Consultation Toolkit

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Consultation Toolkit
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This Toolkit

• This Toolkit has been designed to guide users
  through the process of carrying out consultation.
  It offers advice and ideas on how to consult
  with people in the best way, to get the best
  results.
•  
• It sets out clear and easy stages in the
  consultation process that can be followed to
  ensure effective consultation. Just work through
  each stage, to enhance your consultation.
•  
• We will review this toolkit to ensure it
  includes the latest thinking on consultation and
  complies with the requirements for the equalities
  standard. Your suggestions on what should be
  included and what should be changed will help
  make this Toolkit useful for everyone.

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How to use this toolkit

• Familiarise yourself with the section on the
  tools for coordinating effective consultation
  to reduce potential for duplication and
  consultation fatigue.
• Use the tips in the toolkit to improve your
  techniques.
• Check out the consultation strategy for our
  commitments and responsibilities.

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Contents

• Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
• Consultation Process
• Stage One Why Consult? Your Objectives
• Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience
• Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
  to Carr...
• Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
  going t...
• Stage Five Evaluation - Learning

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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
One of the main aims of this toolkit is to
coordinate consultation across the council. This
should ensure effective and consistent
consultation that reduces duplication and
consultation fatigue. You are recommended to use
it every time you consult with people.
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
1. Consultation Strategy The councils
consultation strategy aims to improve how the
council and its partners consult and engage
communities and stakeholders in Milton Keynes.
It provides a long-term vision to improve the way
that consultation is undertaken. The intention
is that each council service will adopt the
principles contained within the document and will
monitor, evaluate and publish their progress.
Please find a copy attached Strategy.doc

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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
2. Council Commitments The councils commitments
are a handy reminder of some of the key
principles of consultation that should be adhered
to. It can be found in section three of the
consultation strategy.  
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
3. Consultation Website   The website is designed
to enable the development and spreading of
consultation good practice, by providing a number
of useful links. Please find the link below  
http//www.mkweb.co.uk/chief5Fexecutive/DisplayAr
ticle.asp?ID19046
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
4. Consultation Finder   The consultation finder
is an online database of proposed, current and
historic consultations. Through this you can
access any piece of consultation and can search
by various criteria including ward, district and
area of interest. Please access this prior to
commencement of consultation to ensure that where
possible your consultation does not overlap with
another piece of consultation, hence reducing the
potential for duplication and fatigue. Please
follow the link below https//public01.milton-key
nes.gov.uk/ConfinPublic/
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
5. Tuesday Bulletin   The Tuesday Bulletin
provides an opportunity to give updates on any
consultations that are being carried out, as well
as feedback on completed consultations. This
information should be used to inform
decision-making and service improvement, as well
as further consultation.
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
6. MKC Listening Days   The council currently
undertakes regular Listening Days throughout
the year. This involves councillors and officers
making contact with members of the public and
inviting them to comment on any local issues.
The results of the Listening Days are then
analysed and divided into general comments and
into specific comments that require follow up
from a particular officer. The Strategy and
Growth Team will work with teams to feedback
results from this consultation.  
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
7. Citizens Panel The council has been operating
a Citizens Panel since 1999 and has been
consulting its 1,500 members on a range of local
issues and services. Members are taken from
different age groups, from towns and villages, of
both sexes and from a variety of walks of life.
This makes the panel an important way of finding
out the views of local people on important
issues, as it reflects the makeup of the
community and people from all walks of life will
be represented. The panel has been refreshed and
will be ready to consult on from October 2005.
For more information, please contact the Strategy
and Growth Team (Hannah Moores Ext 2696).
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
8. Growth of MK   Central Milton Keynes
Partnership is the main organisation through
which any consultation specific to the growth of
Milton Keynes will be undertaken, generating
knowledge within the business community. Any
consultation covering the immediate Central
Milton Keynes (areas between the station and
Campbell Park) will need to be overseen by the
CMK Team, within the partnership, who would make
the decision as to the extent of
consultation.   As a result, any consultation
related to the growth of Milton Keynes should be
directed to the CMK Team within the council.
Their details can be found below ? Darren Gray
3652 ? Jill Dewick 3326 ? Liz Thompson
3535 ? Jessica Memon 3309
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
9. Planning and Statement of Community
Involvement   The Planning and Compulsory
Purchase Act 2004 requires all Local Planning
Authorities (LPAs) to prepare a Statement of
Community Involvement (SCI).  The Statement of
Community Involvement (SCI) must set out the
LPAs policy for involving the community in the
preparation and revision of all local development
documents and in development control decisions
within its local area. On that basis this guide,
where applicable, should be used to inform and
improve the SCI.  
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
10. CAAT (Consultation Action and Advisory Team)
For Advice and Support  CAAT is made up of
consultation champions located throughout the
council. They meet regularly to discuss
consultation issues and field your queries on
consultation and can provide advice and feedback
on what you are doing. If you wish to raise an
issue at a CAAT meeting or speak to a CAAT
champion, please contact the Strategy and Growth
Team (Hannah Moores Ext 2696). CAAT Champions
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Tools for Coordinating Effective Consultation
11. Snap Survey Software Snap Survey Software
has been installed on the councils network to
make designing a questionnaire for all types of
surveys as well as collecting and analysing the
data that much easier and with more professional
results. For more information on Snap, contact
the Strategy and Growth Team (Hannah Moores Ext
2696).  
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Consultation Process

