The perils of piecemeal consultations

Piecemeal consultations sometimes seek the views of citizens at various stages of long-term changes to our public services. Be aware of the pitfalls.

Massive changes are often less about a ‘big bang’ and more about a series of incremental changes. This poses special challenges if we are to engage successfully with those affected.

Part of the problem is timescales. Major infrastructure projects take years – sometimes decades. Smaller-scale improvements frequently take longer than one might expect. And significant changes in public policy initiated by one Government occasionally only work through under the watch of its successor. The problem frequently is that the interval between pain and gain is too long.