Designing engagement processes
Process design is the single most important - and often
most neglected - aspect of public engagement and consultation.
Early investment in process design reduces risks and saves time
and money.
Dialogue by Design's founders are among the most experienced
process designers and facilitators in the country. We have designed
everything from formal consultation processes around government
White Papers, through one-off public meetings in situations of
high conflict to web-based global consultation processes for
international agencies.
Dialogue design consultancy
We feel so strongly about the importance of design that we are
always happy to offer advice - without any further obligation
(and often without cost). Contact us by
email or call us on 020
8683 6602 to
discuss anything from stakeholders to the use of different engagement
methods.
Dialogue Designer
Dialogue
Designer is a new online process design tool that we
have developed to help you choose the right method in the right
situation.
It asks you a series of straightforward questions about why
you want to engage with people, who those people are and how
much time you have, and then suggests the methods that you should
consider using - and those you should definitely avoid.
So, for example, the first question asks you whether you want
just to provide information, solicit opinions, gather reactions
to a proposal or build relationships with local people. The next
questions are about those people: do you want to engage the whole
community, or a specific part of it - and does the process have
to be representative? The final questions are about how controversial
the subject matter is likely to be, and how long you have to
complete the exercise.
At each stage Dialogue Designer comments on the implications
of your answers, and finally suggests the engagement methods
that are most likely to succeed in your specific situation.
Dialogue Designer also contains a wealth of other information:
the pros and cons of different techniques, advice on using third
parties and handling sensitive issues, and much else. Its ease
of use masks a highly sophisticated system running to almost
600 pages of information.
