Policy Hub
The policy- making process takes account of the impact on all people affected by the policy; and involves key stakeholders directly.
An inclusive approach involves consulting those responsible for
implementation and those affected by the policy.
The GCN Engage programme provides
tools and best practice for communicators and policy makers in government,
to help ensure we engage with our customers at the outset of policy development.
There is also guidance on how communcators can add real value to the policy
development and delivery process.
A report by the National Audit Office (Modern policy-making: ensuring policies deliver value for money) (1417kb) argued: 'it is important that in order to develop a clear understanding of the issue, departments consult...those who will benefit from the policy or those affected indirectly and those who may have to implement the policy'
Policy makers need to make use of more diverse methods of public involvement (including e-consultation techniques) to engage a broader range of people, and to do so effectively.
To help policy makers achieve those aims they require assistance in understanding how public involvement can be used to improve policy-making and choosing methods that most closely match their purpose.
Viewfinder (209kb) has been developed by the Strategy Unit to help policy makers at all levels to improve policy design through undertaking public involvement initiatives. It introduces policy makers to the issue of public involvement and provides practical advice on principles, planning activities and selecting methods.
A summary version (69kb) of this guide is available.
Other sources and guidance
The Home Secretary launched the Active Citizenship Centre on 11 December 2003. The aim of the centre is to establish a research base for civil renewal and inform policy making in this area.
The Centre is a partnership between policy makers, academics, practitioners and citizens and has a multidisciplinary steering group.
Through this website the Centre is making available information on research findings and good practice examples which are being continuously added to its knowledge base.
The Prime Minister's Office for Public Service Reform (OPSR) have developed a set of principles (25kb) and an 'ideal' framework to guide departments in the collection and analysis of customer feedback. OPSR have also commissioned MORI to produce a report (Measuring and understanding customer satisfaction) (770kb) which reviews the different methods of measuring customers' views and offers advice on how to better understand customer satisfaction.
ODPM published a study of community involvement and urban policy on 10 September 2003 Searching for solid foundations: community involvement and urban policy (520kb), which reviews guidance and other literature on community involvement with particular reference to urban renaissance. The study draws out the implications for the implementation of urban policy and makes recommendations.
A Department of Trade and Industry report (The impact of employment legislation on small firms: a case study analysis) (399Kb) published on 8 September 2003, found that the impact of employment legislation, on small UK firms depends, on the market context and the individual situation of each firm. It is the context of the legislation as opposed to its content which has the most significant effect. Therefore, the focus of analysis should not be on the impact on small firms as a whole but rather on the impact of specific legislation under certain circumstances.
The National Audit Office published a report on 26 March 2003 (Developing effective services for older people (733kb) ) which examines whether the development of services relevant to older people is joined up. The report recommends a more 'joined up approach across Government to consultation and research on older people's issues'.
The Cabinet Office consultation website provides links to a variety of guidance and best practice to ensure effective consultation with the public and stakeholder groups.
Learning Labs are an attempt to involve front-line staff in developing ideas and solutions to improve the management and delivery of public services.
The Peoples Panel is made up of 5,000 members of the public. It has a profile that is representative of the UK population in terms of age, gender, region and a wide range of other demographic indicators. It is part of an initiative to involve citizen's in Government. It has established itself as both an cost-effective means of identifying representative groups of service users and an ideal vehicle to consult on cross-sectoral issues, such as those concerning health, housing and social services.
The Gender Impact Assessment has been produced by the Women and Equality Unit to help policy makers incorporate a gender equality perspective into the process of policy making. This provides a 'methodology for policy makers to assess whether their policies will deliver equality of opportunity across the board, and help to challenge policy makers to question the assumption that policies and services affect everyone in the same way'.
The Better Government for Older People Programme was launched in 1998 to improve public services for older people. It is a unique partnership between central government, local government, the voluntary sector, the academic world and older people.
The Rural Proofing policy makers checklist has been drawn up by the Countryside Agency and describes 14 characteristic features of rural communities, rural economies and rural environments, which need to be taken into account in achieving more effective policy outcomes.
