Role playing scenario 1
Consultation documents on a road-widening scheme.
Q1. What are your expectations of consultation?
| Residents | Government | Road users |
|---|
- a voice
- veto
- transparent
- effective
- democratic but cognisent of special interests
- we want to be informed
- we want to be heard and respected
- we don't want the new road
- environmental and other consequences taken into account
- joined up consultation (with other interested groups)
- at our convenience
- cost neutral
- involving our local representatives
- WE CARE
|
- screen our plans for problems or undesirable consequences that we have not identified
- get approval for our plans
- inform the public of our plans and why they are such a good idea
- manage the process
- satisfy our constituents wishes
- have others take the blame
- say that since we've done consultation our plans are sound
- listen, up to a point...
- be perceived to be listening
- comply with statutory requirements
|
- access
- capacity to do/get to job
- listen to us first
- rational decision
- minimize cost
- information: analysis of costs and benefits
- a wider road
|
Q2. To what extent are your needs met by the ways the consultation is conducted?
| Residents | Government | Road users |
|---|
- we prefer individual letters
- newspaper advertisements are not seen
- we haven't time to read long plans - need a summary
- why should we have to find out the details
- marginalise those who are not literate (or middle class with influence!)
- doesn't let us organise with others
- resource intensive
- may slip something inmportant past us
- information is one-way only. Doesn't really let us make suggestions or take into account or views
- it's all decided anyway
|
- big resource drain
- they don't read them!
- no guarantee of getting responses from the respondents we want
- no guarantee of getting the responses that agrre with us that we want
- we can do it over xmas or in the july holiday
- we can sometimes get detailed and useful feedback
- can potentially reach a wide audience
|
- + everyone knows about it
- - time-consuming
- + easier for business organisations to respond
- mobilisational bias
|
