Originally published 20 December 2005. This article is retained from the tCI archive. Law, policy or practice may have changed since publication.
When politicians try to justify their actions, they frequently refer to their mandate. It is another word for their “authority” and in this context, that mandate derives from the democratic ballot box.
But in a society where we trespass upon people’s time - and invite them to offer their considered opinions, a different kind of mandate is becoming required.
With the ever-proliferating use of public participation, and the advent of consultation fatigue, stakeholders are rightly becoming selective and are asking more questions before committing resources to one exercise or another.
One key question is What’s your mandate for this consultation? It’s another way of saying Who wants to hear our views?
And What will they do with them when they receive them?
Some of this questioning reflects a scepticism that on occasions, consultations have been carried out for the wrong reasons. Or maybe the wrong people have been asking the questions. After all, if the decision-makers are too far removed from those who physically organise the consultation or those who meet stakeholders in person, it increases the risk that the messages communicated don’t fully inform their actions.
But there is another reason for having a crystal-clear mandate at the start of a consultation process. It provides an authoritative account of what’s required from those whose job it is to manage the process.
It avoids a confusion of objectives. It clarifies who wants it and why. Properly drafted, it commits consultors to the process of acting upon the output of the process. It holds the promise of ending the familiar refrain:- Well, that was interesting; now let’s move on to something else …..
Getting the mandate right is part of emerging best practice for an audit trail that validates the spending of public (or private!) money and the commitment of consultees’ time. It is also an instrument of better co-ordination so that overlapping or duplicated exercises can be quickly identified and rationalised, integrated or consolidated. In a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) for example, it would be excellent practice for all Partners to table draft consultation mandates for forthcoming exercises and to look for opportunities to do less, but maybe achieve more!
Whatever the organisation, an effective method for drafting and approving the mandate may become essential.
Trigger points
- Check what’s the current source document used in your organisation to authorise a consultation exercise
- Establish a consistent process - every consultation should have one!
- The Consultation mandate forms part of the Institute’s new Course: - Consultation - Before & After
This is the 42nd 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