Public Consultation

Public Impact helps government bodies and businesses operating in the public domain to conduct independent, objective and credible consultation and engagement exercises with the public. We ensure outcomes that reflect the public view across a representative spectrum through the use of the most appropriate combination of public consultation methods. We enable service managers and product developers to shape their offerings on the basis of the feedback they have receive.

How do we find the best forms of public engagement?

Public consultation can take many different forms and is used at different stages of the process of developing solutions to public problems and can either inform decision making, the development of service offerings or the creation of options for discussion. Each purpose needs a different level of depth and different tactics to achieve that depth. Public Impact works with clients to develop consultation programmes that set the standard for best practice by ensuring that:

  • Public consultations are seen to directly affect outcomes and are set in a clear communications context to inform the audience of results and actions
  • Audiences are targeted effectively, avoiding a scatter gun approach, and that the most appropriate methodologies are used to effectively reflect opinion relevant to the purpose of the consultation.
  • The full spectrum of the target audience is reached by employing a variety of tactics to achieve the broadest possible involvement taking account of the
  • Plain English is used at all times. Public Impact work for clients achieves ‘Crystal Mark’ awards for the clarity of its language and presentation
  • The real choices and effects of potential outcomes are made clear, ensuring participants make informed choices
  • Realistic timescales at appropriate points in the calendar and avoiding events that can distort the process are set for the public consultation itself, for the reporting of results and the decision making process.
  • The process is transparent and will bear scrutiny as a fair process that can genuinely reflect the opinion of the target audience.

Working with clients to deliver effective public consultation

Public Impact works with its clients to develop high quality consultation programmes. We take into account the political and community context of public consultations gaining and understanding the issues involved. We create consultation packages to fit available resources and deliver on-time and on-budget.