Information: you tell people what is planned so that they are informed about what is happening.

Consultation: you are clear about what you are asking people’s opinion about and why, you specify what can and cannot be changed. You offer a number of options and listen to the feedback you get. The decision is made taking account of the results of consultation alongside other factors.

Deciding together: you encourage people to provide some additional ideas and options, and to decide with you the best way forward.

Acting together: not only do different interests decide together what is best, but also they form a partnership to carry it out. They are equally responsible for the outcome

Supporting independent community initiatives: you help others do what they want - perhaps within a framework of grants, advice and support provided by the resource holder

(Adapted from David Wilcox 1994)

Be clear about what you are doing – where are you on the ladder of participation?

Check the Ask Me! – Consultation Planner & Finder - do we already know the answer to your question. Do you really need to carry out this consultation?

Carry out desk research and gather intelligence before you start.

Identify opportunities to link up with other consultation exercises

Use the Toolkit to properly plan and deliver your consultation – complete the Consultation Project Plan

Make sure your manager/consultation commissioner signs off your project plan before you start

Don’t forget to involve local Councillors in your consultation

Check whether this consultation needs cabinet approval. This is needed for strategic/contentious consultations. For more guidance on when an issue is likely to be controversial see Guidance 1.1  (21.00 KB)

Where possible design your exercise to be useful to others

Make sure that you publicise your consultation

Be clear about your budget - and where the funding will come from. See our model budgets for surveys and focus groups  (30.00 KB)

Register your new consultation on the Ask Me! – Consultation Planner & Finder database

For more information read through Stage One of the Toolkit - Why are you Consulting?

Think through the purpose of your exercise - what do you want to achieve? Use this Checklist to help you decide  (19.50 KB)

Clarify your objectives – use Checklist 2.A –“ What Is The Purpose Of This Consultation Exercise”  to help

Think through how you will use the results

Make sure that this exercise can influence a decision, policy or strategy

Be clear about the opportunities for influence and any constraints

Manage expectations – see the “Template 2.1 - Setting Out Your Objectives to Consultees” - to help you clearly tell consultees what you are trying to achieve

Think – what do you need to know, what might people want to tell you?

At the end you will be able to measure whether objectives were: clear; relevant to the consultation itself and linked to your wider planning process; explained to, and understood by, all relevant staff and those consulted

For more information read through Stage Two of the Toolkit - What are you Consulting About?

Identify your stakeholders – who do you want to reach – use Checklist 3.A – Identifying Your Stakeholders - to help. Consider whether you can use Existing Groups and Networks  (22.55 KB)  creatively – this will be time and cost effective

Think - how can you reach groups who traditionally we have not engaged with? Our advice on Engaging Everyone will help

What sort of views are you looking for? Do you need responses that are representative, in–depth, individual’s experience? Table 3.1 – What Sort of Views You Can Expect From Different Stakeholders  (20.50 KB) - will help

Set targets for the involvement of different groups of stakeholders

Think about how you will balance stakeholders' views – whose views will be given most weight and why?

Use a variety of methods that suit your target audience

Consider how Councillors will be involved in the consultation

At the end you want to be able to measure that you have the views that you wanted, and that you were successful in reaching groups who are traditionally hard to engage

For more information read through Stage Three of the Toolkit - Deciding Who to Consult

Remember to use your Directorate Performance Plan to identify major public consultation exercises

Be clear about when the decision on this issue will be taken

Think about at what stage you want to canvas opinion – before you develop your proposals, or when options and proposals have been worked up

Check Ask Me – Consultation Planner & Finder – can you join up? – have you registered?

