We asked Elizabeth Gammell, who is the author of the new e-learning package on Consultation and Public Events, about the Institute’s new offering.

Why is this a priority subject? Don’t people already know how to run public events ?

You might imagine so. It is every Consultation or Engagement Manager’s bread-and-butter. That’s because members of the public still feel it is their right as citizens to engage face-to-face with those taking decisions that impact them. Unfortunately we often hear about events that go wrong, so many people get the impression that they are not well run and don’t have much value. In reality, many are done very well, and we now have the opportunity to disseminate best practice, and so give Managers greater confidence when events of all kinds have to be organised.

What were your objectives?

To help both those who are new to running public events as well as those who may be battle-scarred by many difficult encounters with the public. To remind them that planning these occasions properly is the key to success. A few weeks ago, the Institute produced a Video about a drop-in event by the East-West Rail people and it interviewed Hannah Staunton who had organised it. She is so impressive, and I want our courses somehow to reflect her enthusiasm for meeting the public in this way, by helping people learn how to do it really well.

Is an e-Learning course the right way to do this?

It’s a good start and will help you with the basics. But there is no substitute to getting out there and learn by doing. What the online course does is to equip you with insight into what kind of event is best. Some years ago, we successfully ran a day-long course just on public meetings; it covered the pleasures and pitfalls in great detail, and we can still provide this. Today, however, officers and elected members are under huge time pressures and this course can help them absorb the fundamentals in as little as 90 minutes.

So is this course for officers…or for elected members?

Both. Elected members, in general, understand the need to be accountable. Many love public events, but do not always appreciate the effort and skills required of local government officers to make sure everything runs smoothly. Of course we are now beginning to attract to public life a generation of people far more familiar with the online world than traditional face-to-face politics. This course can give them a solid grounding in dialogue methods still valued by communities.

So why include public hearings?

These are by no means new but given the huge emphasis now on conscientious consideration (Gunning Four), it is a superb way to demonstrate – in public, that you are listening to what people are telling you in a consultation. And because they are video-streamed, it’s possible to have a much wider audience.

Will there be enough in this course to help those who have a lot of experience?

Some of what the course contains might seem to be quite obvious – but there is quite a lot that isn’t. Small details matter, like ensuring that the team who are in charge of “meeting and greeting” understand the importance of a calm, professional, friendly attitude. It really makes a difference. Think how a room layout and its ambience can affect the whole atmosphere of an event or a Hearing. Ensuring that your staffing ratio is correct. Helping those who will chair the event to maintain order and let everyone who wants to contribute do so. So many aspects really impact the success or failure of a public event and this course will equip you to deliver enjoyable events which reflect well upon the reputation of your organisation.

 

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Consultation and Public Events will be released on 1^st May. You can access it on the Institute website, but for councils and other organisations who need many staff or elected members to undergo the e-Learning, the most cost-effective approach is to buy multiple registrations. Discounts are available depending on the package size. We can also provide you with a report to show who out of your team has completed the training. If you would like further information on how to purchase multiple registrations, get in touch.