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New · CE-130 Emerging practice · Virtual

AI for consultation & engagement.

Cut through the hype. Learn where AI helps you consult and engage: analysing responses, drafting materials, widening reach. And where it carries real risk.

1 day

Duration

£295 +VAT

Public · per delegate

POA

In-house

30 CPD

Credits

Book this course →

01Overview

AI won't replace good engagement. But it is already changing how it's done.

Generative AI has arrived in the consultation profession faster than the guidance to govern it. Tools now promise to summarise thousands of responses in seconds, draft consultation documents, and translate materials on demand. But each promise carries questions of accuracy, bias, transparency and trust.

This session gives you an honest, practical orientation. You'll see where AI adds real value across the engagement lifecycle, understand the risks specific to public consultation, and leave with a clear sense of what to adopt, what to avoid, and what to govern carefully.

No technical background is assumed, just a willingness to think critically about a fast-moving field.

02What we cover

The landscape, demystified

What generative AI actually is, what it can and can't do, and the vocabulary you need to evaluate any tool with confidence.

Analysing responses with AI

Where AI summarisation and theming helps, and how to keep a human in the loop so nothing important is lost.

Drafting & widening reach

Using AI to draft materials, translate, and reach audiences you'd otherwise miss, without losing your own voice or accuracy.

Risk, ethics & governance

Bias, transparency, data protection and public trust, and a simple framework for deciding what to adopt and what to govern.

03The day

Four sessions

A full day, from orientation through to a governance framework you can take back.

09:30The landscape, demystifiedWhat generative AI is, and the vocabulary to judge any tool.

11:00Analysing responses with AIWhere summarising and theming help, with a human in the loop.

13:30Drafting & widening reachProducing and translating materials responsibly, in your own voice.

15:00Risk, ethics & governanceBias, transparency, data protection and a framework to adopt.

04Outcomes

What you take away

01A clear-eyed understanding of what AI can and can't do for engagement

02Confidence to use AI for response analysis with a human in the loop

03Practical ways to draft and translate materials responsibly

04Awareness of the bias, transparency and data-protection risks that matter most

05A simple governance framework to take back to your organisation

05Who it's for

Curious, cautious, or both.

For consultation and engagement professionals who want to make informed decisions about AI, keen to experiment or wary of the risks.

Consultation & engagement officers

Insight & research teams

Communications & digital leads

Policy & strategy professionals

Senior officers & decision-makers

06Before you book

Common questions

Anything not covered here, ask us. We answer the same day.

01How many CPD points do I earn?Thirty tCI CPD points. Every virtual and face-to-face course carries 30, and points are logged against your record when you attend. Members can download a CPD statement from the membership portal at any time, and this course counts towards the taught element of a tCI qualification.

02Is it virtual or face-to-face?Open places run as a live virtual workshop, delivered in real time by a tCI trainer, never a recording. Groups stay small enough that everyone can speak, and you work in breakouts as well as listening. The same course runs face-to-face at your own offices as an in-house session.

03How long is the course?One full day, 09:30 to 16:30, in four sessions with breaks between each, opening with ‘The landscape, demystified’ and closing with ‘Risk, ethics & governance’. The day is built around practical exercises rather than presentation, so you leave having worked on AI in consultation rather than only having heard about it.

04Can you run this in-house for our team?Yes, and it is the usual choice for teams of six or more. In-house delivery works from your sector and the consultations you have in front of you, so the AI in consultation exercises use your own material. We can run it in person or virtually, and split it across two half-days where a full day is hard to protect. Ask us about bespoke for a quote.

05Do I need prior experience or other courses first?No prior course is required. It is pitched at intermediate level, so it suits people who have run or commissioned engagement already. Newer practitioners do well on it too. You will simply cover some foundational ground faster than others in the room.

06Who delivers the course?A tCI trainer who specialises in digital methods and AI and works in it, not only teaches it. The named trainer for each date is shown on the course calendar and confirmed in your joining instructions the week before. You can put live problems to them on the day and expect a straight answer.

07Continue learning

All courses →

AdvancedAdvanced AI for consultationTake AI further once you have the grounding.View course → IntermediateIntroduction to digital engagementThe digital channels AI is starting to reshape.View course → IntermediateCreating a Coding FrameThe human method behind sound response analysis.View course →

Get ahead of AI before it gets ahead of you

Join the next session, or bring this workshop in-house for your whole team.

Book this course → Enquire about bespoke