Public Consultation

The Council will from time to time need to undertake Public Consultation on projects it is pursuing and will do so in accordance with the following checklist:

Organisational Needs

Is there a shared understanding of what you want to achieve through engagement?
Are you clear about what information you are seeking and how you or the community will use it?
Do you know who you need to engage with?
Who will take responsibility for directing the engagement process?
What is the projected timescale for engagement?

Public needs

Has the decision already been taken? Is there really an opportunity for the public or stakeholders to influence the decision?
Are you trying to ensure that what you are planning, commissioning or providing meets the public’s needs and preferences?
How are you going to explain to participants why they are being consulted and what their answers will be used for?
Do you know how you will feed back to the community?
Are you trying to give all stakeholders an understanding of what is negotiable and open to change and what is not? How will you set realistic expectations
Do you have relevant information on the engagement processes that is readily accessible to all members of the community?