Tuesday Topic

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…

Post-implementation reviews should require consultation   There are many kinds of consultations. In the field of public policy-making, we normally consult at the stage when options have been developed and…

Will face-to-face consultation make a comeback? The inexorable rise of digital engagement is undisputed. It has been a significant feature of the last fifteen years; and the pandemic has certainly…

Hearken ye, and, on the Christmas when mixing and mingling is largely frowned on, listen to the tale that shocked the nation and became a morality play. It is said…

This content is typically a member benefit. If you’re interested in receiving content like this directly in your inbox, please get in touch.   …but the public may be more…

Will Big Oil face the same legal challenges as Big Tobacco? A recent Special Report in The Economist had a section heading called ‘Courtrooms are the new battleground for climate…

The fudging of accountability. 2020 continues to throw up novel situations and dilemmas that have previously not troubled us. Who might have guessed that on the day that this Topic…