From Consultation by Default to Participation by Design

Launching Monday 14 September 2026

The government aims to shift from performative consultations to innovative methods of public engagement.

tCI agrees with the diagnosis. Consultation that cannot influence a decision should stop.

However, consultation, participation, and the removal of statutory consultation duties are three distinct concepts, each carrying unique legal, democratic, and practical implications. On Monday, 14 September, tCI will release ‘From Consultation by Default to Participation by Design,’ our reply to the Government’s ‘Rewiring the State’ proposals.  Register for a copy of the paper → here

The paper asks one simple question:

What needs to be in place before existing consultation safeguards are removed?

Our proposition is:

Shift from consultation by default to participation by design, while keeping consultation within a mixed system that values openness, legal fairness, rights, stakeholder input, and broad public oversight.

Participation should deepen and improve public involvement where consultation is weak — not replace the democratic and legal functions that consultation still needs to perform. This is a genuine opportunity at local and regional levels. On the surface, the trust figures (Omnosis April 2026, via IPPR) appear encouraging: distrust was at 22% for the mayor and combined authority, and 28% for local councils, compared to 45% for the UK Parliament and 47% for politicians overall. Local and regional institutions generally have a stronger footing than national politics. The key challenge is to leverage this strength effectively by increasing meaningful participation, offering people clearer influence over decisions, and maintaining consultation when openness, fairness, rights, and scrutiny are essential.

What the White Paper will need to address

We have identified six issues that need to be resolved if participation by design is to work:

Trigger · Standard · Obligation to reply · Capability · Assurance · Resourcing

Five potential vehicles are already identified within the Government’s own programme. The next step is to integrate them into a credible replacement framework.  We are also posing nine questions to the government, addressing the scope of the proposed reforms, local consent, legal consequences, capability, assurance, and resources. 

Why this matters now

The Government proposes major changes to the distribution of power and decision-making processes within public bodies. It is also evaluating whether certain statutory consultation obligations should be abolished. These reforms must be coordinated effectively. The core principle of our paper is:

The full paper, Six Components briefing and Nine Questions for Government will be published on Monday 14 September 2026.

We will be following the Government’s response, the Autumn White Paper and what these changes mean for consultation and public participation across the public sector.

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tCI (the Consultation Institute)
hello@consultationinstitute.org
020 3422 9970