Embedded consultations - Where consultation is built into standard routine processes

Not all public participation or consultation is a one-off exercise.

It is true that much that is most visible reflects the most extensive, wide-ranging dialogues, accompanied by appropriately high wide and handsome press coverage. But away from the glare of publicity much of the day-to-day public consultation takes the form of repetitive activities where public involvement is just part of a wider business process.

Local Government is full of good examples. Applying for planning permission involves a sequence of actions including consulting those who may be affected. Designating or modifying rights of way obliges Highway Authorities to consult local people as well as visitors to the area. Education departments who wish to close or merge schools must consult parents and others as part of the process. Reviews of entertainment or late night alcohol licenses issued by a Licensing Authority are preceded by a period of local consultation …. the list goes on and on. The practice is not confined to Local Authorities; the NHS, Police forces, executive agencies and Government departments all have consultation routines embedded inside administrative procedures. In fact, it is even more generic. Any large-scale project using project management tools and techniques is likely to have built into it a range of consultation stages to ensure that all key stakeholders have opportunities to express their views. The terminology and the details may differ – but, in essence, the activity is the same.

It can be difficult to manage these types of dialogue alongside their standalone cousins – few published consultation or public participation strategies even acknowledge their existence. It is essential, however, to make serious efforts to clarify to citizens and stakeholder groups what their rights and expectations should be, and to widen the accessibility and visibility of such dialogue opportunities so they become more inclusive, and not just used by those who happen to know their way around the bureaucratic labyrinth.

So, here are some ideas.

• Every organisation should keep a register of these processes, and, to the extent that the law allows, standardise the terminologies to make them comprehensible to citizens. • Every such process should be documented, with the procedures published and easily accessible alongside other consultation data on the relevant website. • Each one should identify a process owner who is responsible for maintaining and updating the documentation, answering queries and organising the process. • Most importantly, all should apply the same standards to these consultations as are enforced for other consultations.

Just because some of these processes are smaller in scale, and are designed for different purposes, it does not mean that they matter less to people. In fact, granting planning permission to your neighbour, or erecting speed humps in your street, can affect residents and arouse emotions dramatically. This is why sensitive Authorities won’t just establish this form of consultation because of legal requirements, but because they think it is good practice to offer residents or stakeholders a chance to express their thoughts before changes that affect them are implemented.

It is equally best practice to bring such processes into the overall strategy for public participation, to train those who administer them properly and to apply high standards to their application

Trigger points

• Start looking for these embedded consultation processes in your own organisation
• Review your Consultation or Public participation strategies; have embedded consultation processes been adequately covered?
• Consider the Institute’s Consultation Strategies & Skills courses, which, from Autumn 2006 now includes a special session on these types of consultations

This is the 68th 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