Panels reunited - If you don’t use Panels, start building. You’ll need them soon

Local Authorities use them. Some NHS Trusts use them; Police have them and umpteen other public bodies have found them useful from time to time. In the private sector, electronic panels are increasingly used for customer consultation – and the market research industry has long seen them as a great way to build demographically-representative stratified samples. They are very convenient, and save us the cost of assembling a credible sample on each and every occasion that a consultation is needed. They also ensure a higher response rate, for one is asking the willing rather than the unwilling. Of course there are disadvantages, and a frequent complaint is that there comes a point when panellists cease to be representative. That’s why Panels are refreshed on a regular basis.

So why are they important right now?

• We face a tight squeeze on public sector expenditure and the emphasis therefore is on cost-effectiveness. Much of the cost of Panels lies in setting them up and maintaining them; the better used they are – the cheaper it becomes. • They provide an alternative to successive separate projects which are more expensive and time-consuming to organise. • Many Panels are under-consulted and provide less of a return on the investment than they might. In the climate of budget reductions there is no shortage of subjects where we need a citizen view. • Panels can be shared between several agencies, and can therefore be large enough to provide good segment samples by age, by geography, by religion or other demographics. Local partners can amalgamate existing panels or co-operate to build new panels fit for new purposes. • There is now an emphasis on speed. Forget about 12 weeks in the current climate. Decisions need to be taken quickly and Panels enables organisations to consult to a shorter timescale.

True, it may be necessary to modify existing structures. One-size-fits-all general-purpose Panels, although useful, might now be less valuable than three or four smaller ones geared to young people, older people, business people or other characteristics. And, if you advertised for Panel members this month and explained that these individuals will play a part in influencing the shape and size of budget cuts, you might receive rather more applications than previously. From this pool of volunteers you can, of course, recruit members of Focus Groups and participants in other consultation exercises.

Many Councils and NHS Trusts once had Panels, but gave up on them. Some were held to have a limited shelf-life; great for a couple of years. But once the obvious questions had been asked, the quality and usefulness of insights declined. Why resurrect a methodology of historically dubious value?

There are three answers.

1. There will be a political necessity for Councillors and Senior Managers to spread the pain – or should we say the guilt! So, being able to say, “Our citizens panel has looked at these options and think this is the least worst”, may not assuage much – but is better than soldiering on regardless. 2. More people will be inclined towards active citizenship when there are causes to fight and threats to counteract. It is possible to harness some of this desire for involvement by setting up specialist Panels. Maybe Parents, Service Users, environmentalists, shoppers, road users ... whatever. 3. They can be invaluable in the context of The Big Society. Ah, The Big Society! If only we knew what it was! The good news is that in our brave new localism world, with no universal blueprint, each area may be able to build its own. So use Panels to sound out the public on the ideas that will now be implemented.

There are many variations on the Panels theme. On a really small scale, a Council Leader may wish to structure a small Panel to advise him or her on key issues. For Partnerships, a Panel of key statutory or third sector stakeholders can also make sense. Or you may want to use Participatory Budgeting techniques in reverse for this difficult period of less money.

Whatever is done, Panels can be a cost-effective solution to the challenge of needing more than ever to take the public temperature whilst spending less and taking less time. Everyone in the public engagement field should look again at how they can be used.

Trigger points

• Are you making effective use of existing Panels? If you don’t have any, should you re-examine your approach?
• The Institute’s 6th Annual Seminar on Community & Citizens Panels on 13th October in Birmingham, has some great speakers and thought-provoking sessions this year.
• We are about to publish a series of short Big Society Briefs. The first is on Budget Reduction and will be available very shortly. Keep an eye on our newsletter.

This is the 171st 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