Certificate of Consultation Readiness
Independent assurance for public consultations, validating compliance with the Gunning Principles and consultation best practice standards
The Benchmark for Fair and Defensible Consultations
The Certificate of Consultation Readiness provides independent consultation assurance, giving organisations the confidence that their consultation is fully prepared to withstand political, legal, and public scrutiny. Unlike internal checks, this certificate is an external validation that your approach meets recognised standards, including the Gunning Principles, statutory duties, and best practice.
Through a structured review of your plans, documents, and governance processes, the Certificate confirms that your consultation is lawful, transparent, and defensible before it begins. This assurance not only reduces the risk of legal challenge or delay but also builds confidence among boards, scrutiny bodies, and stakeholders that the process has been tested independently.
Recognised across sectors as a trusted mark of quality, the certificate demonstrates to decision-makers, scrutiny bodies, and stakeholders that your organisation has tested its consultation against the Gunning Principles, statutory duties, and established best practice.
What the Certificate Involves
Our assessors review:
Governance and decision-making processes
Clarity and accessibility of consultation documents
Timelines and proportionality of the consultation period
Equality considerations and compliance with legal duties
Engagement methods and their suitability for affected stakeholders
At the end of the process, you receive a formal Certificate of Consultation Readiness. This can be shared with scrutiny bodies, boards, or committees (or published alongside consultation materials) to demonstrate transparency and build confidence.
Key Benefits
The Certificate of Consultation Readiness has a number of unique benefits
FAQ
What is the Certificate of Consultation Readiness?
It is an independent review carried out before a consultation launches. Our expert team assess your plans, documents, and governance against the Gunning Principles, legal duties, and good practice standards. A certificate is then issued to confirm readiness.
Why do organisations use it?
The certificate reduces the risk of legal challenge, reassures scrutiny bodies and decision-makers, and demonstrates to the public that consultation has been tested independently. It has become a widely recognised benchmark for consultation quality including by the UK court system.
Who is it for?
Local authorities, NHS bodies, and infrastructure promoters most often seek a Certificate of Consultation Readiness, particularly when projects are high-profile, sensitive, or exposed to political or reputational risk.
What does the process involve?
The assessment typically includes a review of consultation documents, timelines, equality considerations, governance arrangements, and engagement plans. We then provide feedback and, once issues are addressed, issue the certificate.
How long does it take?
Most reviews are completed within a few weeks, depending on the scale of the consultation and the availability of materials, key staff and the availability of meetings
How does it differ from QA Lite or Early Assurance?
QA Lite is a proportionate check for smaller changes that don’t require full consultation. Early Assurance is a pre-consultation review during scoping. The Certificate of Consultation Readiness is the full, formal assurance designed specifically for live consultations.
Is the Certificate Legally Binding?
No. It isn’t a legal guarantee or legal advice. It provides independent assurance that your consultation is fair, transparent, and defensible—tested against the Gunning Principles and relevant duties. It also creates a clear audit trail for boards, scrutiny, and auditors.
Quality assurance from the Consultation Institute has been cited in judicial review. In R (Hinsull) v NHS Dorset CCG (2018), Sir Stephen Silber noted he was “fortified” in dismissing the consultation complaint because the process had been independently quality-assured by the Consultation Institute—graded good practice and later best practice.
Many organisations use the Certificate of Consultation Readiness as documented evidence of good practice to support internal governance and external scrutiny.
Why It Matters
Launching a consultation without independent assurance carries risk. The Certificate of Consultation Readiness reduces the chance of legal challenge, protects against reputational damage, and builds public trust by showing that your process has been carefully designed.
The Certificate of Consultation Readiness provides clarity, confidence, and assurance that your consultation is ready to proceed.
NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Consultation Institute – Case Study
“The confidence of having the backing of the Consultation Institute and the Certificate has been so helpful for us to give feedback to scrutiny from councillors and our own committees about the process.”
Richard Kennedy | NHS South Yorkshire ICB
Want to know more?
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