The Art of Consultation
By Elizabeth Gammell and Rhion Jones
A unique book, essential to those involved with consultations. Over ten thousand public servants in the UK, and many others in the private and voluntary sectors, engage in formal consultations, and it’s time their efforts were celebrated and their challenges properly addressed. There’s a multi-million pound industry out there, asking us what we think. Lots of this is public money and much of it is wasted. Whilst a great deal of consultation is effective, some of it is downright dishonest; decision-makers have already made up their minds. If they then consult, it’s a waste of everyone’s time; they are just going through the motions. However, there is a positive future for the best in consultation, and this is an optimistic analysis. After all, only by engaging with people as customers or citizens can some of our most intractable social and political problems be fixed. That makes The Art of Consultation essential reading for everyone involved in these decisions. At the same time this unique book is a practical guide to the effective implementation of consultation, and covers all the essential, up-to-date techniques to allow you to put in consultations of the highest standard.