The Audit Commission published on 23 January 2003 guidance (Connecting with users and citizens) (194kb) ) which aims to inform and encourage public sector service providers to develop new and effective ways of involving local people in improving services that they use.
The Public Services Productivity Panel is a small group of senior business people and public sector managers that has been established to identify ways to help improve the productivity of the public sector. The Panel is chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Key reports include:
Satisfaction
with Public Services is a discussion paper published by the Performance
and Innovation Unit (now Strategy
Unit) in November 2001. It describes how satisfaction data can be used
to improve public services and proposes strategies for improving satisfaction.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit have launched renewal.net.
This is an on-line guide to what works in neighbourhood renewal. Wherever
possible, the material is based on evaluated evidence of what actually works
- or what doesn't work.
Examples of Consultation
The Active Community Unit of the Home Office undertook a cross -cutting review which was tasked with establishing targets and funding requirements for achieving the government's stated aim of securing a step change in public involvement in the community. The material collected as part of the review was published as Volunteering and Community Activity Today: Material Assembled for the Active Community Cross-Cutting Review 1999-2000.
The e-democracy.gov.uk site has been developed to support the Government's consultation on e-democracy. The Government proposals are set out in the consultation report:In the Service of Democracy . This consultation paper is the first stage in developing a more detailed policy on e-democracy. It sets out the principles that underpin further policy development and proposes what could be done to make e-democracy a reality.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published in December 2002 the results of a survey on the range and extent of public participation initiatives being used across Local Government (Public Participation in Local Government (510kb)). This followed up an earlier survey carried out in 1997. Overall the survey finds strong evidence that authorities recognise the benefits of engaging the public and are increasingly trying to involve people in local decisions and developing service delivery
Learning to listen: core principles for the involvement of children and young people is a document compiled by the Children and Young Person's Unit. It is designed to give government departments a solid framework to ensure that children and young peoples have opportunities to be involved in the design and delivery of policy.
Having a say in health: guidelines for involving young patients in health services development. (1746kb) The Social Policy Research Unit of the University of York have developed these guidelines from research funded by the Department of Health. Their purpose is to provide information to support NHS staff to involve children and young people - particularly those who have a chronic illness or physical disability - in local decisions about health services development.
The NAO report Modern Policy-Making highlighted the importance of involving those that implement policy in its design, noting that:
'Departments should make arrangements to engage implementers early so that the practicability of policies can be assessed. .... Involving implementers closely as policies are designed can help identify and manage risks of their effectiveness, secure ownership and commitment from staff, and identify practical solutions...'
OPM were commissioned by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS) of the Cabinet Office to address the question of the involvement of the 'front line' in policy making as a part of the Better Policy Making agenda.
Involving front-line staff in policy making (169kb) presents a report of its findings. The report includes case studies that have been used to identify and disseminate effective practice in the involvement of front-line staff in the development of policy. A summary version (65kb) of the report is also available.
A report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (Delivering Public Services - Engaging and Energising People) in March 2003, explores the ways in which public sector managers have been able to transform organisations. The report includes case studies featuring public sector organisations that have achieved significant performance improvement in spite of having to cope with huge changes and demanding targets.
An inclusive approach to policy-making involves carrying out an impact assessment.
The Strategy Unit have issued a guidance checklist for policy makers on impact assessment and appraisal.
The Better Regulation Executive is based within the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Its role is to work with other government departments, agencies and regulators to help ensure that regulations are fair and effective and to provide guidance on impact assessments. Key guidance documents include:-
The E-Policy principles developed by the Office of the e-Envoy are designed to make policy makers aware of the impact that local, national, European and other international policy decisions and legislative proposals may have on e-commerce.
The Rural Proofing policy makers checklist has been drawn up by the Countryside Agency and describes 14 characteristic features of rural communities, rural economies and rural environments, which need to be taken into account in achieving more effective policy outcomes.
The way ahead for rural services: a good practice guide for locating rural services 233k provides help for policy-makers, service planners and providers in how to assess the rural impact when making decisions that affect the provision of rural services
National School of Government offers a wide range of courses on various aspects of policy making