Consultation and Engagement with Communities in Shetland

Project Plan Toolkit

Checklist Format

Before You Start

• Do you know where you are on ‘The Ladder of Participation’?
• Do you know the difference between consultation and engagement?
• Have you looked at the standards for Community Engagement?
• Have you considered contacting the Community Planning Support Team or enrolled on the Engaging and Consulting with Communities Training course?

Stage 1

Why consult/engage

• Have you allocated sufficient time for the planning and implementation of this exercise?
• Do you have sufficient knowledge to undertake the exercise?
• Have the public already been asked relevant questions – have you visited the datashare site?

Stage 2

What is the exercise about

• What will you specifically consult/engage about?
• What are your key objectives?
• Have you written a clear statement of intent that describes how the results will be used?
• Have the constraints that apply to the decision, when made, been defined e.g. legal, financial or technical?
• Have the resources you need to complete this exercise been defined?
  

Stage 3

Who to consult/engage

• Have you aimed to seek a representative cross-section of views?
• Has appropriate action been taken to reach 'The Hard to Reach'?
• Have you defined the community or most important stakeholders?
  

Stage 4

When to consult/engage

• Have you logged your intention to consult/engage with the Policy Unit?

• Have you involved existing networks and forums before putting together options and proposals?
• Have you allowed adequate time for this exercise, including publicity?
• Have you allowed enough time for people to respond and be aware of significant events?
  

Stage 5

Carrying out consultation/engagement

• What methods of consultation/engagement will you use?
• Have you chosen a method that will produce a representative sample of the target audience?
• Have existing mechanisms been used alongside anything additional you chose to do to inform and stimulate public interest, particularly in relation to major strategic and island wide issues?
• What equipment and supplies will you need?

Stage 6

Engaging Everyone

• Have you ensured that this exercise is accessible to all?
• Have the Guiding Principles been used to guide this consultation?
• Have you used all available means to publicise the consultation?

Stage 7

Implementation Plan

• Have you prepared an implementation plan for the exercise?
• Have you referred to the standards of community engagement?
• Have you produced a document that assigns tasks to resources and timescales?
• Have you planned explanation to the target audience on how results will be used, into the exercise?
  

Implementation

Having completed Stages 1-7, this part should be relatively easy!

When approaching the audience, the way in which the results of the consultation/engagement will be used must be clearly explained.

After Implementation

Stage 8

Analysing Results

• Have results been analysed in a fair manner?
• Have you allowed sufficient time to analyse the results?
• Have results been made available to all who wish to receive them?

Stage 9

Incorporating Results

• Have the results been summarised and recommendations reached?
• Have you shared your findings with other partners/ stakeholders?
• Have the results been uploaded onto datashare site?

Stage 10

Feedback

• Have you informed stakeholders about the results of the exercise and the action to be taken?

Stage 11

Evaluation

• Did the exercise directly inform a decision, shape a policy or service delivery arrangements?
• Has the exercise helped to improve the cost effectiveness of a service?
• Does the service or policy now more closely match users’ needs and aspirations?
• Did the exercise reach a representative sample?
• Did the exercise reach the appropriate target groups?
• Was the response rate high enough to give reliable results?
• Was the exercise cost effective?
• Can you demonstrate how you are going to implement the recommendations?
• Have you learned anything about what does and does not work in public consultation/emgagement?
• Have you shared any of these lessons with others via the Policy Unit? Contact the Policy Unit on 01595 744537, policy@shetland.gov.uk or write to Policy Unit, Town Hall, Lerwick.