Communities of Interest.
A different kind of forum, built for the long conversation.
A Community of Interest brings members together for sustained, in-depth discussion of a single topic over a full year, designed for depth, continuity and a genuine sense of ownership. Members from different sectors work towards a concrete result.
What members get from a Community of Interest.
Shape good practice in an area that matters to your work while it is still being defined, rather than inheriting someone else’s answer later.
Work alongside practitioners from central and local government, health, infrastructure and the private sector, and see how each handles the same problem.
Every group works towards a real output, guidance or a protocol you helped write and can put straight to use.
A full year on a single topic builds the relationships and shared understanding that a one-off event never can.
Those are short discussions on a limited topic.
Those are time-boxed and tightly scoped.
A full year of depth, continuity and shared ownership.
One way a group might run, a modified Samoan Circle.
The Samoan Circle, or Fishbowl, adapted to run virtually is one format we use, but not every Community of Interest works this way. Each group settles on the approach that suits its topic and its members.
A core group of six
Six members discuss the topic in each session, at the centre of the circle.
Six meetings a year
Every two months, 90 minutes each, online via Microsoft Teams or a dedicated tCI platform.
Any member can join
Signed-up members listen and contribute through the chat; the core group picks up points as the discussion allows.
Lightly moderated
Mainly housekeeping and clarifications, keeping the conversation on track without steering its direction.
The core group evolves
After each meeting a new group of six is agreed with the outgoing core, often drawing in voices from the wider circle.
The conversation keeps going.
After every session we circulate a written summary to everyone signed up, and a dedicated Teams channel stays open for ongoing comment. The summary often becomes the focus for the next round of contributions.
From principles to something concrete.
As a topic develops, the discussion moves from broad principles to detail. By the end of the year the aim is guidance or a protocol, drafted by the moderator and circulated to the group for sign-off.
Two communities to start, with more to come.
Both run for a full year in the format above, and both are open to any tCI member. These first two are shaped by what members told us matters most; as the membership grows, so will the number of Communities of Interest. Sign up by 28 August 2026, and suggest future topics at any time.
Setting a benchmark for Engagement
Consultation is now well defined, through tCI’s work and through case law. Engagement is not, and we think it’s time to set a benchmark.
Defining engagement, and how it differs from consultation.
What case law has said, or is starting to say, about engagement.
Protocols for best-practice engagement.
Protocols for best-practice continuous engagement.
Defining what tCI is for
A year-long conversation about what tCI should provide, for its members and for the wider world of consultation and engagement.
Areas for training, types of guidance, and quality assurance.
When and how tCI should react to national or local situations.
Where tCI could produce useful protocols and guidelines.
The ‘crunch points’ where getting consultation or engagement wrong carries real risk.