Use  - Checklist 4.A - Preparing Your Timetable - to build a realistic timetable

Complete your Consultation Project Plan

Make sure you build in sufficient time for analysing what you have learnt, drawing out key messages, reporting your findings and the decision making timetable

Allow time for feedback and evaluation

For more information read through Stage Four of the Toolkit - When to Consult

Make sure your method is appropriate to meet your objectives – use the tools to help you select according to:

• Ladder of Participation – Checklist 5.A
• Answering key questions – Checklist 5.B
• Quantitative / Qualitative methods – Checklist 5.C
  

Consider using Existing Networks  (22.55 KB) to consult – even for issues outside their usual remit. Remember to check that this does not contravene the Data Protection Act - What if we want to start consultation with an existing group

Consider using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods

Think about methods that work with groups who we find difficult to engage

Use the checklist when planning a consultation event – Checklist 5.D to make sure that you have thought through the arrangements

Write in plain English and consider the communication needs of your Consultees

Make sure that you provide sufficient information for people to consider and respond

Think through the impact of the Data Protection Act and other legal frameworks on your exercise

If this is a statutory exercise ensure that you follow the appropriate guidance

Consider whether you need external expertise to carry out your exercise.  See our Guidance on How to Write a Market Research Brief  (35.50 KB).You need to read Annex P of the Procurement Code  (436.84 KB) if you do decide to use external consultants.

Double Check – Things You Should Know By Now and Things The People You are Consulting Should Know By Now

Make sure you allow adequate time for people to respond to your consultation

See our Checklist on Preparing Your Timetable

Remember to follow the principles and practice set out in this Toolkit - or your process could be open to challenge

Double Check Ask Me! – Consultation Planner & Finder to ensure that there is not another consultation you can join up with

For more information read Stage Five of the Toolkit - How should I carry out my Consultation?

Allow sufficient time to analyse your results

Follow Guidance 6.1 Analysing quantitative data – pitfalls and tips and Guidance 6.2 Data Input and Analysis

For qualitative methods follow Guidance 6.3 – Analysing Qualitative Results to help you identify themes and variations in perspective

Ensure that you comply with the Data Protection Act and respect confidentiality where this has been requested

Identify your key messages – and areas where views diverge. You must give a balanced account of the responses you have received. Checklist 6.A Identifying Key Messages will help

Use Checklist 6.B - Identifying Priorities and Actions From Your Response to help you decide what action can follow from your results

It is important to consider how you will balance conflicting results – identifying which stakeholders' views will be given priority will help with this

Include findings that you cannot act upon in the short term – provide clear feedback about these areas

Now you have analysed your findings complete part two of your project plan to ensure that your manager/consultation commissioner is able to help you decide on next steps

Don't forget to log your results onto the Ask Me! Consultation Planner and Finder

For more information read Stage Six of the Toolkit - Analysing the Results.

Identify the different audiences who will need feedback about your exercise – the Checklist in Para 7.1 will help

Identify what level of information these audiences will need. The Checklist in Para 7.2 will help

Identify how you will make sure they receive the information – how will you tell them? Checklist in Para 7.3

Link your results to decision making

Use the media and our Communications Team to get your message across and make the link between what we learnt and what we did

Log your outcomes on to the “Ask Me! - Consultation Planner & Finder” database

For more information read Stage Seven of the Toolkit - Providing Feedback.

Evaluation is important and should be built in from the beginning of the process

Give consultees an opportunity to evaluate the exercise – Checklist 8.A – Participants Evaluation of Consultation Exercises provides a sample of questions you can ask

Work through the basic evaluation – every time – Checklist 8.B- Basic Evaluation – Questions To Ask Yourself Every Time - provides you with questions you should ask. Remember to keep this on file as it may be needed for audit purposes

The key question - what effect has the consultation had? Check you can measure what happened as a result

Managers should consider undertaking a more strategic look at evaluating consultation – Checklist 8.C – Strategic Evaluation of Consultation Outcomes and Process provides a more strategic approach to evaluation

Sometimes an independent evaluation of your exercise may be valuable

Don't forget to record the outcomes of your evaluation on part three of your project plan to record lesson for the future

Ask for your findings to be considered for the good practice area of the consultation website – go to - Ask Me! – Consultation Planner & Finder

For more information read Stage Eight of the Toolkit - Evaluating your Consultation Exercise.