Effective eConsultation

13th May 2014

Fraser Henderson, Digital Associate

The Consultation Institute (UK)

EffectiveeConsultation

1. SHORT INTRODUCTION

2. BASELINE (UK PERSPECTIVE)

3. MODES OF ECONSULTATION

4. EXAMPLE PRACTICES (DIGITAL)

5. CHALLENGES

6. SUMMARY

About TCI

The Consultation Institute’s Mission is to seek to promote the highest standards of public, stakeholder and employee consultation by initiating research, publications and specialist events in order to disseminate best practice and improve subsequent decision-making.

• Established 2003

• Not for profit

• 10 FT members of staff

• 27 professional associates

• Training for public sector employees

• Publications

• Research & analysis around good practices

• Consultation compliance assessments

• Software assessments (quality seal)

• Registered facilitators scheme

• Knowledge base

Links to Huddersfield University

Fraser Henderson

• Digital engagement for evidence based decision making – public dialogue projects

• Digital engagement methods (engagementdb.org)

• eDemocracy, e.g. ePetitions (involved in roll-out of UK system in 2006)

• Online consultation, social media monitoring

• Digital systems for redress and dispute resolution – e.g. storytelling (www.ourhousing.org)

Baseline

Engage a specific audience

Increase trust in the process

Encourage quality interactions

Enhance citizen knowledge of issues

Prevent the spread of misinformation

Gather input on policy development

Increase public support for decisions already taken

Obtain better informed opinions

Stimulate involvement

Provide project feedback

Anti corrpution

Broaden dialogue

Deepen dialogue

Extend dialogue

Motivation for going digital

New NormalSupply + Deman

(Expectation Management)

How is local government performing?

Source : Delib UK

Well organized web pages

Provide information on past, present and future consultations

Have no ability to respond to consultations online

Usability and accessibility issues

20%

20%

25%

40%

What involvement would people like?

Base: 1,000 GB adults, 18+. June 2010

Would like to be actively involvedWould like a say in decisions

Would like Information only

Not interested as longas experts involved

4%

38%

32%

26%

Deep Scepticism

Consultation Fatigue

Low involvement [1%]

Improve trust

Smarter process

Better Stimulus

Improve trust

Process Tools: Consultation Charter & Mandate

What has been decided?What is up for influence?What happens to my contribution?

Gunning Principles (Law)

Consideration time, Predetermination, Evidence, Eval

INTEGRITY

Integrity (honest intention)

Accessibility

Visibility

Transparency

Disclosure

Fair Interpretation

Publicity

The Consultation

Charter

Smarter Process

Stakeholder mapping (incl. digital domain)

Central consultation database & alerts

C an do – that is, have the resources and knowledge to participate;

L ike to – that is, have a sense of attachment that reinforces participation;

E nabled to – that is, are provided with the opportunity for participation;

A sked to – that is, are mobilised by official bodies or voluntary groups;

R esponded to – that is, see evidence that their views have been considered.

DESIGN

Better Stimulus

Digital Marketing

Rich Media, Variety of Input types, Not just survey!

Cross Platform

Early in policy cycle (e.g. public dialogue)

Horizontal & vertical dialogues

IMPLEMENTATION

Increased response rate. Best when complement paper process

Particularly effective with younger people (<25 years)

Spill-over effect. Offline participation increases

Cost effective compared to paper process

Most (c.80%) people interested in seeing other responses

Impact of eConsultation

Popular modes of eConsultation

Varied Touchpoints

Varied Objectives

TRADITIONAL - INFORMED DECISION MAKING (POLICY/BUDGETS)

> OPTIONS AND CHOICES

IDEA SOURCING (RED TAPE CHALLENGE)>OPEN ENDED

ENGAGE, CAPTURE, INTERPRET, ACT

Real-time and time awareMulti channel (incl. SMS survey)Real time analytics, NLP including speech analyticsReal time reporting dashboardsReal time decisioning and agent guidance

Continual Feedback

Hosted Dialogue

Social Listening

Active responding

Issue identification

Expression of interest

Alerts

Consume Information

Informed view recorded

Feedback loop

Debate the outcome

Clear consultation mandate

No predetermination

All evidence in open

Sufficient time for consideration

Guided

Targeted marketing

Managing the Consultee experience

Consultation Finder

Consultation Alerts

Collect Views

Managing the process

Create materials

Project Management

Interfaces and

connectors

Managing the dialogue

Monitoring

Safeguards

Stakeholder Management

Managing the results

Analysis module

Reporting

Feedback

Examples

√ RSS√ FINDER

√ SEARCH

√ ALERTS

√ CLEAR SUMMARY√ OPEN & CLOSED

X SIMPLE SURVEY

X NO ANALYTICS

√ CALENDAR√ FINDER

√ IN-LINE FEEDBACK

X SIMPLE SURVEY

X NO ANALYTICS

X FLAT DOCUMENTS

Spanish political movement, El Partido del Futuro –Annotate text (Manifesto / agenda)

Challenges

Misconceptions

LOUDEST VOICE

FLAMING

DATA PROTECTION & SCRAPING

Integration (e.g. paper)

Moderation v facilitation

Qualitative data

Identity versus quality

Immediacy

Volume

Managing the Consultee experience

Consultation Finder

Consultation Alerts

Collect Views

Managing the process

Create Materials

Project Management

Interfaces and

connectors

Managing the dialogue

Monitoring

Safeguards

Stakeholder Management

Managing the results

Analysis module

Reporting

Feedback

Summary

LEVEL ONE (BASIC): SHARE AND CONNECT

Provide feedback

Increase public support for decisions already taken

Enhance citizen knowledge of issues

Increase trust in the process

Broaden dialogue (increase reach)

Examples have varied quality

LEVEL TWO (INTERMEDIATE):

INCLUDE +SHARE AND CONNECT

Stimulate involvement and awareness

Gather input for decision making

Obtain better informed opinions

Encourage quality interactions

Elongate dialogue around issues

Examples have varied quality

LEVEL THREE (ADVANCED):

INTERACT + INCLUDE + SHARE AND CONNECT

Prevent the spread of misinformation

Engage a specific audience

Deepen dialogue around issues

Examples have varied quality

No ‘one size’ fits all

Fragmented solution market

Consultee experience is key

Consultation Integrity

Framing (mandate)

CLEAR principle

@frazzy123

[email protected]

www.mrhenderson.org

Questions?