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Article
Publication date: 1 April 2014

Margot Hurlbert

This paper hypothesizes that in respect of developing nuclear energy, utilizing one process, on one occasion, and with only the development of nuclear energy as the “policy…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper hypothesizes that in respect of developing nuclear energy, utilizing one process, on one occasion, and with only the development of nuclear energy as the “policy problem” on which consultations are based will not be successful; a more successful model occurs over the long term, utilizes an iterative process of engagement, and multiple framing of related energy issues (in addition to the development of nuclear energy). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews and analyzes the framing of issues and chosen mechanisms of public consultations employed by the Government of Saskatchewan in relation to the nuclear energy future for Saskatchewan. These mechanisms are reviewed based on the perceptions and comments made by members of the public within the consultations which were recorded, coded and analysed, as well as a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews with key personnel involved in the consultation process. The three mechanisms of public participation employed by the Government of Saskatchewan are analyzed and evaluated and a model developed to facilitate the analysis.

Findings

Alternative measures of successful participation are useful. The framing of issues, the time frame of analysis, and quality of communication flows are all determinative of success. The utilization of a combination of participatory mechanisms is also beneficial. An optimal strategy of public consultations respecting energy is developed based on interviews with key personnel in the policy field.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based only on the perceptions of participants expressed within the participatory processes and key personnel in the energy policy field of Saskatchewan.

Originality/value

This paper offers a model linking several policy considerations useful to future energy policy public consultations.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 5 November 2016

Przemysław Sadura and Dorota Olko

The city as a form of spatial and social organization was in deep crisis for last years. Now in Poland we deal rather with the renaissance of urbanity. Increasing activity of…

Abstract

The city as a form of spatial and social organization was in deep crisis for last years. Now in Poland we deal rather with the renaissance of urbanity. Increasing activity of social movements and the growing importance of civic participation are the most important evidence of this process. This chapter is about the role that public consultation on spatial planning can play in urban policy. The analysis is based on a case study of public consultations conducted with usage of active and innovative approaches. Authors describe the potential of such sociological intervention in solving the crisis of urban communities.

Book part
Publication date: 12 November 2018

Nicola Gratton and Ros Beddows

With confidence in the British Political system in decline, it is more important than ever that the top-down approach to decision-making and service strategy in public services is…

Abstract

With confidence in the British Political system in decline, it is more important than ever that the top-down approach to decision-making and service strategy in public services is challenged. In this chapter, we examine how coproduction of services can be achieved using Get Talking, an approach to participatory action research that utilizes creative consultation techniques to engage with publics. We explain how the approach enabled Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to involve young people in the development of a Children and Young People’s Strategy. The case study approach, building on qualitative methods including focus groups and semi-structured interviews, demonstrates how creative approaches were used by public sector staff to engage young people and partners in strategy development. Creative consultation techniques were used to facilitate the focus group activity. While using Get Talking as an approach to policy development required a resource investment in terms of staff time, it provided SFRS with insight into the needs of service users. This resulted in a more relevant strategy being developed and a cultural shift in how the organization works with young people. Engagement with the Get Talking process had a positive effect on staff, providing them with a sense of ownership over the resulting strategy, enhanced the reputation of SFRS with partners, and improved relationships with young people through demonstrating that they were valued partners in coproduction. While the approach was well received by all parties, challenges of using Get Talking in a public service setting resulted in pragmatic adaptations to a traditional PAR approach.

Details

From Austerity to Abundance?
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-465-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2012

Sameedha Mahadkar, Grant Mills and Andrew D.F. Price

With the advent of the Darzi review in 2008, and more recently the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” (2010), the NHS in England is being redesigned to…

1718

Abstract

Purpose

With the advent of the Darzi review in 2008, and more recently the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” (2010), the NHS in England is being redesigned to provide high quality, person‐centred services with improved capacity and performance. In this change oriented scenario, stakeholder consultation has a critical role to play given the widespread advocacy in government policy and healthcare literature. In order to support informed decision making, the purpose of this paper is to: explore healthcare infrastructure planning through various approaches to stakeholder consultation within English Primary Care Trusts (PCTs); and develop a conceptual approach to strategic asset management (SAM) based on the findings of stakeholder consultation and engagement exercises.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐method triangulation approach including action research has been adopted to evaluate current stakeholder consultation practices with a local PCT and to explore their approach to healthcare infrastructure planning through: a literature review of stakeholder engagement and theory; evaluation of a local consultation exercise; and a web based document review of consultation practices within 149 English PCTs.

