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There is a famous quotation, attributed to Petronius, which talks about the military being organised in teams, and laments that he was to learn from experience that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization. […]

How do you kick off a large-scale consultation? Do you write letters to key stakeholders? Send copies of the consultation document to those you know are interested? Send e-mails? Issue a Press Release? Alternatively, do you make a determined effort to secure maximum publicity, generate some razzmatazz, and launch the consultation with a fanfare of

Approximately two thirds of the consultation staff who attend the Institute’s training courses profess to a loathing of public meetings. They are not alone. Councillors, Chief Officers and a range of consultancies feel even more strongly about it. Unlike “meetings held in public” – an effective and transparent development with few detractors – “public meetings”

There’s a real debate about the role that consultation plays in achieving significant social or political change. Some say that going to consultation is a sure-fire way to slow down progress. Produce a radical idea that challenges existing vested interests, and howls of protest manifest themselves in all kinds of ways – including responses to

Consultation is used to fulfil many objectives…….probably far too many; it’s one of the problems that leads to unwarranted expectations. One role, however, that is seldom exploited sufficiently, but may be poised for greater significance, is that of acting as a check upon the executive. Here’s how. In the last ten years we’ve seen a

The practice of publishing web logs or blogs is one of the most rapidly expanding phenomena of the new technology age. Stated simply it refers to individuals publishing their reflections on the web, usually as a kind of online diary. Estimates of numbers vary widely, but one source quotes 15,000 new blogs being written every

In the dozens of Consultation Strategies received by the Institute there are countless lists of reasons for undertaking consultation exercises. On average there are six to ten objectives, often liberally sprinkled with the latest fashionable buzz-words. Yet one of the most persistent reasons why people undertake consultations is seldom ever mentioned. It is literally taboo!

If the term “broken links” means anything to some of us, it is likely to be in the context of the internet. It refers to that infuriating moment when you click on a button, an icon or even a web address and you receive that wonderful piece of Microsoft prose: The page cannot be displayed

A woman I know is a Samaritan. Whether by instinct or by training, she is remarkably good at listening. People want to tell her their feelings; they will readily unburden before her. And although she seldom offers solutions, her ability to respond empathetically often makes her confidante feel a lot better. Like others in many

At one our recent Seminars on Engaging the Hard-to-Reach, one participant was heard to complain that if you added up the numbers identified in each of the separate groups thought to fall into this category, you exceed the population of the UK by about 250%! In other words, by the time you’ve made special provision