NSEC E-Consultation Process and Planning
Contents
Research Objective: Framework to manage the complexity
The research team worked alongside the NSEC team. The agreement to formally work together was only arrived at after a fairly long period of discussion and clarification of the needs of both parties. A key research objective of the NSEC trial was to develop an e-consultation framework that could mirror the complexity of the consultation objectives set out by NSEC.
Underpinning different levels of Engagement
Rather than set out to achieve a single consultation exercise the NSEC remit was to develop an e-consultation framework that was capable of underpinning different levels of engagement with a diverse number of stakeholders. On one hand, there was the policy arena, which concerned such issues as future development of North South exchange programmes, and on the other, there was an ongoing need to evaluate existing exchange programmes in order to provide feedback to programme designers. The stakeholders most likely to be targeted in the trials were identified as programme coordinators, educational managers, schoolteachers and school children. NSEC were interested in consulting with people who had participated in North South exchange programmes and those who had not.
Key Issues
In the series of meetings with NSEC two key points worth noting arose: 1. The need for a clear understanding of the consultation aims. While the NSEC brief was to consult widely, it was difficult to ensure that the aims of each individual consultation process was clarified. 2. The need for a clear understanding of the potential of available technologies. The NSEC management team had to attend several public fora and technology demonstrations before either party committed to a joint trial.
Planning
Following NsECa dn the research teams' agreement to formally work together, the planning phase began.
Planning Outcomes
The outcome of the planning phase was a list of the e-consultation objectives agreed by both NSEC and the research team. It was agreed that the trial should focus on the following 5 objectives:
- To obtain stakeholders’ views on the Single Programme Framework (SPF) and to ask
stakeholders if they believe its proscribed themes and criteria were correct.
- Consultation in order to evaluate exchange programmes and to devise ways of optimising
the benefits gained from these activities not only for the actual participants but also for the schools that were involved.
- Consultation to gather input from stakeholders (3,000 local groups and 18 management
bodies) for policy development.
- Consultation designed to capture the attitudes and expectation of young people, teachers and
youth workers. (This process had already started with the publication of the quality research study entitled “In their own words” by NSEC and it was hoped to make this type of activity ongoing).
- Consultation to identify best practice.