Findings

PCT estate managers and healthcare planners have to operate within constantly changing dynamic healthcare environments and need to reduce uncertainty and indecision that often surrounds the debate of reconfiguration of healthcare facilities and services. Consultations by the PCTs vary in: the level of detail provided to the public; sample sizes; detail and transparency of the consultation; distribution and analyses of the consultation; and techniques and approaches.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be used by healthcare policy makers to: inform how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) could be better involved during patient and public engagement; and determine practical ways of putting patients at the heart of General Practitioners (GP) commissioning.

Originality/value

The research identifies gaps within current stakeholder consultation practices in English PCTs and develops a conceptual approach to SAM that accounts for stakeholder consultation; decision making levels within healthcare infrastructure planning within a wider competency based organisational view, which currently does not exist.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2008

Henning Sten Hansen and Milla Mäenpää

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the challenges for public participation in river basin management and planning and to develop a set of guidelines for a…

2748

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the challenges for public participation in river basin management and planning and to develop a set of guidelines for a successful public consultation.

Design/methodology/approach

The current paper describes and analyses the requirements and expectations regarding public participation in river basin planning and identifies some obstacles and recommendations for the process.

Findings

The research carried out identified a wide range of challenges for the practical implementation of the public involvement in river basin planning as stated in the Water Framework Directive. The involvement of the public is critical for a successful implementation of the Water Framework Directive. Hence, public participation is greatly emphasised in the Directive. Article 14 of the Water Framework Directive requires that Member States encourage involvement of all stakeholders into the implementation process, especially into the River Basin Management Planning.

Practical implications

The paper may assist river basin managers to design, perform and evaluate the public consultation of river basin management plans.

Originality/value

The paper analyses the obstacles for the public consultation as part of the Water Framework Directive implementation. Based on the analysis the paper defines a range of guidelines and recommendations for the practical consultation design. This work is original, as no such analysis has been carried out before.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2016

Anne Rainville

To induce innovation in the public sector, Directive 2014/24/EU encourages internal and external consultation during the procurement process. However, little is known regarding…

Abstract

To induce innovation in the public sector, Directive 2014/24/EU encourages internal and external consultation during the procurement process. However, little is known regarding the prominence of these practices. Determining the extent of knowledge sourcing in innovation procurement across 28 European countries, this paper presents an institutional cluster analysis, examining heterogeneity across knowledge sourcing activities, procurement areas, and tender innovation outcomes for 1,505 public procurers from 2008-2010. Building upon existing taxonomies, three types of procuring agencies are identified: Large collaborative agencies practicing public procurement of innovation (31%); supplier-focused pre-commercial procurers (20%); and direct procurers at the municipal level (49%). Validation supports this heterogeneity, using innovation outcomes and policy drivers. At the country level, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Poland are most represented in respective clusters. Findings enable predictions regarding impacts on agencies and innovation from the new public procurement directive's translation into national law by Member States.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Book part
Publication date: 23 April 2018

David Seth Jones

This chapter discusses reforms to increase customer-centredness, public consultation (including professional, business and community associations), whole-of-government approaches…

Abstract

This chapter discusses reforms to increase customer-centredness, public consultation (including professional, business and community associations), whole-of-government approaches (a case of trafficking in persons), increased budget, personnel and procurement delegation to departments and increased role of statutory boards (autonomous agencies). According to the author the driving force behind public sector reforms emanates from the inner core of ministers, most particularly the prime minister and deputy prime minister, working in close conjunction with senior permanent secretaries, directors of boards and government-linked companies. In Singapore, power is concentrated in the hands of political executives and senior levels of civil service. Ministers set the policy agenda and make final policy decisions on important issues. The administrative service is the elite service (of about 250 persons) within the civil service that shapes policy, especially permanent secretaries and deputy secretaries. Objections to reforms are often avoided through inputs to the reform process by key stakeholders and experts of relevant fields from inter-ministerial and inter-agency committees and through public consultations. Singapore has achieved an exceptional level of prosperity, and according to the author civil service is guided by practices of meritocracy (e.g., in promotion) and strict accountability through audits and anti-corruption steps.

