Memorandum by Green Issues Communications
Ltd (LGC 05)
INTRODUCTION
This submission is made by Green Issues Communications
Ltd, one of the UK's largest private sector public consultation
consultancies. Green Issues Communications is one of the UK's
top 50 public relations companies and provides consultation services
to a range of local, national and international businesses.
Green Issues has considerable experience of
engaging communities on contentious issues and the impact of those
issues on communities and local authorities.
The author of this submission is Ian Thorn.
Ian is a director of Green Issues Communications. He is also a
former district councillor in Essex and a former London borough
councillor. He was communications director for Groundwork, the
UK's largest community regeneration organisation.
We have chosen to respond to each of the issues
highlighted by the Committee.
OUR RESPONSE
1. The general effectiveness of public consultation
and its impact on local authority decision-making and possible
ways to improve it
1.1 The first question a local authority
should ask itself before it seeks to consult is: what are we trying
to achieve/is it achievable? The second question: is there any
possibility for real consultation?
1.2 Far too much local authority consultation
is marked by a process that unrealistically raises expectations.
This in turn leaves communities dissatisfied and undermines later
attempts for further engagement.
1.3 The reason that expectations are often
unrealistically raised is that the consultation process is not
thought through. All successful consultation requires a clear
view of what it should achieve; what impact it should have on
council policy and decision-making. Far too much consultation
is not consultation, but ormation giving, allowing only a one-way
process. Far too little consultation seeks to really understand
community views and impact those views on council decision-making.
Information giving is in itself acceptable, providing this is
the objective that those being "consulted" understand
its limitations.
1.4 All local authority consultation should
first set out what the message is, who should receive it, what
the recipient should do with it and what impact the response can
have. This could be set out at the start of a communications programme
or the principles could appear as an overall council bench-marking
statement of community involvement.
1.5 Local authorities should be much more
open and honest about where consultation is real and where it
is not. Far too much consultation takes place on delivery of services
where decisions have already been taken, or in reality the local
authority has no option. This is classically the case with cuts
in services where cuts will take place whatever the consultation.
1.6 Local authorities should also be confident
enough to know when consultation on their own services is inappropriate.
A consultation on closure of council-run day centres for disabled
people should not be run by the council. This is because they
have a vested interest in the outcome. In the days when councils
had their own housing stock, it would be inappropriate for them
to consult on housing—after all, would you taking any consultation
from your landlord seriously?
1.7 Local authorities should focus their
consultation on policy development where real impacts can be achieved
rather than programme delivery where normally information giving
is the only real option.
1.8 Therefore most local authority consultation
often fails for two principal reasons: first, unfocused and unrealistic
consultation objectives where information giving, not consultation,
is possible, and secondly, consultation on issues where decisions
have already been taken.
1.9 Conversely, improvements could be made
by better and more realistic planning and an understanding of
good consultation methodology and a more honest approach to where
consultation can be achieved.
1.10 Ironically, in terms of effective consultation
on planning issues, councillors often want to take an active role,
but some councillors either have an over-zealous interpretation
of standards or a fear of getting involved. This leads to either
no consultation or bad consultation with elected members. The
danger is that whilst the community can be consulted on planning
issues, elected members cannot.
1.11 A final point on effective consultation
must include resources. Our experience is that local authorities,
particularly in terms of commissioning programmes, offer budgets
that are far too small to ensure an effective consultation.
2. How public consultation fits into the
local authority decision-making processes
2.1 In an ideal world, one could argue that
there should be no need for public consultation other than the
process that is expressed at a polling station every four years.
There should be concern about the role of local councillors if
they are unable to reflect the views and aspirations of their
electors.
2.2 It is important that the role of decision-making
by councillors and the community (through consultation) is clearly
set out. This is not the case at present. There is a danger that
many of the views of the community can be ignored by elected members,
but equally the role of elected member becomes so diminished by
direct consultation that there is little point being a councillor.
2.3 Again, the public's role could be far
more effective at the policy-making stage (budget-making/ council
tax raising stage), rather than at the "we need to close
facility A" stage).
3. Whether public consultation by local authorities
is part of a continuing process of communication, information
dissemination and participation
3.1 Consultation is one part of a thought
through communications programme. The key is to choose the right
tool for the right job, ensuring a clear view of what the tool
should achieve.
4. Whether best practice is being developed
and applied widely
4.1 There appears to be little sharing of
practice, best or not. Much local authority consultation/communication
is poor. There is a strange paradox that an organisation based
on democracy seems often to be quite incapable of effective consultation.
This is often, quite fairly, due to lack of resources, but also,
sometimes, a lack of imagination or a clear understanding of the
purpose of consultation.
4.2 What is vitally important is that delivering
best practice in consultation comes in three parts:
5. The extent to which consultation exercises
reach an audience beyond those who typically participate
5.1 Most people, from all communities, want
to be consulted. This is provided:
— the consultation has realistic and
achievable outcomes;
— those undertaking the consultation
are credible (not always local authorities);
— the consultation is accessible, people
are able to participate if they wish;
— the target audience is aware there
is an opportunity to consult; and
— those to be engaged are able to respond.
5.2 At Green Issues Communications, a typical
programme of consultation will include:
— a statement setting out the aim and
likely effect of the consultation;
— a programme of research to establish
stakeholder audiences and proposed methodology;
— a programme of engagement that could
include a five-day public exhibition including weekdays, weekends
and evenings, children's activity, translated material;
— substantial promotion including advertisements,
leaflet delivery and media coverage; and
— a fully transparent process of analysing
feedback.
5.3 It costs money but can have significant
positive impacts.
5.4 The key to reaching more unreachable
audiences is to engage these audiences before undertaking a programme
of consultation. This dialogue need to agree the best way of engaging,
involving and achieving feedback.
6. Whether the new cabinet structures in
Local Government facilitate consultation and the involvement of
constituents in decision-making
6.1 One has to question if the new cabinet
structures facilitate consultation with council members before
considering constituents!
6.2 One advantage of the cabinet structure
should be the opportunity for clearer policy-making and therefore
more chance for community consultation to be played into the process.
6.3 It is not clear if this is the case.
It does raise the issue again of how to co-ordinate and prioritise
the views of members and the community. This can only be achieved
in a thought through way.
7. CONCLUSION
7.1 We set out below our conclusions. These
are designed to make a positive contribution to improving the
ability of local authorities to engage and understand their communities.
7.2 Local authorities should set out a statement
of community consultation describing the role that the community
should play in being engaged and responded to.
7.3 Local authorities should be clear where
they propose to consult and where they are simply sharing information.
The divide could be the development of policy and the implementation
of it.
7.4 They should be clear at the start of
any process what impact the consultation might achieve in order
to create realistic expectations.
7.5 They should consider when it is appropriate
for them to consult and when other organisations should consult
on their behalf including the private sector.
7.6 Realistic budgets should be set for
effective consultation.
7.7 Consultation with the community should
be reflected in the local authority's organagram of its functions
and responsibilities.
7.8 Best practice should be co-ordinated
and rewarded with additional funding.
7.9 High participation and satisfaction
with the process should be the keystones of a successful process.
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