Originally published 8 February 2011. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
You’re talented! You’re experienced! You know your way around the labyrinth of public services and the bureaucracies that surround them. You’ve learnt how to deal with the public and realise that there are times when you can call them ‘stakeholders’ ... and rather more occasions when you can’t!
You pick up a newspaper, half-afraid that your role will be quoted in the latest list of ‘non-jobs’. Your friends in the pub talk about pen-pushers in the Town Hall, and even if your department survives the likely headcount reductions, your pay will be frozen and your pension reduced.
So, who on earth wants to work in public engagement?
Cheer up; there is some good news. Honest!
- Public engagement doesn’t stop. In fact enlightened Politicians and Managers may see the benefit of carrying public opinion with them. Even those who place a temporary embargo on some engagement tasks will probably reverse their stance if reactions are predictably hostile. 2. Successful implementation of the deficit reduction programme (or ‘cuts’ if you really insist) can only happen if organisations and staff critically needed to make the desired changes are actually involved in the process. People with the skills to handle difficult dialogues like these are key to making savings. 3. The new Localism agenda will make tremendous demands on Councillors and Chief Officers. When they can’t blame Whitehall or complain about the Audit Commission, the buck will stop very close to home and they will have to explain unpopular decisions to the electorate. Public engagement staff have a major role to play in helping and guiding elected members to engage more systematically with community groups and others. If done well, this will be recognised. 4. The Big Society may still be a little vague for many, but experienced consultation teams and those working in community development already possess many of the skills that will be required. True, there are some important new features emerging - The Institute will put a major focus on these – but the idea only works if there is really meaningful dialogue with local people, groups, businesses and partner agencies 5. Some of the most challenging consultation work has traditionally been sub-contracted to specialist consultants. But now it’s more likely to be done in-house, and on more of a shoestring budget. Councillors and Senior Managers realise (and if they don’t they will learn) that cutting corners in consultation is counter-productive, so they will be looking for better skills and superior performance from public engagement teams. 6. Lots of public bodies have scope to achieve more with less, but first they must have a great understanding of what engagement is being carried out – preferably across all agencies in an area. The Institute recommends a full Baseline Study, which enables cost-conscious Managers to prioritise. Staff who acquire a thorough knowledge of what consultation is going on in their patch will be worth their weight in .... something! 7. Lots of current consultations are done somewhat informally by staff whose main job function is something else. There can be dozens in one local authority – all working in different departments. Now is the time to centralise some of this work or at least co-ordinate it better. Fewer full-time-equivalent staff, but maybe more demanding roles at the Centre; one way around the pay freeze! 8. Existing consultative machinery is not always being used to its full effect. For example, Citizens Panels – already established, and permanently available (so not needing to be built specially every time there’s a consultation) could make a bigger contribution in the current climate. Staff working with them can add value to their organisations by exploiting existing processes better. 9. Proposals for radical changes in the NHS in England, if enacted, will see local authorities with a far bigger role in public health and in the democratic accountability for health and well-being. Consultation professionals who have empathy for cross-cutting issues and can work across Partnership boundaries will be at a premium.
It would be nice and tidy if there was a 10th item! But the remaining point in this Topic is different in character. And it is this…
We are not alone. Ours is not the only profession where people are rightly anxious, not just for their jobs, but for the standards they observe and the outcomes they influence. But since 2004, the Institute has trained thousands of people committed to better public engagement and built a community of 450+ CPD-holders. When times are tough, we hope that we can all turn to each other for support and mutual advice ... knowing that when the job is done well, it is appreciated, and that together we can make a strong case for continued investment in dialogue. For this argument to win through, we must champion the best and most visible examples of successful engagement. In short we must be excellent – and help everyone to recognise it. Trigger points
- Is your organisation open to reviewing the way it does consultation and public engagement? Has it done a proper Baseline Study?
- Look again at the case for Panels and consider attending the Institute's 6th Panels Conference
- Start becoming well-briefed on the Big Society. our Practitioner Roundtable on Engaging the Big Society
- This autumn there is a new opportunity for public bodies to join the Institute’s Excellence Scheme. To register your interest.
This is the 168th Tuesday Topic; a full list of subjects covered is available for Institute members and is a valuable resource covering so many aspects of consultation and engagement