12.2 Consultation techniques
The purpose of consultation is to get people
involved, from all the relevant sections of the community. Straightforward
public meetings tend to favour those who are able to attend easily.
They are often dominated by male middle class professionals.
Techniques to reach the views of the wider community include
using a range of venues such as clubs and societies, pubs, churches,
shops, drop in events and open meetings, community days, focus
groups and workshops, door to door visits, as well as the street
itself.
The techniques could then include:
• suggestion
boxes
• painting drawing
• photography
• community exhibition
• suggestion
or comments chart
• pub quiz
• walk about
• scoring and ranking
• implementation matrix and responsibility
chart
• questionnaire
Where public meetings are used it may be
helpful to run them in a sequence of three stages, which at the
first, policy options are discussed, at the second, the results
are fed back to into broad but practical options for consideration,
and at the third, the selected option is presented as finite
proposals.
Consultation in Harrow
Local people having their
say
