UK Public Consultation: Best Practice

Public consultation in the UK is what makes our society thrive. It's what makes it a true democracy where every voice is heard and every opinion matters.

If you're unfamiliar with public consultation, it's a process where organisations, including the government, ask for input from the public on decisions that might affect them. It's a way to gather people's thoughts, ideas, and concerns before making significant choices.

Understanding public consultation is crucial. It helps the government and organisations make better choices that work for more individuals, brings us together, and builds trust.

For best results, we need best practices to make sure these consultations are fair, effective, and open to everyone. And that's exactly what this guide is about. We'll walk you through everything you need to know to run a top-notch public consultation.

Legal and policy framework for public consultations in the UK

Let's start with the basics so we're all on the same page.

In the UK, we have some official guidelines for public consultations. The Cabinet Office has a set of Consultation Principles that help organisations run good consultations. Here are a few key points:

• Consultations should be straightforward to understand
• They should have a clear purpose
• They should give helpful information
• They should last for the right amount of time
• They should target the right individuals

There's also a legal side to consultations. You might have heard of the "Gunning Principles". These came from a court case and set out some rules for fair consultations. They say that consultations must -

• Happen when plans are still being formed
• Must give enough information for people to respond properly
• Must allow enough time for responses
• Organisations must consider the responses correctly.

If organisations don't follow these rules, they could get in trouble. People can ask for a judicial review, i.e., ask a judge to check if the consultation was done fairly.

All of this might sound a bit formal, but it's about being open and honest. When organisations run consultations, they need to be clear about what they're doing and why.

Setting clear objectives and scope

Now, let's share some of our own guidelines. Many overlap with the official guidance, but we think they're worth repeating. The first thing to do before you even start a consultation is to define its purpose. What are you trying to achieve?

Without a clear purpose, it's easy to get side-tracked. You might end up with comments or suggestions that don't help you make the decision you need to make.

Once you know your purpose, you need to set out the scope of your consultation. That means being clear about what you're asking and what you're not. It's not enough for you to know this yourself. You need to explain it in a way that everyone can understand.

When you're writing your questions, avoid any that might be confusing or push people towards a certain answer. For example, instead of asking, "Don't you agree that this is a great idea?" try, "What do you think about this idea?" Give them the chance to share their honest thoughts.

Engaging the right stakeholders

Many consultations fail because they ask the wrong individuals or fail to ask those who will be most affected by the changes.

Before you start your consultation, take some time to think about who needs to be involved. This includes those who will be directly affected by any changes and those who might have a strong interest or valuable insights to share.

To ensure everyone can participate, you might need to provide your consultation materials in different formats. This could include large print or braille for people with visual impairments or translations for people who speak different languages.

Choosing the proper consultation methods

Now that we've completed all the pre-consultation planning let's discuss how to run your consultation.

One important thing to remember is that there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Different methods will work better for various groups of the population. That's why using a mix of methods is often a good idea. Let's look at three common ones:

Online surveys

At SmartSurvey, we believe online surveys are one of the best ways to reach an audience, both for the respondent and the organisation running the consultation.

Online surveys are digital questionnaires where you can ask a mix of questions – some questions where respondents choose from set answers, and others where they can write their own thoughts. They're great because anyone can fill them out at a time that suits them, and you can reach plenty of respondents quite easily.

Our citizen engagement platform makes it simple to create these surveys, share them on the web, and then analyse all the answers you get back.

Pros and cons

Online surveys are brilliant for reaching the masses quickly and easily. They're also great for getting answers you can easily compare. But they might not work for everyone – some might not have internet access or might prefer to share their thoughts in person.

Public meetings

Public meetings are one of the oldest methods in the book, used by governments, organisations, and community groups for ages.

A public meeting is just what it sounds like – a meeting that's open to the public. Usually, the organisation running the consultation will share some information and then open the floor for questions and discussion.

To run a good public meeting, try to choose a time and place that's easy for everyone to get to. Make sure you give attendees clear information before the meeting so they can come prepared. And always leave plenty of time for questions and thought-sharing at the end.

Pros and cons

Public meetings are great for having real-time discussions and can help build a sense of community. But they can be tricky to organise, and some people might not feel comfortable speaking up in a big group.

Focus groups

Focus groups are a bit like a mix between online surveys and public meetings. They involve in-person discussion, but with a smaller group who are chosen based on specific criteria. It's a chance to get more in-depth insights and explore ideas in more detail.

To run a good focus group, try to get a mix of different viewpoints. Make sure everyone knows what you're there to discuss and create a comfortable environment where all feel able to share their honest thoughts.

Pros and cons

Focus groups are ideal for getting detailed insights and exploring complex issues. But they can be time-consuming to organise. Also, you can only include a limited number of people.

Timing and duration of consultations

Timing is everything when it comes to consultations. It's one of the first things you should think about when you're planning.

You need to give people enough time to think about your questions and share their thoughts. But you also don't want your consultation to drag on for too long. If it does, they might lose interest or forget to respond.

The government suggests that consultations should usually last for about 12 weeks. This gives them plenty of time to respond while keeping the process moving along. It's also best to avoid holidays or significant events.

Promoting the consultation effectively

As with other types of data collection, sample size is a crucial consideration in consultations. The more people you hear from, the better idea you'll have of what everyone thinks. To get more respondents involved, you need to let them know about your project. That can be done through emails, posts on social media, or work with community groups to spread the word.

Remember that different individuals might need to hear about your consultation in different ways. For example, younger crowds might be more likely to see something on social media, while older folks might prefer to hear about it through local community groups.

Ensuring data privacy and compliance

You're asking respondents to share their thoughts and sometimes personal information. As such, it is mandatory to protect this information.

In the UK, we have laws about how organisations should handle data. The big one is called GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It sets out rules for collecting, storing, and using sensitive information.

When you're conducting your consultation, follow these rules: Keep data safe and only use it for the purposes you promised. Be clear about how you'll use the responses. Let respondents know if their answers will be published (even anonymously) and how long you'll keep their information.

Analysing and interpreting consultation responses

Once your consultation is finished, it's time to look at all the responses you've received. This can be a big task, especially if you've had many answers.

There are different ways to analyse your responses, depending on the type of questions you asked. For questions where people chose from set answers, you can look at the numbers – like what percentage chose each option. For questions they wrote their own answers, you'll need to read through them and look for common themes.

The most important thing is to be fair and objective. Try not to focus only on the responses that agree with your current thoughts. Look at all the responses equally and try to understand the full range of views shared.

Wrapping up

Running a good public consultation isn't always easy, but it's too important to ignore. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your consultations are fair, effective, and open to everyone.