Tuesday Topic

There are many ways to advance towards ‘Net Zero’ It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no one route to ‘net zero’. Indeed, at a time of rivalry between…

Why consultation is even more necessary in 2022 One of the main arguments against consultation has always been that it happens too late and is a tokenistic exercise, having little…

Will levelling-up lead to a new interest in regeneration projects? Almost 20 years ago, as The Consultation Institute was opening its doors, one of the most visible themes in the…

They hold Cobra meetings in the North Pole.  Few people know this. But last week, whilst the rest of the world played party politics, Father Christmas convened a COBRA meeting…

By Quintin Oliver No matter how brilliant your Consultation Plan is, your updated stakeholder map and your choice of creative dialogue channels, your Consultation may run into trouble if the…

How consultation will play its part in implementing the COP26 agreement?  Greta Thunberg has clearly found a phrase that resonates with many people. Portraying politicians and diplomats as merely pushing…

Public consultation is not ‘here today; gone tomorrow’. We need better archives. Public consultations come and go. Central Government departments issue 400-500 per annum, and the devolved administrations over 100…

Engagement, consultation and Levelling-up It is often thought that there is no need to consult about good news. Only bad news. Consultation, presumably is thus seen as a safeguard for…

Does a recent book on community engagement provide a fair reflection? Several aspects of Becky Hirst’s recent book, For the love of community engagement make it a worthwhile contribution to…

How much attention should we give to consultation guidance? In the ideal world, consultation happens when those about to take decisions or adopt policies recognise the value of listening to…