What are consultations? :Cross Stitch – Government, citizens and rights

Consultation – involving the public in the work of government – has become an integral part of the policy making process.

Running a consultation is not simply about more open-government, although that too is important, it is about making policies more effective by listening and taking onboard the views of the public and interested groups.

Listening to the public has a number of specific benefits; it:

• allows government to tap the widest source of information possible and thus improves the quality of the decision reached
• alerts policy makers to any concerns and issues not picked up through existing evidence or research
• helps to monitor existing policy and determine whether changes are needed

All consultation documents follow the Cabinet Office’s code of practice. These guidelines help to ensure that a common standard exists across government for consulting the public. When government consults it must:

• build a realistic timeframe for the consultation, allowing plenty of time for each stage of the process
• be clear as to who is being consulted, about what and for what specific purpose
• ensure that the document is as simple and concise as possible. It should include a summary and clearly set out the questions it wishes to address
• always distribute documents as widely as possible, using electronic means (but not at the exclusion of others)
• make sure all responses are carefully and open-mindedly analysed, and the results made widely available, with an account of the views expressed and the reasons for decisions finally taken