Originally published 4 September 2006. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
Picture the setting!
A motley collection of worthies, no doubt intended to be representative but more likely to be wonderfully atypical and idiosyncratic - are gathered together and earnestly apply themselves to answering the questions posed in the consultation exercise ….! Out comes the faithful flipchart. Let's brainstorm, says the facilitator….and off we go.
Of course, not all consultations are like this. Many rely upon more structured dialogue methods, but there clearly is a role for less formalised thinking-out-loud opinion-gathering from time to time. It's a great way to pick up the gut feelings of stakeholders; to generate new ideas and to make connections between one person's contribution and the others in a group. This is why it is such a favourite of the training course tutor. Faced with a choice of putting the answers to a question on a slide or inviting the audience to suggest the answers, the latter technique wins hands-down; it makes for a far more satisfying and successful learning experience. But a consultation is not the same as a training course. Ask a section of the community to tell you what they think should be done with the Village Green, and twenty people will volunteer at least twenty different ideas. The flipchart is a good way to capture these thoughts - but that is as far as it often gets. Remember that under the normal rules of brainstorming, we are careful not to discuss a contribution; the reason for this is that we don't wish to discourage participation by being critical about his or her idea - and we'd like everyone to feel that their voice has equal validity in the exercise.
In a well-considered consultation, the consultor may need to do more than just gather raw ideas or random comments. Important or difficult decisions may have to be taken following the consultation and it may be critical to know whether a particular point of view is widely held - or whether its supporters have thought through the implications. This is why many of the best consultations have a heavy emphasis on qualitative as opposed to quantitative dialogue. This means understanding who says what - and the reasons why they say it. If the Department of Health mounts a consultation on GP surgeries, it makes a real difference whether the response comes from, say the British Medical Association on the one hand, or from a Pharmaceutical firm on the other.
In a different example, it makes a difference to a Police Authority if a response comes from a group of disabled people or from a charity that purports to speak on behalf of those who care for such people. It is not that one stakeholder necessarily has more right to contribute than another - it is just that the job of the consultor is to make an intelligent assessment of what is said by consultees, and for this to happen it needs a reasonable amount of information to be known about that consultee. Who exactly are they? In policy terms, where are they coming from? How have they formed this view? Have they considered the likely consequences? Etc etc
Against this model, the consultor that receives a list of issues captured on the faithful flipchart has little to go on. Complex propositions are condensed into sloganistic one-liners; there are few clues as to who offered the thought - or the extent to which it is supported by those who were in attendance. There may be even less evidence of real debate or discussion about difficult choices or priorities. In short, whilst it is possible to use this method to set agendas, elicit ideas or capture aspirations, it is scarcely an effective method for a genuine dialogue.
Community Strategies and other important documents have recently been developed in the light of participation exercises - many of which show signs of flipchart-based brainstorming. Indeed there is a trend towards publishing what finds its way onto the flipchart pages in unedited form - just long lists of what people want. Good health, Better Roads, Less Crime, Cleaner streets, Nicer neighbours ….and of course , Lower taxes….! There's nothing much wrong with this - but it does not go very far - and there's a limit to what a consultor can do with this data!
So use the flipchart where it works best - capturing issues which are on people's minds or gathering ideas for solutions to problems, but let's not confuse such exercises with the more interactive processes of dialogue where contributors' ideas can be thoughtfully explored, be considered and be subject to genuine debate.
Trigger points
- Do you use the flipchart in the best way possible?
- Has your organisation a tendency to publish brainstormed lists ....under the guise of feedback?
- Should those who conduct front-line consultation be trained in the most effective use of brainstorming techniques?
This is the 60th 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