Details

Leadership and Public Sector Reform in Asia
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-309-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2018

Flavio Saab, Paulo Henrique de Souza Bermejo, Gustavo Cunha Garcia, Jonathan Soares Pereira and Suylan de Almeida Midlej e Silva

Social participation or public participation is a mechanism that aims to enable decision makers to understand the real needs of society and to promote more appropriate and…

Abstract

Purpose

Social participation or public participation is a mechanism that aims to enable decision makers to understand the real needs of society and to promote more appropriate and acceptable public policies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, through Douglasian Cultural Theory, the public-consultation mechanism, and to what extent it encourages the participation of people with different points of view in the formulation of public policies.

Design/methodology/approach

This research paper uses theoretical propositions from Douglasian Cultural Theory to investigate the process of public consultation adopted by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in the formulation of public policies for Brazil’s health sector.

Findings

The results contribute to the findings of previous studies, i.e., that social participation is unequal, and that some points of view are dominant in policy formulation. This indicates that public managers should seek mechanisms of participation that promote more inclusive and pluralistic public participation.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations of this study are the subjectivity inherent in the classification of “voices” in Douglasian Cultural Theory, the small number of contributions analyzed and the absence of some unpublished data.

Originality/value

The analysis contributes to the literature by supporting some and rejecting other propositions of Douglasian Cultural Theory, as well as indicating possible potential from this theory through public administration in the evaluation of mechanisms of social participation.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 12 November 2018

Victor Burigo Souza and Luís Moretto Neto

This work aims to identify the characteristics of the coproduction of the common good, or public services, from the models of public administration found in projects awarded by…

Abstract

This work aims to identify the characteristics of the coproduction of the common good, or public services, from the models of public administration found in projects awarded by the United Nations, specifically in the 2014 United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA) category of “encouraging participation in public policy decisions through innovative mechanisms.” This multicase documentary analysis uses a typology of coproduction adapted from Salm and Menegasso (2010), which integrates several typologies of public participation. The revised typology includes five models of coproduction – community-led coproduction, state-led coproduction, self-interested coproduction, symbolic coproduction, and manipulative coproduction. The typology is used in the analysis of two United Nations award-winning projects in 2014: a community participation project for the effective management of malaria at Tha Song Yang in Thailand and the Intercouncil Forum in Brazil. This first case displays a preponderance of the self-interested coproduction ideal type, due to its focus on efficiency and delivery effectiveness of the service. The second case displays a preponderance of the symbolic coproduction ideal type due to its use of consultation practices to give the impression that there is direct participation in the decision-making, without substantive effect on the outcomes. Based on this analysis, recommendations are made for revising the criteria used by the UNPSA to ensure that projects with similar participation to those in the state-led and community-led coproduction models are awarded in the future.

Book part
Publication date: 19 July 2018

Cristina Mititelu and Gloria Fiorani

The chapter aims to explore the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy domain at EU decision-making level, aiming to understand the nature of the participation shaping the…

Abstract

Purpose

The chapter aims to explore the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy domain at EU decision-making level, aiming to understand the nature of the participation shaping the CSR policy agenda co-design.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on a conceptual framework of participation, the chapter highlights the literature and policy views around the importance of EU CSR policy and how EU envisage the framework of the CSR policy co-design. By highlighting conceptual dimensions of the participatory governance, different levels of participation that shape the policy are evidenced. In particular, a case analysis emphasising the predominant role of the consultation approach in the decision-making process of the CSR policy is undertaken.

Findings

The findings shed light on the shift from the traditional passive participation in EU CSR policy decision making, based on purely communications towards consultation and multi-stakeholders participation. From the multi-stakeholder perspective, the EU Multi-Stakeholder Forum’s strategic relevance is observed, however, with no clear mechanisms to enforce its aims. Although the CSR policy is a core priority on the policy agenda, its voluntary approach justifies its early stages of implementation and fragmented use.

Research limitations/implications

The research is qualitative, based on literature review and policy view. Further research directions could enrich the chapter.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the theoretical discussion around participation in a supranational context. Our insights shed light on the levels of participation and CSR policy goals and call for a critical debate on the EU policy co-design processes. Furthermore, through the lens of a case analysis, it sheds light on how EU CSR forum fits in with the current EU structure and its ‘principle of subsidiarity’, which states that decisions must be taken close to its citizens.

Details

The Critical State of Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-149-6

Keywords

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