reach for first decides whether people feel heard, or processed.

Too many engagement plans default to the same tired survey and the same drop-in session, then wonder why the same few voices turn up. The result is consultation that looks thorough on paper but reaches no one new.

This practical day puts ten field-tested techniques in your hands, from deliberative methods to digital and street-level outreach, and builds the judgement to match the right method to the audience, the question and the budget in front of you.

02
The ten techniques
01Stakeholder mapping

Know who matters, who's missing, and who holds the influence before you design anything.

02Deliberative workshops

Give people the evidence and the time to weigh trade-offs and reach considered views.

03Citizens' panels

Build a standing, representative group you can return to over time, not just once.

04Surveys that earn answers

Write questions that yield usable data instead of leading the witness.

05World café & open space

Run large rooms so every table contributes and the energy stays in the conversation.

06Focus groups

Probe the why behind the numbers with the right people and a disciplined topic guide.

07Digital & online tools

Reach people where they already are, and avoid the traps of self-selection.

08Pop-up & street engagement

Take the conversation to the high street, the clinic and the school gate.

09Reaching seldom-heard groups

Design for the people a standard process always leaves out.

10Closing the feedback loop

Show people what changed because they spoke: the “you said, we did” that builds trust.

03
What you'll take away
01A working command of ten engagement techniques and what each is good for
02The judgement to match a method to your audience, question and budget
03Practical tactics for reaching seldom-heard and under-represented groups
04A mixed-method plan you can adapt to your own live project
05Ways to close the feedback loop and demonstrate impact to participants
04Who it's for

Anyone who plans or runs engagement.

Ideal for those newer to the field, and for experienced practitioners who want to widen their repertoire beyond the usual two or three methods.

Delivered by Nick Duffin & Anna Collins
Consultation & engagement practitioners
Communications & campaigns teams
Policy & service designers
Community development workers
Anyone new to consultation
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Group & in-house rates available.
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06Before you book

Common questions

Anything not covered here, ask us. We answer the same day.

01How many CPD points do I earn?Thirty tCI CPD points. Every virtual and face-to-face course carries 30, and points are logged against your record when you attend. Members can download a CPD statement from the membership portal at any time, and this course counts towards the taught element of a tCI qualification.
02Is it virtual or face-to-face?Open places run as a live virtual workshop, delivered in real time by a tCI trainer, never a recording. Groups stay small enough that everyone can speak, and you work in breakouts as well as listening. The same course runs face-to-face at your own offices as an in-house session.
03How long is the course?One full day, 09:30 to 16:30, with breaks through the day. The day is built around practical exercises rather than presentation, so you leave having worked on engagement techniques rather than only having heard about it.
04Can you run this in-house for our team?Yes, and it is the usual choice for teams of six or more. In-house delivery works from your sector and the consultations you have in front of you, so the engagement techniques exercises use your own material. We can run it in person or virtually, and split it across two half-days where a full day is hard to protect. Ask us about bespoke for a quote.
05Do I need prior experience or other courses first?No prior course is required. It is pitched at intermediate level, so it suits people who have run or commissioned engagement already. Newer practitioners do well on it too. You will simply cover some foundational ground faster than others in the room.
06Who delivers the course?A tCI trainer who specialises in engagement practice and works in it, not only teaches it. The named trainer for each date is shown on the course calendar and confirmed in your joining instructions the week before. You can put live problems to them on the day and expect a straight answer.

Stop defaulting to the same two methods

Join the next session, or bring this workshop in-house, virtual or face-to-face, for your whole team.

020 3422 9970·hello@consultationinstitute.org
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