David Jones Lead Associate in Scotland The Consultation Institute

The Consultation Institute

Not-for-profit; Best Practice organisation; founded 2003

Consultation & Public Engagement ‘Think Tank’

Quality Assurance

Accredited Training

Glasgow Housing Association

Moray Council North Ayrshire Council

‘By working alongside The Consultation Institute, The RTPI has sought to leverage its knowledge of best practice in those disciplines where public and stakeholder consultation is well established.’

www.rtpi.org.uk/media/6313/Guidlelines-on-effective-community-involvement.pdf

Key Drivers

Christie Commission

Community Empowerment

(Scotland) Act 2015

Review of Community Planning

Review of Community Councils

Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland)

Regulations 2013)

Pre application consultation Skills development in community engagement Deliberative techniques Including social media Mature and positive relationships

What is community engagement?

Community engagement covers many different activities carried out with the people that make up communities. At its core it is about making sure that people can participate in lots of different ways to make an area an even better place to live, work, study and play.

Community engagement is the process of involving communities in the development and management of services such as health, education and housing. It may also involve

other issues which concern us all, or it may be about tackling the problems of a neighbourhood, such as crime, drug misuse or lack of play facilities for children.

Community engagement takes many shapes and forms. It can involve simple exercises in consultation through the formation of multi-agency partnerships with community representation at the centre. Underlying effective community engagement is the commitment of service providers and planners to listen to and involve those for whom services are being planned.

• Involvement

• Support

• Planning

• Methods

• Working Together

• Sharing Information

• Working with others

• Improvement

• Feedback

• Monitoring and Evaluation

Analyse

Plan

Do

Review

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

• Range of methods is vast... • How to choose appropriate methods? • Staff confidence to deliver

Methods galore

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation practices and processes

Engagement Structures/ Capacity to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

Consultation... ... Is the dynamic process of dialogue between individuals or groups, based upon a genuine exchange of views with the objective of influencing decisions, policies or programmes of action

A beginning, a middle & an end

Meaningful...

3 Consultation Curses!

sham

tokenism

tick in box

A government source

said ‘The idea ….is not

going to happen. It is not

policy now.

It is out for consultation,

but the Prime Minister

is opposed to it, and it

will not become policy

The two “game-changers”

1. When proposals are still at a formative stage 2. Sufficient reasons for proposals to permit

‘intelligent consideration’ 3. Adequate time for consideration & response 4. ...must be conscientiously taken into account

1985 R v London Borough of Brent ex parte Gunning

The “Coughlan case” (2001) finally confirmed that these apply to all consultaitons

Consultee perspective…it all happens here!

• Receive invitation to participate • Consider invitation • Decide whether to respond ... Or not • Consult colleagues etc • Identify issues • Resolve disagreements • Write response • Circulate & obtain approval • Submit response • Publish/publicise...

Consultation

tCi’s Charter 1 • Integrity

2 • Visibility

3 • Accessibility

4 • Transparency

5 • Disclosure

6 • Fair Interpretation

7 • Publication

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity Building to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity Building to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

Engagement Framework Points to consider…………….

Information giving, listening and hearing

Robust and meaningful Consultation processes and practices

Engagement Structures/ Capacity Building to participate

Co- deliver

Co-define

Coercion/ Compliance

Co- design

• Everybody wants to ‘do’ community engagement

What’s their motivation?

• Some crucial people just don’t get or want it!

Political challenges

Professional challenges

Are the majority interested enough to want to give up time and effort? Resource ‘light’

• Confidence • Competences • Consistency

Focusing on the added value Understanding co-dependency

Investment in ‘relationships’ YOU are the ‘guardians of the process’

Thank you for listening