Public Consultation Toolkit - Civil Service College

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Public Consultation Toolkit Public Consultation Toolkit 4. Pre-consultation considerations The following table (Table 4-1) could serve as a general guide for agencies to determine the need to conduct a public consultation exercise. 4.1. Factors to consider As a rule of thumb, consultation should be conducted for policies and initiatives that have a significant impact on stakeholders. Five factors to consider whether to proceed with a consultation exercise are: 1. Confidentiality. Policies/initiatives that are classified and confidential (e.g., national security) may not be suitable for public consultation. 2. Urgency of issue. For emergency situations (e.g., a security incident) where an immediate response by agencies is necessary, public consultation is generally not realistic or possible. 3. Impact on stakeholders. For issues with significant impact (e.g., which result in changes to how individuals or organisations operate, or which touch on religious or moral values), agencies should choose to consult the stakeholders more thoroughly to understand the full implications of each decision. 4. Level of public interest. The level of public interest determines the extent to which the wider populace is consulted. Policy areas that tend to attract more public interest include healthcare, education, housing and transport 2 . Policy areas of public interest also tend to be covered more widely by the media. Conversely, for policies which attract less public interest (e.g., technical or regulatory issues such as the regulation of financial institutions), agencies can choose to conduct targeted consultation with affected stakeholders such as industry players or technical experts. 5. Scope of influence. This refers to the degree to which the outcomes of the policy could be influenced by stakeholder feedback. It is recommended that consultation be conducted primarily when stakeholder feedback can influence the outcome of the policy or initiative. If consultation is conducted for policies or initiatives with minimal scope for influence, it is important to manage stakeholder expectations carefully. Key considerations Confidentiality of issue Does the policy/initiative contain classified/ confidential information? Urgency of Issue Is there an urgent, short timeframe for the policy/ initiative to be developed? If the implementation is delayed, will there be adverse implications? Impact on stakeholders How significant is the degree of impact of the policy/initiative on stakeholders? To what extent are major stakeholders concerned about this issue? Level of public interest What is the level of public interest or attention on the policy/initiative? What is the possibility that the media will be interested in the issue? Scope of influence What is the scope for changes to be made to the policy/initiative based on stakeholder feedback? Recommendation Yes Yes Yes Low Low Low Low Please circle the appropriate response Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate No No No High High High High Low Moderate High If most responses fall in this column, consultation may not be required. If most responses fall in this column, targeted consultation is recommended for affected stakeholder groups. If most responses fall in this column, largescale consultation of the wider populace is recommended. 2 Based on Singapore Public Perception Survey conducted by Ernst and Young Advisory, 2009. Table 4-1: Pre considerations for consultation
Public Consultation Toolkit 10 Public Consultation Toolkit 4.2. Stages of policy development Consultation can provide input to the policy/initiative development at different stages of its inception. The purposes of consultation at the various stages of the policy/initiative development can vary (Figure 4-2). Development stages of policy/initiative Identify Identify and define Issue/ problem to be resolved Analysis Define key opportunities and challenges associated with issue Formulate Formulate possible policy solutions to address issue Assess Assess and evalute options Decide Decide on course of action Purposes of public consultation Feel the pulse Test/refine Check against options/ alternatives 4.3. Public consultation process The public consultation process is an iterative one. For the purpose of this Toolkit, the consultation process has been outlined in nine critical steps (Figure 4-3). It is acknowledged that in practice, the process is usually not linear. Therefore, Figures 4-2 and 4-3 do not necessarily assume a stage-by-stage process although the diagrams are illustrated in that manner. 8 9 Assess effectiveness of public consultation exercise Collate feedback and close the loop 7 Launch consultation exercise 6 Follow-up and analysis 1 Generate awareness and plan public communication exercise Identify stakeholders Conceptual planning 2 Consultation preparation and implementation Design consultation materials Select tools and channels Anticipate obstacles and challenges Develop action plan and timeline 5 3 4 Implement Establish policy/programme guidelines and processes to deliver public policies Evaluate Monitor outcomes to determine whether objectives are being met Communication/buy-in Refine/evaluate Figure 4-3: Public consultation process Figure 4-2: Purposes of public consultation at different stages of policy/initiative development
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Public Consultation Toolkit - Civil Service College

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