Important: Consultation!!!

[Maurice]

It seems the boards are full of consultations. So I wondered, do we have too many consultations?

We should study that. Consultation open

[boosboss]

Is it the amount of consultations or the quality that's important?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I object to not being consulted before this thread was opened.

[Jah Lush]

Me too. I may have to consult my lawyer.

[Domitianus]

I think before we proceed further we should appoint a firm of obscenely over-paid consultants to advise us on this consultancy process.

[boosboss]

Domitianus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think before we proceed further we should

> appoint a firm of obscenely over-paid consultants

> to advise us on this consultancy process.

I'm sure Southwark Council would be able to suggest some

[Domitianus]

We need to ensure they will take an inordinate amount of time, use lots of jargon, produce a report that runs to at least three thousand pages (twenty pages of actual content and the rest footnotes), charge ridiculous fees and...ultimately...produce recommendations and findings that are so bleeding obvious a five year old could have arrived at them before morning break! If it don't tick those boxes it ain't consulting.

[Asset]

Where is Ultraconsultancy when we need him?

[AnotherPaul]

Surely we will need an expensive facilitator to help us agree which consultants to consult with.

[Domitianus]

And if we find that our consultants are not up to scratch do we have to hire further consultants to find out how to inspire/motivate/dismiss our consultants of first choice?

[AnotherPaul]

Or we could take a lead from Southwark Council and consult after making decisions.

[Maurice]

I am torn on that (somewhat) serious point.

Part of me thinks 'we elect these people so get on with it'. But then they do something I disagree with and I welcome consultation to hopefully fight against it.

We do over consult in this country. In France, when they want to build a new rail line or tube line/station/extension, they do consult but manage to turn it around and start construction (or not) within a short time.

Here, we plan 20 years in advance. Then when consultations open, they last multiple years and at many layers. By the time construction gets underway, the needs have moved on and the project is no longer fit for purpose. And inevitably, the pressure groups start again.

Take Cross Rail. How long? Now it seems to get a green light and new groups are stepping forward demanding it is wider, longer and we need a fresh consultation.

[AnotherPaul]

You make a good point Maurice. You know the solution though. The Government would consult on it's own consultative processes, taking advice from a wide base, westminster lobby groups staffed by ex-political researchers and consultants.

Sadly I haven't written this to be a joke although it may seem to be one.