Originally published 8 May 2013. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
We founded the Consultation Institute ten years ago! And, in that time, we have tried hard to promote best practice – in a discipline that has frankly lacked the kind of academic underpinning that it should have had.
For an activity that costs up to a billion pounds every year, the dearth of good quality research is a real surprise ... and a concern. There is no shortage of academic enquiry into all forms of public participation, but the well-established model of consultation that has become a regular feature of public policy decision-making in the UK and beyond has received little attention. It means that we have few answers to some important questions, such as • What are the real consequences of consultation? Are they better or worse than advocates or critics claim? • What’s the evidence on the effectiveness of different forms of consultation activity? • Does consultation work better for different scenarios or in different market segments? • What do stakeholders think of consultation processes? Indeed what is the public’s view?
There have been sporadic attempts to tackle some of these issues, and individual researchers have contributed much to the body of knowledge. But there has been little in the way of a comprehensive approach to the role of consultation in the wider world of public engagement, and we have struggled to find a College or University prepared to invest significantly in this area. Maybe this was inevitable until a practitioner body such as the Consultation Institute took sufficient interest in bringing together the day-to-day practicalities of consultation with the longer-term more rigorous disciplines of academia.
This is what we hope will happen when we start working with the University of Huddersfield. Under the visionary guidance of Keith Butterick – himself an experienced communications specialist – the Centre for Communications and Consultation Research is a serious attempt to fill this gap. Together, our two organisations hope to make it the foremost focal point for the study of consultation in Europe, and beyond. It will seek to combine the University’s excellent track record in attracting research funding from public and private sponsored sources, with the Institute’s understanding of operational practicalities and how to apply research to develop standards and improve performance. Modern research funding is best attracted by programmes that can demonstrate real-world application for what is learnt. So the aim is to build a programme that develops useable insights, and for this the Centre’s Students and tutors will spend quality time with the Institute and its members. Both research and work placements will be an important feature of the collaboration.
If this is such a good idea, one might ask why now? Should we not have forged a strong link with Universities a long time ago?
Probably yes, but as a specialist not-for-profit organisation, our development has been constrained. However, right now there is a coming together of several key factors:
• There has probably never been a more important time to consult citizens. Austerity means taking painful decisions and we need to find the best possible ways to hear and heed the voices of those who will be impacted by the inexorable process of change. There is therefore an enormous amount of evidence being generated – and now is the time to harvest this data and assess it. • That same culture of austerity leads some to try to dilute the commitments to consultation and engagement and dismiss them as mere bureaucracy; some might see Oliver Letwin’s peremptory replacement of the Government Code of Practice with the looser narrative Consultation Principles as a case in point. Developments like this need to be monitored and lessons learnt. • The growth of social media and its inevitable use in public engagement and consultation is a game-changer, enabling far more people to take part in meaningful dialogues. This watershed in methodology makes it a great moment to research its consequences. • Finally, consultation is a UK-export. This is not a leg-pull; it’s true. Despite what we see as major flaws in our conduct of consultation, the truth is that the British model is of great interest elsewhere in the World. As the Institute’s dealings with the World Bank have shown, there is a growing need for standards and best practice in many countries, and this needs the weight of reputable international research to succeed.
The Institute is keen to let its members benefit immediately from this close co-operation with the Centre. Excellent facilities in Huddersfield will enable us to offer more training and events in the North of England, and we hope to take advantage of a growing body of relevant research in our publications, our training courses and compliance-related services. Starting with the launch of the Centre in June, we hope to invite Institute members to meet staff and students at Huddersfield and continue the task of making consultation a properly recognised twenty-first century discipline with great career opportunities and with a strong body of high-quality research to support it.
Trigger Points
- The Launch event on 12th June provides us with the perfect opportunity to explain in greater detail how the Centre will work and outline its target areas of study. We have reserved a limited number of places for Institute members, and we will be delighted if interested colleagues will join us. Call Jan Warner on 01767 318350 for details.
- Part of the Centre’s role is to review existing relevant research being undertaken in other institutions, and to help publish and promote significant findings. If you know of interesting projects or individuals working in this field, can you please help us get in touch? Send details to MartinRoach
- Is your organisation itself working in collaboration with Colleges or Universities? Can we identify any synergies?
- Might you be interested in our planned Work or Research experience student placements?
This is the 235th 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