Originally published 22 March 2006. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
If the term “broken links” means anything to some of us, it is likely to be in the context of the internet. It refers to that infuriating moment when you click on a button, an icon or even a web address and you receive that wonderful piece of Microsoft prose: The page cannot be displayed ….
Indeed, there are today, dozens of specialist technology firms with ever more sophisticated tools to detect and sometimes repair these so-called broken links! Oh for such facilities to mend the broken links in consultation!
For, as with internet sites, the more complex the communication, the greater is the likelihood that intricate relationships can break down. Maybe all once worked well together, but something changed and no-one spotted the implications of making the change and a key dependency was missed. Sometimes, the link never worked properly; it was designed but never fully tested, and no-one pointed out the error. Consultation can involve extended communications. Those who organise a formal consultation exercise may themselves be bit part players in an even more convoluted chain of people engaged in policy-making. Consider, for example, a Government department working alongside other departments and agencies to develop a new policy on an issue that crosses functional boundaries. Or think about a Local Planning Authority trying to pull together varying strands of policy on issues affecting their area, long before going to formal consultation.
Bearing such chains in mind, is it any wonder that, on occasions, what emerges in a consultation seems, to well-informed stakeholders, divorced from the reality of a situation they know well? We’ve all probably noticed that involving too many different interests whilst drafting a document, and having to concede a token mention to everyone’s pet peccadillo, results in obscuring rather than clarifying messages. It’s as if a game of Chinese whispers has distorted the message or perhaps three committees too many have resulted in a consultation paper that is a lowest-common denominator position.
Take a note of the times when a third party research Company is employed to carry out a consultation. Some of these are truly excellent; but ask stakeholders whether they prefer to persuade the consultor researcher, or a chance to persuade the ultimate decision-maker, and obviously they prefer the latter. Much, however, depends on the perceived closeness between the decision-maker and those who consult on his or her behalf. If you’re convinced that by persuading an Alistair Campbell, that you can get a favourable decision from the Prime Minister, then you’re certainly happy to talk to an influential aide!
This is all about linkages….between those who understand the issues and those who will have to prepare the consultation options …between those who devise the consultation process and those who analyse and interpret the output ….and between those who meet and talk with stakeholders..and those who take the real decisions.
If these links are tenuous, or if they become weakened over time, it can damage the integrity of the consultation process, or undermine stakeholders’ confidence that their views are being taken into account. As with the internet, broken links can sometimes lurk undetected for ages because there are alternative workarounds, but eventually they will surface and cause embarrassment. The web surfer may think again before using that particular website; similarly the stakeholder may need persuasion to ever again participate in your consultations.
Trigger points
- Try to map the key linkages in the consultation communication chain and identify vulnerable links
- Ensure that everyone understands precisely what role they play and what’s expected of them
- Find ways to test linkages before launching a consultation exercise
This is the 55th Tuesday Topic; a full list of subjects covered is available for Institute members and is a valuable resource covering so many aspects of consultation and engagement