• Issue
•  
• Stage 1 Why consult your objectives (2 weeks)
•  
• Stage 2 Who should you talk to your audience
  (4 weeks)
•  
• Gain clearance of your consultation
•  
• Stage 3 How should you consult your
  consultation design (5-7 weeks)
•  
• Consultation period (12 weeks)
•  
• Stage 4 Analysis and feedback your results (4
  weeks)
•  
• Stage 5 Evaluation your learning (5 weeks)
• N.B. Timings are illustrative

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Stage One Why Consult? Your Objectives
 The council will ensure that those being
consulted are clear on what they are being
consulted on and that, where possible, the
consultation process lasts at least 12 weeks. For
practical or legal reasons the time may be
shorter, in which case the reasons should be
clearly documented and explained. Commitment Two
Council Commitments

• Do you need to consult?
• The first question that should be asked when
  looking to carry out consultation is do you
  really need to do it? The Consultation Institute
  estimates that the average local authority
  undertakes about 200 consultations a year
  (excluding planning related consultations).
  Therefore, to avoid duplication and consultation
  fatigue, services should make the most of
  existing consultations and develop a more
  effective culture of information sharing. The
  consultation finder facilitates this process and
  should be referred to before commencing a
  consultation exercise.

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Stage One Why Consult? Your Objectives
 

• Objectives
• Think clearly about your objectives for
  consulting with people why are you doing it?
  What decisions will it influence? Who will take
  these decisions? How does it link with the work
  of others?
• Ensure these objectives are clearly communicated
  to those being consulted.
• Inform people whom they can contact if they have
  questions about the exercise.
•  

• Expectations
• Members, officers and the public may all have
  different expectations about the outcomes of any
  exercise. It is important that these
  expectations are managed from the start.
• Consultation must be an open and meaningful
  exercise. Be clear about the areas on which you
  are seeking views and that can be influenced by
  the consultation. Explain the boundaries of the
  exercise What are people unable to change? What
  decisions have already been made and why?
• Remember, you must be prepared to make some
  changes otherwise you shouldnt ask for views.

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Stage One Why Consult?- Your Objectives

• Timetable
• Consultation must be started at an early stage.
  People will have a greater understanding about
  the aims of the exercise and the possibilities
  for them to influence decisions if involved from
  the start.
• Create a clear timetable for your consultation
  and make sure those being consulted are aware of
  key deadlines for responses.
• Give people enough time to respond. Ideally the
  consultation period should last 12 weeks,
  although certain projects will for practical or
  legal reasons have shorter consultative periods.
  If consultation cannot be undertaken for 12
  weeks, specific reasons should be given to those
  to be consulted. For example in the form of a
  summary sheet within the report. Consider the
  timetables of any organisations, committees or
  groups you are consulting with who may meet on a
  monthly or quarterly basis.
• Think carefully about when you will carry out
  consultation. At certain times in the year such
  as school holidays or religious festivals people
  may have less time to respond, so select an
  appropriate time to maximise engagement.

