Is it ‘business as usual’ or is there something changing in the world of public engagement? BREXIT impacts so many aspects of our national life, but don’t yawn at the prospect of yet another analysis trying to balance the doom and gloom of Remainers against the joy and jubilation of Leavers. This topic tries to […]
Is BREXIT changing the practice of public consultations? Read More »
When consultations have to deal with predictions and probabilities… Most people have heard the quote that ‘If you laid all the economists end to end, they still would not reach a conclusion’ though fewer may realise that it comes from the sardonic wit that was George Bernard Shaw. Over the years it has been used
Engaging on matters of guesswork Read More »
To what extent should consultation and engagement specialists be involved in options development? Once upon a time, those responsible for public engagement and consultation would be the last to know that their services were about to be required! Countless times we have heard stories of functional Managers arriving at the office door armed with a
Consultation professionals must help with options development Read More »
Two consultation tales in one City – raising questions about the willingness to consult ? One City – London. And two news stories within days of each other giving rise to interesting debates that matter right across the country. One news story is distorted by the involvement of the local MP – none other than
An absence of consultation? Read More »
When can you address the problems and carry on, and when is it best to abandon the consultation and start again? Consultation is far from being an exact science, and even with good preparation and diligent execution, things can still go wrong. In Topic 316, we explored the issues that arise when people complain, and
Fatal flaws in Consultation Read More »
Can we still wait months before providing feedback on a public consultation? Older people are fond of recalling that in the bad old days, they had to save, or they had to wait for good things to arrive. The younger generation just don’t get it, for we have lived in an age of instant gratification
Running commentaries Read More »
The danger of pushing your data further than it should go … This is the effect of having the brilliant Ben Goldacre highlight poor data interpretation at our Conference – and having a General Election the following day. We have all spent the weekend listening to academics, politicians, journalists and commentators all trying to explain
Over-interpretation – how to discredit your consultation Read More »
When people stop listening to both sides of the argument Social media is posing some real challenges for those who want to promote an open, transparent debate and evidence-based policy-making.In theory, a better informed citizenry should have been good news for democratic discourse. The trouble is, as every reader knows, the sheer volume of messages,
Consultation and the ‘echo-chamber’ Read More »
The case for putting public consultations on a proper Statutory footing The classic complaint of the British voter is that politicians only listen when they are asking for votes. ‘We only see them at election time’, is the standard refrain. We are about to see them once again traipsing up and down our streets, admiring
When political parties promise Read More »
To what extent should decision-makers be obliged to explain their thinking – especially if it’s in defiance of consultation responses? One of the persistent criticisms of public consultations is that they are not sufficiently transparent. And even if critics accept that the dialogue phase is becoming more open, they will insist that after the closing
A duty to explain? Read More »
Update coming soon
View our frequently asked questions or contact our dedicated account manager for further support.
You can reset your password here. If you’re still having issues, please send us a message below.
We have many ways you can pay for your membership.
You can renew/upgrade your membership here.
To find out more, send us a message below.
You will receive a reminder email from our dedicated membership account manager 4 weeks before your renewal date. This email will contain all the information you need to renew.
You can also renew your membership online here.
You can update your contact details here. Alternatively, please send a message to our membership account manager below.
Please send a message to our membership account manager below.Â
Our dedicated Membership Account Manager is on
hand to assist with any questions you might have.
Leave a message and our team will call you back
"*" indicates required fields
We’ll be in touch with you soon.
