News & Insights
Consulting the powerful – Are the rules different?
It is quite easy sometimes to imagine that all public or stakeholder consultations are dialogues between the usual bureaucracies and local communities. And it is equally easy to characterise these as an unequal contest between well-resourced organisations and enthusiastic amateurs; it is one of the reasons why some academics dismiss consultation as largely tokenistic, and why the Arnstein ladder once upon a time seemed to position consultation close to the bottom.
Access to this content is exclusively for Institute members
Not a member? Unlock this article and more today by signing up for a Consultation Institute membership. Benefit from access to over 300 Topic Papers and Briefing Notes, discounted rates on all public training and more. Click on Join Now today to find out more and sign up.
Rhion Jones
More news
Starting 5th February, join us every Thursday from 11am to 12pm for informal, expert led discussions on consultation and engagement...
In January 2026, the UK government launched a public consultation on children’s smartphone and social media use, but with a...
January 2026 – tCI has reopened its membership programme, offering consultation and engagement professionals across the UK and globally access to...