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Stage One Why Consult? Your Objectives

• What Kind of Consultation Do You Need to Do?
• To help you to develop your consultation, you
  need to set clear objectives at the
• beginning. Your reason or objective for
  consultation will shape how you carry it out.
• Are you
• Challenging the existing service?
• Looking for unmet needs?
• Developing proposals and policies?
• Shaping the way your service is delivered?
• Measuring satisfaction with the service?
• Prioritising future spending?
• Setting targets for the service?
• Checking out reaction to new ideas or
  initiatives?
• Looking for quality improvements?
• Checking opinions, views, and attitudes?
• Assessing potential interest in something?
• Improving customer relationships?
• Other Issues - what are they?

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Stage One Why Consult?- Your Objectives

• What Kind of Consultation Do You Need to Do?
  (..continued)
• Here are some examples of questions you may want
  to ask. Your questions
• must directly relate to the main decisions that
  need to be taken and the
• objectives of your survey
•  
• What do people like most and least about the
  service?
• Is the standard or level of the service right?
• Is the frequency of the service acceptable?
• Is the service reliable?
• What takes too long?
• What about comfort, convenience, safety factors?
• How good is your customer service (e.g.
  helpfulness, friendliness)?
• Is the range of services available appropriate?
• Is the service equally accessible by everyone?
• Is there enough information available about the
  service?
• Is the service good value?

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience
The council will ensure that as wide a range of
people as possible are consulted and that
appropriate measures are taken to target hard to
reach groups. Commitment Two Council
Commitments

•  
•  There will be many groups of people who have a
  view on how your services could be improved.
• As well as your main customers, other
  stakeholders, such as non-users, staff,
  councillors, suppliers, local people, agencies
  and organisations may have experienced your
  service and will have ideas on how to improve it.
• Remember you cannot consult with absolutely
  everyone about absolutely everything. You must
  make a judgment about what is reasonable,
  appropriate and practical.
•  

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience
Who are your Stakeholders? You will need
to identify who your stakeholders are and plan to
consult them all. A good starting point is to
think about what the service, issue or challenge
is that you want to consult on (see stage 1). You
should start with the main customers or users of
your service. For example if you were to consult
on making improvements to a local park, you would
probably need to consult with park users, people
who live nearby, the rangers, local agencies or
voluntary groups, businesses, the contractor and
people who dont use the park (to find out why
not).
An inclusive approach to consultation   There are
three broad categories of stakeholders to consult
with and they are key customers, non-users and
others. Use this checklist as a basis to think
about and map your stakeholders Access
Issues.doc
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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience
The role of MKC councillors   Effective
consultation will enhance the role of MKC
councillors as community leaders. Consultation
does this by helping to inform decisions by
giving members a better understanding of the
views and opinions of a wide range of local
stakeholders.
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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• Consulting with Hard to Reach Groups
•  Hard to reach groups can be described as those
  groups who may not be contacted by the
  traditional methods of researching the general
  public, either because it is not appropriate for
  a particular group, or because it may not yield a
  sample that will enable us to understand the
  perspective of the group being approached.
• To ensure consultation is completely inclusive
  you should use census information, previous
  research/consultation, and contact local
  organisations that work closely with these
  groups.

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• The following groups may potentially be
  considered as hard to reach
•  People from Black Minority Ethnic (BME) groups
• Gypsies and Travellers
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
  groups
• Younger and some older people
• Asylum seekers and refugees
• Learning and disabled
• Homeless people
• Lone parents
• Carers
• People living in remote rural areas
• People living in areas of deprivation or on a low
  income

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• How to identify hard to reach groups
• Use census information
• Previous research/consultation
• Contact local organisations that work closely
  with these groups
• See Appendix One.doc
•  
• Accessing hard to reach groups
• This might be via informal networks, social
  venues or local organisations who work with these
  groups
• Use Appendix One.doc as an initial list of
  contacts

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• Which method to use?
• The way we choose to talk to people may exclude
  some people in our community
• Do not presume that a certain consultation method
  is the correct one to use with certain groups
• Try to think about the problems certain people
  may have in getting involved
• Your consultation method may be putting up
  barriers to some people. Try to remove these
  barriers
• Sometimes you might need to hold separate events
  for different groups of people i.e. for men and
  women

