Action 14: Engagement & Consultation
Policy teams will use digital tools and techniques to engage with and consult the public Other Information:
Transactional services and information are the primary focus of our digital by default approach, but digital also provides
ways to improve the broader policy making process, through better engagement and consultation. It has the potential to transform
democratic participation in the policy process, and improve the design of policy itself. The Civil Service Reform Plan states
"Open policy making will become the default" and we will use digital to achieve that outcome. We have already developed better
skills in listening and responding to public feedback through digital channels. In May 2012, social media guidelines were
issued to civil servants based on six principles - that government should: * communicate with citizens in the places they
already are * use social media to consult and engage * use social media to be more transparent and accountable * be part of
the conversation with all the benefits that brings * understand that government can't do everything alone * expect civil servants
to adhere to the Civil Service Code (online as well as offline)
Stakeholder(s):
- UK Policy Teams
- UK Government Departments: departments will incorporate plans in their departmental digital strategies to listen to and understand conversations in social
media, use the insight gained to inform the policy-making process and to collaborate more effectively with partners... Departments
will train and develop policy teams to understand and use a wider range of digital methods and channels. They will use these
to engage and consult with the public on a daily basis around areas of policy development, up to and including formal consultations.
- Cabinet Office: Cabinet Office will also provide training to policy teams on the potential of digital by default approaches as they draw up
policy proposals.
- Government Digital Service: Government Digital Service will: * continue to offer support, training and guidance to departments * release a range of tools
on the GOV.UK platform to enable policy teams to engage and consult more effectively * keep the civil service social media
guidance up to date
- Francis Maude: Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said: "When civil servants, policy makers and service delivery units alike,
open themselves to dialogue with the public they can glean a much better understanding of the real needs and concerns of citizens.
They can keep up to date with the latest thinking as well as being a listening post and avenue for real time reassurance and
information".
- UK Civil Servants: Civil servants are exploring the opportunities social media offers, whether by entering into dialogue, consulting and engaging,
improving their policy making or simply listening to people's concerns. For example, Department of Health made a draft Bill
openly available for comment online using social media in July 2012. This increased openness and made it straightforward for
people to comment on individual clauses or topics before the Bill was introduced to Parliament. This ran alongside other offline
stakeholder engagement. The Red Tape Challenge website ‘crowd sources' views from business, organisations and the public on
which regulations should be improved, kept ‘as is' or scrapped. These comments have directly influenced the decisions to scrap
or overhaul over 1,100 regulations (of the 2,300 examined by November 2012).
Indicator(s):
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