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Holiday reading for Institute members

It is not a heavy read.

But if you’re involved in public engagement or consultation , you will identify with many of the situations described in The Politics of Consultation.

It is not a ‘how to do it’ manual. Instead it is a commentary upon those aspects of public involvement that are challenging so often – the politics.

So many of the stories in this book come from Consultation Institute members . Over the years they have tried hard to observe best practice only frequently to find that the politics of the situation makes it extremely difficult.

In the Politics of Consultation , we have sought to understand the dynamics of these occurrences and the part that elected politicians or other powerful bodies play in taking public service decisions and the consultations that are meant to inform them. We note how the landscape of public engagement has changed in recent years as social media and the intervention of the Courts have created new pressures on practitioners.

We trace the complex processes prescribed for public consultation in the NHS, town planning, infrastructure or local and central government. Some of these work well; others are creaking – often under the weight of unrealistic expectations. Politics can shape a public debate on controversial issues – but it can also influence the way in which we consult. There are other influences too – local communities as well as ‘communities of interest’ and pressure groups. Big business and the lobbying profession are yet more forces that have an impact upon the way we involve the public.

What emerges is a picture of fragile processes too often prone to manipulation or misadventure and where recourse to the Courts is the only available remedy. We argue for better standards and better ways to enforce them. We also need politicians themselves to play a more constructive role in public consultations.

So why might this be holiday reading? Surely a rip-roaring novel of strained relationships, suspect motives, winners, losers and don’t knows might be more suitable? But the truth is that the Politics of Consultation is itself an entertaining yarn, often exploring exactly those themes as in a modern novel. And it’s full of the kind of stories you find in organisations up and down the country. The book is an attempt to stimulate discussion and debate about the role of public consultation in a modern democracy.

So, if the summer gives you a chance to absorb our suggestions and ideas, it might equip you to participate in the fuller conversation when the holidays are over.

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