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• Understanding your audience
• Its easy to assume hard to reach groups are
  homogenous they are not
• Who are the key organisations that represent
  them? By learning about the ethnicity, religion,
  language and culture of the people you wish to
  reach you may understand any particular needs
  they might have
• Find out who else is speaking to them and how?
• Establish a relationship try to find a suitable
  contact within the group, visit the group, ask
  influential people within the group to spread the
  word and encourage others to take part
• Remember - it may take time to build trust.
  Dont expect results overnight

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• Where should you hold your event?
• Go to venues where the people you want to talk to
  already meet and feel comfortable
• Check if any venue might cause offence to people
  in your group
• Hold all events in safe, appropriate and
  accessible buildings
• When should you hold your event?
• Check local religious and secular events and make
  sure your event does not clash
• Think about what time of the day the people you
  want to talk to will be free
• Hold events on a range of days and times to let
  as many people as possible attend

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• What will you need to provide?
• Be aware of peoples dietary needs when providing
  food
• Do you need to offer a crèche or childcare
  facilities?
• Will you need to offer some financial incentive
  or reimbursement for peoples time and travel
  costs?
• Your information
• Some people may not be able to read English.
  Research the language needs of the people you
  want to talk to. You could provide a translation
  slip with any written material you send out
• In some cases you will have to translate your
  written material. Read the Milton Keynes Council
  Translation and Interpretation Policy and
  Guidance note and speak to the MK Community
  Language Service (Ext. 3253)
• Make sure you have left enough money and time to
  do this!
• Is your information easy to read? Use a large
  font and include pictures and diagrams. Read out
  any written material
• Will some people may need a hearing loop or
  British Sign Language Interpreter

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Stage Two Who Should We Talk To? Your Audience

• For more information, contact
• Maryam Karim - BME Community Officer (LD) Ext
  3306
• Shehnaz Akhtar - BME Community Dev Officer
  (Neighbourhood) Ext 3316
• Abid Hussain - Corporate Equalities Officer Ext
  4628

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• The council will ensure that a range of methods
  and techniques will be used that fit the aims of
  producing consultation that is effective and
  sensitive to the needs of the community.
• Commitment 3 Council Commitments
•  
• The council will ensure that all consultation is
  well co-ordinated, and reduces the potential for
  consultation fatigue. This involves using the
  consultation tool-kit, consultation finder and
  coordination any issues through the Consultation
  Action and Advisory Team.
• Commitment 4 Council Commitments

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• Choosing which method to use
• The choice of method you wish to use should be
  determined by the objectives of your consultation
  and the group of people you are planning to
  consult.
• A range of methods should be used that combines
  both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
  Avoid using only one method a variety will
  encourage greater participation and will make the
  consultation more accessible. Make the best use
  of new technologies to reach more of your target
  group. Be prepared to use innovative ideas to
  reach different groups in the community.
• Try to custom build a consultation process for
  each service, issue or group of people. Consider
  the needs of each group you are consulting.
  People will respond better when consulted in an
  environment, and by a means that is most suitable
  for them. For example, electronic polling may be
  a method more suited to younger people who are
  more likely to use the internet regularly.

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(continued)

• Choosing which method to use
• Promote a pro-active approach to consultation.
  Be prepared to take consultation out to the
  people you wish to reach. Do not simply offer
  consultation and expect people to come to you.
• Consider the resources you have available. What
  are the realistic/practical limits to the methods
  you can use? Ensure these have been clearly
  communicated.
• Anticipate the type of results you will receive
  from your chosen consultation method. Can these
  be analysed and fed into your decision making
  process in the right way? Do you have the
  resources to handle hundreds of responses, for
  example, by letter? Plan your analysis when you
  design your consultation. If you need help to
  analyse your results, contact the Strategy and
  Growth Team.
• With regard to equality issues, ensure that your
  consultation engages with the whole community you
  wish to reach.
• Explain to those being consulted who will use the
  responses and for what purpose. Inform people
  that confidentiality will be respected. Ensure
  that your consultation complies with the Data
  Protection Act.

