Communication and Consultation

commu'nicate v.i. give or exchange information
consult' v.t. and i. seek counsel, advice, information

The move towards greater openness in decision making is a good thing, but so many people confuse communication and consultation. Having raised expectations, many people feel disappointed if they think that their views have not been taken on board. Its critical that the ground rules for any exchange of views are clearly set out at the beginning

Project: Northampton Greenscape
Client: Northampton County Council

"It was challenging - standing in front of a room full of strangers - trying to define greenscape. Many people had set ideas of what it meant to them. Trying to tease out all the differing ideas was difficult, but once the workshop sessions had started, and people rolled up their sleeves, we had a really productive session. People were keen to have their say".