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These are remarkable times, with thoughtful people concluding that the tectonic plates of economic, social and political structures are shifting. A few short months ago, we looked at Banks as among the most commanding heights of our economy; right now, the motor industry is on its knees and virtually every other business battening down the […]

A nurse offers to pray for a sick patient; two comedians overstep the mark on a radio show; another TV personality utters an unacceptable term in the “green” room. When, in the first case a Health Authority reacts, and the BBC in the other cases take action, it prompts an intense public debate. Clearly, there

With PricewaterhouseCoopers reporting 80% of high-street stores offering unseasonably early Sales, we have turned our eagle-eye on the effects of the credit crunch on public consultations. And, in keeping with the spirit of the age, the Institute offers superior value by offering this analysis a full four days ahead of schedule. An offer you can’t

We’re in danger of getting into something of a tangle about the different kinds of democracy we want. The old tried-and-tested representative version is thought by many to be creaking; the Power Commission a few years ago, and the more recent Councillors Commission have both produced ideas that might resuscitate the beast. Others believe that

Any day now a new Planning Bill will receive the Royal Assent. Commons rebellions have been quelled; Lords opposition has evaporated and economic and financial woes have wiped it off the newspaper headlines. But, in the real world, this imminent piece of legislation may have more impact upon our towns and villages than most recent

The great advantage of one-off consultations is that the period during which something unexpected can intervene is limited! In reality, however, many of the dialogues that take place do so over a longer timescale. There might be a series of sequential consultations – as with many in spatial planning, as development proposals gradually become more

So much has been written about this seemingly-trivial digression from serious news that it seems an indulgence to delve further into it for a Tuesday Topic. However, it presents such a brilliant illustration of three common consultation pitfalls that this is an opportunity not to be missed. Firstly, the confused question.

Public engagement is not recession-proof. There are those who argue that global economic meltdown, failing banks, and stock market freefalls create a situation that cries out for greater citizen involvement. After all, as of last week, we’re all a lot more involved …at least in shoring up the financial system. But sadly, such optimists, whilst

In a world where consultation fatigue is a real issue – and organisations have to work hard to get citizens and stakeholders interested – it may be surprising to note how many consultations fall short of offering them anything meaningful to consider. In the ideal model, the consultor lays out the context for a forthcoming

For those whose lot it is to consult the public at large – rather than identifiable stakeholder organisations, there has always been a nagging issue. How do we know that those who have responded to us mirror the views of those that didn’t? In other words, what about the silent majority? Professional market researchers can,