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• The Ladder of Participation
• It is important to consider what it means to
  involve or consult with members of the public.
  The chart below is often known as the ladder of
  participation. It illustrates the difference
  between consulting involving and informing
  people, where peoples input may be limited.
  Remember consultation should be a genuine two
  way process.
• The Ladder of Participation.doc

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• Selecting your consultation method
• The following questions may help guide you in
  choosing the most suitable
• consultation methods
•  
• Do you need your responses to be representative?
• Sample Survey
• Representative Focus Groups
• You may need to seek advice on selecting sample
  groups, in which case
• contact the Strategy and Growth Team.

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Continued

• Is the issue complex?
• Complex issues best suit interactive methods
  questions are less effective
• Focus Groups
• Surveys
• Regular Meetings
• Travelling Exhibitions
• Planning Days
• Citizens Juries
•  
• Do you need to get a response from as many people
  as possible?
• Newsletter or leaflet with a response form
• Free phone line
• Door to door surveys
• Radio interview and phone in
• Maximizing responses can be done in many ways.
  For more information,
• contact the Strategy and Growth Team.
•  

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Continued

• Do you need to include groups that are often
  excluded?
• Involve community organisations
• Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Meetings with existing groups
• Drama workshops
• Contacting hard to reach groups is difficult you
  need to think about innovative
• ways of reaching people. For more information see
  page 11.
•  
• Do you need to review or improve your service or
  test new approaches?
• User and Non-user surveys/comments cards
• User and Non-user focus groups
• Quality circles
• Stakeholder meetings
• Staff feedback
• Effective complaints system
• Customer service surveys are essential consider
  the councils customer
• service policies at http//intranet/customer_servi
  ce/

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Continued

• Do you need to have a regular dialogue with the
  same people?
• Establishing relationships is a good way of
  involving people
• Newsletter with feedback
• Regular Meetings or Mailings
• User forum
•  
• Are you consulting service users, or people who
  are already aware of your service?
• Postal and face to face questionnaires
• Draft documents for comment
• Think about new interesting ways of including and
  informing your service
• users.

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Continued

• Are you consulting with non-frequent, potential
  or non-users who may need
• more information before responding?
• Interaction is key to developing effective
  relationships
• Meetings
• Focus Groups
• Open Days
• Discussions

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• A Users Guide to Consultation Methods
• The table below provides details of a variety of
  consultation methods and ideas
• that may be suitable for your consultation
• A Users Guide to Consultation Methods.doc

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• Co-ordination
• The council wishes to adopt a more co-ordinated
  approach to consultation as an organisation. Too
  frequently, people are being consulted in
  different ways by different services, yet often
  at the same time. This can lead to consultation
  fatigue and may reduce the willingness of people
  to get involved. A co-ordinated approach will
  also allow the council to use resources and costs
  more effectively.
• Look for opportunities to join up with other
  services or outside agencies and conduct joint
  consultation where possible. Use the
  consultation finder, consultation webpage and
  Tuesday Bulletin to inform others of the
  consultation you intend to carry out.
• Build on previous or ongoing consultation you
  already have in place to avoid duplication
• The Strategy and Growth Team acts as a central
  reference point for information and advice on
  best practice in consultation and oversees the
  co-ordination of consultation across the council.

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Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• Language and Design
• Consider the style and design of your
  consultation material. Complicated material will
  put people off responding. The Communications
  Team will offer advice on the branding and design
  of consultation material, including council
  logos, while the Strategy and Growth Team will
  provide advice on content and language.
• Use plain English and keep consultation material
  jargon free. Ensure all technical terms and
  abbreviations are fully explained.
• Keep consultation material concise offer a
  summary or headlines to direct people to the
  key issues.
• Consider the needs of the groups you are
  consulting and provide information in a variety
  of formats. It may be necessary to produce
  information in different languages or in Braille,
  for example.
• Consider the need to publicise your consultation
  exercise. This should be carried out in line
  with your objectives and target groups. The
  Communications Team can offer advice on how you
  can publicise your exercise to get the maximum
  impact.

