The Monkey and the Organ-Grinder - How important is it for consultees to have direct contact with decision-makers?

In the perfect world, a consultation is organised by people who genuinely want to hear your views so that they can take decisions or review their policies. They will be keen to understand what key stakeholders have to say, and may well make themselves available for direct discussions with them.

Of course we all realise that life is not like this. A Government department launches a large-scale consultation, and a big fat document crashes onto our desks. We labour to produce a serious and detailed response, but we do no seriously expect the phone call, The Minister would like to you to come to talk to him….. So, let’s get local. That big regeneration project! There’s a more touchy-feely flavour to this consultation. We met those nice people at the exhibition on the market square, and they made lots of notes about what we had to say. Then we responded to the survey that came through the door. We also attended the public meeting, where Planning Officers gave us the background, and smooth-talking developers described their futuristic drawings. But here’s what’s interesting. It is the Council Planning Committee that gives the go-ahead for this scheme, but although some of the Councillors were present, they had to be careful not to compromise their impartiality – so little meaningful dialogue with them!

In both cases, stakeholders dare not stay away and let their case go by default. But neither can they be certain that the people they actually meet during the consultation are able to convey their views to those who really matter.

This is no criticism of consultation specialists whose role is to facilitate communications upwards and downwards along the dialogue path. But at times it puts them in a position where they are very much a second choice in any meeting with consultees; after all they would prefer to meet face-to-face with those who really wield power. Why talk to the monkey when your real target is the organ-grinder?

Right now, there are countless public meetings being run in the NHS, and also elsewhere in public service when those who appear before the public are sent to take the flak, because those who are really pulling the strings aren’t in attendance. One reason is that there are statutory duties to consult placed upon bodies whose discretion is constrained by decisions of another. To make the consultation meaningful, both organisations should appear together and address public concerns in a more holistic way.

A very difficult balance has to be struck between letting people be heard, compiling their views and pushing these up the chain of command, and exposing the higher echelons to the full rigour of the face-to-face process. Certain management structures are better than others for this, and new partnerships provide an opportunity to improve.

But if we wish to engage people successfully, we must convince them that we are sufficiently interested in their input as to become personally involved in the act of listening. If the organ-grinder is ever to change the tune, he is most likely to do so after a meaningful dialogue with his audience!

Trigger points

• To what extent does your senior management become personally involved in key consultations?
• If you are planning a public meeting, will everyone that needs to be there appear?
• When decision-makers rely upon you to brief them about consultee views, how can you strengthen your credibility in the eyes of your stakeholders?

This is the 70th 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