What is Consultation?

Consultation is a process of dialogue. When managed properly, it is a mechanism of two-way communication. It can be a powerful tool for improving the quality of decision-making and service delivery.

Consultation is a process in facilitating the County Development Board to agree a strategy for the County. Participation in the Consultation process affords the wider community an opportunity to have an input and influence the Board’s decisions.

Good services do not happen, they need to be planned and co-ordinated. Part of the planning process is consultation with the public who use these services.

The purpose of this consultation process is to inform the development of a strategy. By their nature, strategies do not deal with detail. Strategies look at the big picture. We must see where we are? We must decide where we want to get? And only then, can we look at options for getting there.

In fact, before we can decide on action, we must identify the outcome we are trying to achieve. It takes time and effort to think strategically and to look at the big picture rather than day to day issues.

To think strategically, we almost have to work backwards. We must decide what outcome we are trying to achieve. If it is an improvement to the quality of life, how this improvement could be measured and then look at how we can bring about the required changes.

This might best be illustrated with an example: We may feel that the need is for Home Work Clubs to help Children outside school hours. In fact the need is for each child to reach its full learning potential. The problem identified initially, Homework Clubs, may well in fact be part of the solution.

This consultation process needs to identify the outcomes we want to see and then explore the options open to achieve them. The key to successful consultation is matching the methods used to the purpose of the consultation. Consultation is time consuming, and it may not be possible to consult on every single aspect and priorities may need to be agreed.

Consultation is not new, but its importance is growing. Organisations and Bodies are at different levels of expertise in relation to consultation, depending generally on their level of interface with the public.

In the past, Statutory Bodies consulted based on the legal requirement to do so. However, most Bodies have extended their consultation far beyond the legal requirements and are involving the public in the process much earlier, returning with drafts for observations etc. Effective consultation can help to ensure that the policy makers stay in touch with citizens.

Why consult?

It is a principle of the Board to facilitate consultation and participation:
Involvement of the wider community is one of the key principles adopted by the County Development Board.

The Strategy “Remodelling the Model County”:

For the County Development Board to succeed in the development of the Strategy for the County for the next ten years, the strategy had to be prepared in a consultative and participative manner.

In developing the strategy, the Board had regard to the Guidelines issued by the Task Force which states that “the strategies should be prepared and implemented on a Consultative Basis” and that “participation of all is facilitated”.

Ownership of the Strategy:

Consultation and participation is essential for the strategy to be owned by the Board and the wider community.

Effectiveness of County Development Board:

One measure of the success of the County Development Board will be if it has impacted positively on people’s lives. To achieve this, the strategy must reflect the needs of people and consultation and participation is an effective mechanism of ascertaining these views.

Integral Part of Process:

There were 8 stages identified in the strategy document for the preparation of the strategy, and consultation ran through from Step 1 to Step 8.

Responsibility of Participating:

Coupled with participating in the decision making process comes responsibility.
Part and parcel of participation is accepting some responsibility for the decisions reached.

How will Consultation be managed?

The principle of consultation is core to the ongoing work of the CDB.

Thematic: Groups/Organisations with an interest in a particular theme, say childcare or early school leaving, were facilitated to come together to look at the issues of concern.

Area Based: Geographic areas were brought together to identify the needs of
their area across all themes and sectors. For the purpose of geographic consultation, consultation took at the level of the local electoral area in Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford.

How will People Participate? There are a number of ways in which people can be facilitated to participate and have their say i.e.

• Inclusion on Sub-Committees
• Meetings organised with Target Groups on a sectoral basis or geographical area basis
• Workshops – Surveys, Customer/Client surveys
• Submissions – the method used will depend on the target group involved

Where meetings or workshops are deemed to be the most appropriate, time and venue will be selected to maximise participation. Meetings and workshops will have clear objectives and be facilitated where appropriate.

The Media can play an important role in informing the wider public of development of the Strategy and facilitating participation in the process and the County Development Board will adopt a proactive approach in this area.

Feedback:

Effective consultation is about two-way communication. Initial consultations got a feel for the issues of importance, and as the strategy developed, position papers were prepared to allow input and feedback. The Board will endeavor to keep all groups who participate in the process informed and will use media
and technology where appropriate.

Role of the Community Forum:

The Community Forum plays a major role in voicing the views of the wider community. The challenge is to ensure that the Forum is as inclusive as possible and that it has a broad-based representation that can reflect society at large and also that there is equality in representation.

The Board will work with the Forum to facilitate input and participation and will work with sectors and geographical areas not represented or under represented and assist where possible. The Board has worked with the Forum to agree clusters for the purpose of consultation to maximise the effectiveness of the consultation process.

However, on occasion it may be necessary to consult further, with particular interest groups or geographical areas.

Avoid duplication:

In this process, it is important to realise and recognise that certain sectors and groups may have already been consulted for other plans. The County Development Board builds on existing consultation rather than duplicating the process. Where the Board is satisfied that existing consultation was managed in an inclusive manner and that the outcome meets the needs of the Board and that the process and outcomes can be validated the Board may decide that no further consultation is necessary.

Membership of Sub-Committees: Community Representative

In keeping with the Board’s policy on inclusion and participation all policy taskgroups of the Board will have one community representative. This person will be selected through the Community Forum.

Other Membership of Sub-Committees:

It will be open to individual taskgroups to invite people with appropriate expertise to make presentations or attend committee meetings as deemed appropriate.

       
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