46
Stage Three Getting Started How Are You Going
to Carry Out Your Consultation?

• Existing MK expertise
• The use of existing MK consultative bodies such
  as the Housing Forum, the Citizens Panel and
  other groups can save time and provide ready
  access to a wealth of experience and a wide range
  of views.
• The use of voluntary sector groups such as
  residents associations, governors, carers
  groups, etc can also provide ready-made
  consultative groups. Community Liaison
  Infrastructure Partnership (CLIP) is an umbrella
  organisation for volunteer groups. They would be
  willing to filter down any consultation to the
  relevant volunteer groups (contact Sheila
  Thornton Tel 661623).

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Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
going to do with your results?

• The council will ensure that any consultation
  results are fed back to all individuals who were
  consulted, and any influence their comments had
  on decisions are also fed back
• Commitment 5 Council Commitments

48
Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
going to do with your results?

• Plan
• To make sure your consultation is used
  effectively you must set out from the start what
  you intend to do with your results and how you
  will let people know what was said and what has
  changed as a result.
• Ensure your consultation timetable lets people
  know the date when feedback will be available.
  As far as possible, a summary of responses should
  be made available within three months of the
  closing date of consultation.
• Remember, all consultation should relate to a
  decision that you are intending to make and that
  can be influenced by the results of that
  consultation. Factor this into your timetable
  and let people know when and who will make the
  decisions.
• Feed back to people how their views have been
  taken into account. Your consultation will be of
  limited value if people are unaware of its
  results and influence.
• Identify the processes you will use for making
  improvements to your service based upon the
  results of your consultation. Communicate these
  processes to those taking part when you start
  your consultation.

49
Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
going to do with your results?

• How?
• Consider how you will feedback the results of
  your consultation. Ensure the method you choose
  allows everyone who participated to access this
  feedback. Is there a need to inform the wider
  public of your consultation and its outcomes?
• A summary of responses should be made available
  on the Internet and in a paper copy, as well as
  in other formats that are appropriate to the
  audience.
• The summary should include an analysis of the
  responses as well as an explanation of how you
  plan to change the proposals in light of these
  responses. You may like to inform people the
  next steps you plan to take and give reasons for
  any decisions taken.
• Ensure that you are aware of the Rights of Access
  set out in the Freedom of Information Act and how
  this may relate to any information produced as a
  result of your consultation. More information
  about Freedom of Information can be found on the
  councils Intranet site MK Council - Freedom of
  Information Act - MKWeb
• Make best use of the Consultation Finder to log
  details of your consultation exercise and as a
  way of letting people know its outcomes

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Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
going to do with your results?

• Remember, consultation should not be a one off
  event but a continuous process. You may need to
  carry out further consultation to test out your
  ideas on how to respond to the results, and any
  changes to your service.
• If your consultation method was not successful
  seek advice and try again.

51
Stage Four Analysis and Feedback What are you
going to do with your results?

• How do you make sense of your results?
• The best way of analysing your results will
  depend on what consultation method you
• used and the type of response you received.
  However, the following steps may give you
• a helping hand
• Ensure all responses you received are logged
  accurately and a record is kept. If using a
  survey as your method, Snap provides an easy way
  of doing this.
• Try to sort the responses into particular types,
  for example business groups, employees
  representative groups, and individual views.
  This will help you identify different
  perspectives on each issue.
• Responses should be carefully and open-mindedly
  analysed. Do not simply count the responses you
  have received.
• You may need to decide how to weigh the different
  responses received from different groups.
  Consider how representative the views of each
  stakeholder groups are, what the level of support
  is for particular proposals from different
  groups, and whether responses from different
  groups differ significantly.

52
(.Continued)

• Particular attention may need to be given to
  representative bodies, such as business
  associations, trade unions, voluntary and
  consumer groups and other organisations that
  represent groups especially affected by your
  proposals or service.
• Develop a framework grid which sets out the key
  issues, themes and proposals and then summarise
  the viewpoints on each aspect
• Examine these viewpoints and consider what the
  implications of these are. Separate the
  practical/realistic solutions from those you know
  can not be pursued
• Ensure your feedback lets people know the key
  themes identified by the consultation and how you
  propose to resolve these. Explanations of why
  popular recommendations have not been carried
  forward should also be included.
• Source How to Analyse Responses Code of
  Practice on Consultation
• Guidance, Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit
  2003
• (http//www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/consul
  tation-guidance/index.htm)

