Prepared for Chinese Government, 2014

1. 13th May 2014
Fraser Henderson, Digital Associate
The Consultation Institute (UK)
Effective
eConsultation

2. 1. SHORT INTRODUCTION
2. BASELINE (UK PERSPECTIVE)
3. MODES OF ECONSULTATION
4. EXAMPLE PRACTICES (DIGITAL)
5. CHALLENGES
6. SUMMARY

3. 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

4. • 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

5. 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)

6. Baseline

7. 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 Normal
Supply + Deman
(Expectation Management)

8. 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%

9. What involvement would people like?
Base: 1,000 GB adults, 18+. June 2010
Would like to be
actively involved
Would like a
say in decisions
Would like
Information only
Not interested as long
as experts involved
4%
38%
32%
26%

10. Deep Scepticism
Consultation Fatigue
Low involvement [1%]
Improve
trust
Smarter
process
Better
Stimulus

11. 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

12. Integrity (honest intention)
Accessibility
Visibility
Transparency
Disclosure
Fair Interpretation
Publicity
The
Consultation
Charter

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Popular modes
of eConsultation

17. Varied Touchpoints

18. Varied Objectives
TRADITIONAL - INFORMED DECISION MAKING
(POLICY/BUDGETS)
> OPTIONS AND CHOICES
IDEA SOURCING (RED TAPE CHALLENGE)
>OPEN ENDED

19. ENGAGE, CAPTURE, INTERPRET, ACT
Real-time and time aware
Multi channel (incl. SMS survey)
Real time analytics, NLP including speech analytics
Real time reporting dashboards
Real time decisioning and agent guidance
Continual Feedback

20. Hosted Dialogue
Social Listening
Active responding

21. 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

22. 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

23. Examples

24. √ RSS
√ FINDER
√ SEARCH
√ ALERTS
√ CLEAR SUMMARY
√ OPEN & CLOSED
X SIMPLE SURVEY
X NO ANALYTICS

25. √ CALENDAR
√ FINDER
√ IN-LINE FEEDBACK
X SIMPLE SURVEY
X NO ANALYTICS
X FLAT DOCUMENTS

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

35. Challenges

36. Misconceptions
LOUDEST VOICE
FLAMING
DATA PROTECTION & SCRAPING

37. Integration (e.g. paper)
Moderation v facilitation
Qualitative data

38. Identity versus quality
Immediacy
Volume

39. 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

41. Summary

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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

45. No ‘one size’ fits all
Fragmented solution
market
Consultee experience is
key
Consultation Integrity
Framing (mandate)
CLEAR principle

46. @frazzy123
Fraser.Henderson@btinternet.com
www.mrhenderson.org
Questions?