Originally published 6 November 2007. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
Were all consultations simple Yes/No votes, life would probably be simpler. Dumbed-down, maybe; but without doubt simpler!
In reality, however, policy-making at all levels is complex and there are shades of opinion or nuances of approach which are seldom picked up when we opt for over-simplistic dialogues. The truth is that consultees often want to offer a conditional response – one that is hedged around with reservations, or tied to a particular interpretation of the facts.
Here are three typical scenarios:-
• A planning proposal envisages building several hundred houses, and local residents are asked for their views. In general, there is little outright opposition, but serious doubts about the ability of the authorities to provide the required roads, health centres or schools needed to support a bigger population. It may be a yes ..... but there is a big but ....... • NHS re-configuration plans suggest the need to centralise certain specialities in order to make better use of new medical technologies. Patient groups are reluctant to endorse the proposals but are willing to be persuaded if promises of improved overall outcomes made by senior clinicians can be supported by reputable research, and verified by an independent body. Not a yes ....yet. But it could become one .......
• The city has a major traffic problem and proposes congestion charging. A consultation reveals much support for the scheme but only if commuters can be convinced that plans to improve public transport are credible and will be delivered. Without this, the proposal is dead in the water, so the ...but... is probably bigger than the ...yes... !
In all these and similar cases, it must be tempting for consultors to seize upon answers they find congenial. After all, a yes is a yes, isn’t it? Impatient go-getting leaders as well as timetable-driven officials are bound to take such consultation output as a green light to proceed.
But it isn’t a green light. It’s a yellow! Nothing is more likely to cause disillusionment and scepticism among the public than the sense that only part of what they’ve said is being heard.
This is why it is so important for organisations to take consultee reservations really seriously, and to rein back the temptation of PR departments to over-hype the positive message of support proposals may have nominally received. Instead, effort needs to be directed at problem resolution and consensus-building. It is upon the skill with which these are tackled that ultimately success depends.
Trigger points
- Consider whether recent consultations in your organisation have resulted in Yes ...but responses
- Are you placing sufficient emphasis on consensus-building skills?
- Look carefully at the media coverage you organise when Yes....but outputs are made public. Can you strike the right balance? See also the Institute’s Seminar on Consultation & the Media.
This is the97th 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