53
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• The council will ensure that it effectively
  monitors and evaluates the process and feeds any
  results back into the council to facilitate best
  practice. The Chief Executives department and
  the CAAT group will coordinate this knowledge
  sharing, and any information will be available
  online
• Commitment 6 Council Commitments

54
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• Why?
• As an organisation it is vital that we monitor
  our consultation to make sure we are consulting
  with people in the best possible way.
• By evaluating the consultation we carry out we
  can find out what worked and what did not,
  highlight unanticipated outcomes, assess whether
  we used our time and resources effectively, and
  learn valuable lessons that can be applied to
  future consultation.
• When?
• It will be much easier to carry out your
  evaluation if you have planned it from the start.
  Make sure it is not left to the end of the
  process.
• Keep it simple your evaluation process will be
  straightforward if you identify your criteria for
  success and failure from the beginning.

55
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• What?
• Think about the following
• What went well?
• What would we do differently next time?
• Were there other ways we could have done this?
• What learning have we gathered from the process?
• What practical actions will we take to improve
  how we do this in the future?
• What other people might find this learning useful
  and how can we share it with them?

56
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• Tell Other People
• Tell other people what you have found out from
  your evaluation. By doing this we will help to
  co-ordinate the consultation carried out across
  the council by learning from each others
  experiences.
• Include details of your evaluation on the
  Consultation Finder.
• Report Will the council report on its
  consultations?
• How?
• Include those you involved in the consultation in
  its evaluation.
• Think about the method you will use to evaluate.
  This should be relevant to the purpose and scale
  of your consultation, should be cost effective
  and carried out in good time.

57
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• You might want to think about the following areas
  to evaluate your
• consultation
• Objectives
• Were they clear?
• Did everyone understand them?
• Were they relevant to the consultation itself?
• Methods
• Did you use the right methods for your
  objectives?
• Which methods worked better than others and why?
• Did your methods give you the required response
  rate, mix of quantitative and
• qualitative information and representative
  sample?

58
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• Material
• Was the consultation material you produced
• Easy to access?
• Relevant to the consultation?
• Easy to understand?
• Available in a range of formats suitable for your
  audience?
• People
• Did you get the views from those you wanted?
• Were you successful in consulting hard to reach
  groups?
• Did different groups respond to different
  methods?
• Did you give feedback to the people you
  consulted?
• Did the people involved feel that the
  consultation was worthwhile?

59
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• Timing
• Was the timetable clear and did you keep to it?
• Did you allow for enough time for people to
  respond?
• Costs
• Did you budget adequately?
• Were there unforeseen costs what were these and
  why?
• Effect of the consultation has anything
  changed?
• Did you get views that you could use?
• Have you actually used these views?
• Has the consultation led to some identifiable
  change?
• Has the consultation changed the relationship
  between you and your users
• and others?
• Source How to Consult Your Users An
  Introductory Guide Cabinet Office Regulatory
  Impact Unit (http//www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regu
  lation/consultation-guidance/content/introduction/
  index.asp)

60
Stage Five Evaluation- Learning

• Revise
• As an organisation we recognise that the way we
  consult may need to evolve over time. The
  council will use the evaluation of its
  consultation to review this toolkit and where
  necessary amend it to make sure it is offering
  the best possible advice.
• The toolkit will also be amended to reflect
  changes in government policy and guidance when
  necessary.

61
Sources of Further Information

• The Code of Practice on Consultation Cabinet
  Office Regulatory Impact Unit January 2004
  (http//www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/consu
  ltation/code.asp)
• How to Consult Your Users An Introductory
  Guide Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit
  November 1998 (http//www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/re
  gulation/consultation-guidance/content/introductio
  n/index.asp)
• Viewfinder A Policy Makers Guide to Public
  Involvement Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact
  Unit (http//www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/c
  onsultation-guidance/content/introduction/index.as
  p)
• And the Guidance Material published on the
  Cabinet Office Guidance on the Code of Practice
  on Consultation website at http//www.cabinetoffic
  e.gov.uk/regulation/consultation-guidance/
• Consultation Toolkit The Chief Executives
  Unit - North Lincolnshire Council
  (http//www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/aio/70580)
• Consultation strategy Service Improvement Unit
  Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
  (http//www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk/epsom/council.nsf/p
  ages/constrat.html)