Consultation Guidelines for Managers
in the Federal Public Service
December 21, 1992
Canadians desire and demand more direct involvement in
government decision-making. Parliamentary institutions provide
for the democratic representation of all Canadians. Canada's
democratic political traditions provide for the establishment of
broad public policy directions and priorities. Accordingly, it is
the policy of the Government of Canada to pursue and to promote
consultation with Canadians in the development of public policy
and in the design of programs and services.
Ministers propose legislation. Parliament enacts legislation.
Departments and public servants support government priorities and
legislation through the effective provision of service to the
public, which includes an ongoing and open consultative culture.
Consultation with Canadians supports and strengthens the
individual roles of ministers and the collective responsibilities
of Cabinet in the decision-making process. In recognizing the
rights of Canadians to have their voices heard and their views
carefully considered, consultation also provides ministers and
their officials with the ideas, input, opinions and options put
forward by the public for responsive and responsible policy and
program decisions, and for the establishment of government
priorities.
Consultation enhances service to Canada and to Canadians by
involving members of the public in program and policy matters
that affect them directly or indirectly. Public consultation
benefits both those in government and those served by government
by:
creating a climate in which the
government and the public can exchange views, ideas, and
information that result in policies and programs
responsive to public priorities, needs, and concerns;
broadening the decision-making sphere by
engaging all interested members of the public in seeking
consensus on policy and program objectives;
providing the public with a better
understanding of policy and program options, and
government responsibilities and constraints; and,
promoting a more favourable environment
for decisions, thus maximizing the potential for
concurrence and minimizing the potential for conflict.
Consultation takes many forms, both formal and informal.
Informal consultation occurs regularly and routinely, involving
public servants in a variety of settings and circumstances.
Whether the activity is a telephone call, a "coffee
shop" encounter, an over-the-counter discussion, or a
personal letter, public servants should take advantage of all
situations to assure clients and stakeholders that their ideas
are important and their views are valued. Informal consultation
should be a regular part of any organization's consultation
activities. It is an important and personal means of relating to
and serving members of the public.
There are many more formal and structured means of public
consultation. These include departmental advisory bodies, public
discussion papers, open houses, focus group meetings,
multi-stakeholder negotiations, "armchair" discussions,
targeted briefings, workshops, questionnaires, toll-free
telephone lines, and town hall meetings. Organizations themselves
are best positioned to identify who their consultation partners
are and how they can be consulted.
While the types of formal and informal consultation activities
are various, there are attributes that apply to all. Appendix A lists a set of principles that
should be considered in the context of an organization's
consultation activities. The important thing is for each
department and agency to know its stakeholders and to have a
consultation strategy established that appropriately encourages
and provides for input from the public.
Consultation is not synonymous with consensus. It is, however,
a process that permits and promotes the two-way flow of ideas and
information among all sectors of society and between them and the
government. The process ensures that Canadians are aware of and
consulted about options that ultimately will become decisions
affecting their lives. Effective consultation is based on
principles of openness, transparency, integrity, and mutual
respect. As with the communications function, consultation is a
shared management responsibility, that is, one that is the
responsibility of every manager in the public service. As with
all management responsibilities, satisfactory consultation
requires good planning, research, analysis, advice and feed-back.
The Government of Canada's commitment to meaningful, open, and
ongoing public consultation requires the commitment of ministers,
senior managers, line departments, and central agencies. Each
must demonstrate leadership in building a client-centred and
consultative culture.
Ministers determine government priorities in consultation and
provide leadership in consultation through their respective
departments and agencies. Ministers ensure that their clear
responsibilities in determining public policy are not compromised
and that public servants are not drawn into partisan political
controversy. Ministers define the consultation responsibilities
and authority of ministerial staff and establish procedures for
liaison with ministerial staff and deputy ministers.
Deputy Heads identify and implement systematic means by which
effective consultation becomes part of the department's routine
practices. In so doing, deputies devise departmental consultation
policies or other appropriate administrative mechanisms that
reflect the government's consultation guidelines. Deputies are
accountable for ensuring that consultation is an integral part of
program design and delivery. Deputies are accountable for
ensuring that consultative skills receive full consideration in
staff hiring, training, and development decisions.
The Privy Council Office provides advice and guidance on
developing and implementing consultation and support to promote
effective consultation by and among departments through the
collection and exchange of information on
organizations'consultation policies, strategies, and activities,
on innovations, and on exemplary consultative practices.
Treasury Board Secretariat supports the creation and
maintenance of a consultative culture by developing ways of
promoting easy public access to information about government
services (thus enhancing public awareness and interest in
government policies, programs, and services) and by helping
organizations develop consultation policies and evaluate and
learn from their consultation experience.
The Canadian Centre for Management Development and the Public
Service Commission, through its Special Operating Agency for
Training and Development, develops appropriate training methods
to ensure that public servants both in the National Capital
Region and in the regions have access to training and development
in consultation.
Evaluation, including client validation, is essential to the
development of a consultative culture in government. The
Committee of Senior Officials assesses the performance and
commitment of deputy heads with respect to consultation and
improved service to the public, both within departments and
agencies and with clients and stakeholders.
Departments and agencies are encouraged to evaluate regularly
the quality of internal and external consultation. Periodic
surveys will be conducted by central agencies to assist
departments and agencies in monitoring and assessing the
development of a consultative culture within their organizations
and with clients and stakeholders.
This and other information respecting the government's
consultations will be included in the annual report of the Head
of the Public Service to the Prime Minister on the state of
public service renewal in Canada.
Appendix A
Principles of Consultation
Consultation with Canadians is intrinsic
to effective public policy development and service to the
public. It should be a first thought, not an
after-thought.
To be effective, consultation must be
based on openness, trust, integrity, mutual respect for
the legitimacy and point of view of all participants, and
transparency of purpose and process.
The outcome of consultation should not be
predetermined. Consultation should not be used to
communicate decisions already taken.
The initiative to consult may come from
inside government or outside -- each should respond as
constructively as it can.
Whenever possible, consultation should
involve all parties who can contribute to or are affected
by the outcome of consultation.
Participants in a consultation should
have clear mandates. Participants should have influence
over the outcome and a stake in implementing any action
agreed upon.
Some participants may not have the
resources or expertise required to participate. Thus,
financial assistance or other support may be needed for
their representation to be assured.
Effective consultation is about
partnership. It implies shared responsibility and
commitment: a clear, mutual understanding of the issues,
objectives, purpose, and expectations of all parties is
essential; the agenda and process should be negotiable;
any constraints should be established from the outset.
Participants should have a realistic idea
of how much time a consultation is likely to take and
plan for this in designing the process.
All participants must have timely access
to relevant and easily understandable information and
commit themselves to sharing information.
Effective consultation will not always
lead to agreement; however, it should lead to a better
understanding of each other's positions.
Where consultation does lead to
agreement, whenever possible, participants should hold
themselves accountable for implementing the resulting
recommendations.
Effective consultation requires
follow-through. Participants are entitled to know what
use is made of the views and information they provide;
they should also be made aware of the impact their ideas
and involvement ultimately have on government
decision-making.
The skills required for effective
consultation are: listening, communicating, negotiating
and consensus building. Participants should be trained in
these skills.
The Principles of Consultation are modelled on the sixteen
principles enunciated in the October 1990 Report of the Task
Force on Service to the Public and reflect the comments of
departmental Deputy Heads.
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