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Harold Macmillan is quoted as saying “Events … dear boy …”, when asked about the most challenging aspect of being Prime Minister. The same could be said by many consultors, when asked why the output of a consultation exercise ultimately failed to influence a key decision or policy. Maybe it’s Murphy’s law, or just serendipity, […]

The theory is pretty unequivocal. You normally go to consultation where there are decisions to be taken, policies to be adopted or programmes to be developed, and where stakeholder views can be expected to exert influence. There are few exceptions to this, but is this one of them? Try this little test. Switch on Radio

One of the legacies of the 1990’s was revulsion with so-called sleaze and a raft of anti-corruption machinery such as the Nolan Rules. As a result, those who become involved in public life, or who hold public office, are today conscious of the need to be whiter-than-white and to account for every penny which could

One of the ironies of the Xmas period is that the most frenetic, congested, over-hyped, commercially-crazed weeks of the year is meant to be imbued with a sustained veneer of bonhomie which we often refer to as seasonal goodwill! There is little logic, but somehow it seems to work, as few people complain about the

The famous Welsh Rugby coach, Carwyn James (famous for his work with the 1971 British Lions) is remembered for once having urged his players to “get your retaliation in first” ! I suspect that many who organise public consultations know what he meant. They have accepted a difficult brief, arranged to have the arguments set

Public consultation is not traditional accountant-territory. Few consultation projects are formally budgeted, and many of the costs involved are normally funded from larger departmental or functional budget allocations. If you run a sizeable corporate communications department with a substantial budget earmarked for publicity, it may appear dogmatic hair-splitting to account separately for distributing leaflets inviting

Tuesday Topic 6 tackled the thorny issue of budgeting and funding consultations. It recommended that organisations take steps to improve their accounting and monitor value for money. But this isn’t the whole story. Far more money is spent responding to consultations than organising them. Consider a consultation issued from a central Government department. It may

“Chris! I’ll need you to organise a consultation on this issue……..” “So how long have we got ?” “Oh, don’t worry about it – you’ll get your three months – and a bit extra if we’re lucky……..” “That’s all right, then ……”  WRONG!  It’s not all right. The 12-week rule, recently re-inforced by the Government’s