Consultation

Consultation is becoming an important part of service and policy development, particularly within the public sector. Stakeholder Consultations and Public Engagement events are increasingly being used to plan, develop and review services, policies or standards of practice.

In addition the recent (2004) Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations set out requirements for organisations to consult with their employees. In April 2008 this remit applies to organisations that employ 50 or more employees.

Face to face consultation

Face to face meetings and discussions are key elements of an effective consultation and engagement exercise, enabling issues to be explored and discussed in depth.

Consultations can take the form of:

Workshops
Small meetings
1:1 Interviews

What defines a Consultation?

A consultation involves listening to views and taking account of what is said in order to inform decisions.

Key people are invited to consultations - (Stakeholders) – these may represent specific organisations, departments or areas of expertise and interest.

Briefing papers are sent out in advance to inform the attendees of the issues under discussion, enabling them to consult with others and prepare for the meeting.

Consultations can be Internal (with staff/members) or External (key stakeholders/members of the public/organisational representatives.)

At the end of the process, feedback is given to those who attended the consultation events.

How does a consultation differ from a focus group?

A face to face consultation is run in a very similar way to a focus group, indeed the terms are often interchangeable, and focus group methodology forms the basis for face to face consultation. A number of our clients have run focus groups that reflect a more consultation style than a consumer focus group. The main difference is that for a consultation, attendees are more fully briefed prior to attending the event and selection is targeted to key people. It is also possible for the client to become part of the consultation event, attending and joining in some of the sessions to fully interact and engage with attendees.

Our Experience

The Focus GroupUK is able to work with clients to organise and facilitate consultations – from input into the briefing materials, to facilitation of the event and a full report of the outcomes. As independent facilitators we are able to manage events and work with clients to ensure events are run effectively and objectively.

We currently run consultations for the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) consulting with members and lay people on standards in training and practice. These are national events, ranging in size from 15 – 35 people.