Participation
by Design.
A practical programme to help public bodies make more confident decisions about when and how to involve the public.
From government ambition to organisational practice
The Government’s Rewiring the State agenda proposes moving away from consultation by default towards more effective ways of involving the public.
This creates an opportunity for public bodies to rethink how they involve people in decisions. Formal consultation remains essential in many circumstances, but it may not always be the best fit. Earlier engagement, deliberation or co-design can give people a greater say in the decisions that affect them.
The challenge is to make these choices with confidence, within the law and with clear accountability.
tCI’s Participation by Design implementation programme helps organisations put this change into practice.
What we offer
Our 10-week programme brings together senior leaders, legal advisers and engagement practitioners to review how decisions about public involvement are made and create a more consistent approach.
We help organisations distinguish legal obligations from established practice, spot opportunities for earlier participation and develop procedures that make responsibilities clear.
The result is an organisation-owned decision-making framework that supports meaningful public involvement while protecting statutory requirements and the principles of procedural fairness.
How the programme works
Understand current practice
We review recent consultation decisions, existing procedures and the reasons behind the approaches organisations choose. This helps identify where uncertainty, established habits or unclear responsibilities may be shaping decisions.
Design a better approach
Working with senior managers and practitioners, we develop a practical decision protocol that clarifies when consultation is required, what is still open to public influence and how to consider other participation methods.
The protocol also makes clear who provides advice, who makes decisions and how those decisions are recorded.
Test against real decisions
We put the proposed approach to work on two live organisational proposals. This gives teams the chance to test its practicality, consider legal and organisational risks and refine the procedures before introducing them more widely.
Embed the approach
We work with senior management to adopt the final protocol, establish ownership and prepare staff to use it. The programme concludes with an agreed implementation plan.
What your organisation gains
By the end of the programme, your organisation will have a practical framework for deciding how to involve the public, supported by tested procedures and a clear record of the reasoning behind those decisions.
This gives senior decision-makers greater confidence, reduces uncertainty for practitioners and helps ensure public involvement happens while people can still influence the outcome.
It also creates opportunities to avoid consultation driven solely by established practice, while maintaining legal safeguards and public accountability.
Who is the programme for?
Participation by Design is for public bodies looking to improve how they make decisions about consultation and engagement.
It is especially relevant to local authorities, NHS organisations, combined authorities and other public bodies managing complex programmes of change.
The programme needs senior management sponsorship because it focuses on organisational decision-making, not just engagement techniques. The commissioning body remains responsible for legal interpretation and accepting organisational risk.
Working with tCI
tCI developed its From Consultation by Default to Participation by Design framework in response to Rewiring the State, drawing on conversations with public participation practitioners.
We have also discussed the paper with Cabinet Office officials responsible for public participation.
Our implementation programme is an independent tCI service, offered for a fixed fee with an agreed scope. It is designed to turn the principles of Participation by Design into practical changes organisations can put into action.