How do we get there?
Community consultation is a two-way process. The feedback and comments obtained during council’s consultative activities are analysed and assessed on their merits along with competing priorities and the overall interests of the community.
Once council has determined their position on any matters raised during the consultation period, these will be incorporated into the final corporate plan document. At this time it is recommended that the contributors and the general community would be advised of actions taken in response to their feedback.
Key steps
Recommended resources
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Step 3.1 Conduct agreed consultative activities
It is up to each council to adopt the methods that suit their local situation within available resources. Councils that have adopted a formal approach to development of their corporate plan would be expected to reflect these resource allocations in a project plan as suggested in Stage 2, Step 2.1 Establish a project plan.
A project plan format for is provided in Template 9 - Worksheet - Project plan. (
PDF 24 kB)
A project plan can assist council to be clear about what needs to be done, who will do it, by when, and how implementation of the plan will be monitored.
To ensure the corporate plan is implemented in conjunction with other activities such as preparation of revenue policy, annual budget, revenue statements and grants, refer to Template 10 - Corporate planning diary. ( PDF 127 kB)
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Step 3.2 Analyse feedback and comments
Data management
As the feedback and comments on the draft corporate plan are usually derived from a wide range of sources, it is important to take a methodical approach to the overall process of data collection and analysis. For example, information from surveys may be received via written submissions, phone, facsimile, interactive websites and face to face discussions.
It is wise to have a standard format for collection of data and an agreed process for compilation of responses into meaningful categories of information. This task will often be performed by the CEO or a senior administrative officer. Alternatively, the data management role may be assigned to one or more members of the planning team.
For a checklist of team participants in the planning process, refer to Toolbox 11 - Checklist - Planning Teams ( PDF 43 kB).
Many councils compile their responses on a computer database or spreadsheet to speed up the process, ensure the integrity of the data, and make it available in a format that simplifies the analysis process. Regardless of the data collection methods, the data collection process is usually more easily managed through a single point of contact.
Data analysis
Councils that have implemented effective community engagement strategies as advocated in Stage 1, Step 2.1 - Develop a community engagement strategy will generally find that the community's comments have minimal impact on the draft corporate plan. Councils with effective lines of communication are more likely to achieve a high degree of community trust in the consultative process. These councils are usually better placed to anticipate the needs of the community and plan accordingly.
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Step 3.3 Communicate feedback results
Whenever council engages the community and invites people to raise issues, provide comments and offer suggestions for improvement, it is important to avoid creating unrealistic expectations. For example, many consultative processes lead to a "Wish list Syndrome" where many ideas and strategies are simply not achievable. This can result in disappointment and even distrust of council by members of the community.
Councils are advised to provide feedback to the community to provide assurance that their issues have been considered by council and to encourage their ongoing participation in the planning process.
Refer to Toolbox 7 - Techniques - Community engagement NSW ( PDF 107 kB) for a comprehensive checklist for communicating feedback on the consultation process.
Checklist 31 - Report on consultation outcomes
In Toolbox 7, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources NSW recommends that councils write reports detailing consultation outcomes in plain English. Reports may include:
- acknowledgment of the participants' contribution
- a record of the consultation process
- demonstrated evidence that participants have been heard (this may take the form of a document which lists the participants and records their views stated in their own words)
- an outline of the decisions made
- a record of how final decisions were reached
- a statement of the next stages or steps in the process
- a report of the evaluation outcomes.
In the context of introducing a new or amended corporate plan, councils may need to adapt this checklist to suit their local situation and the extent of changes to the planning documents and strategic direction of council.
This step in the planning process provides an opportunity for council to demonstrate to the community that the corporate plan reflects their best overall interests. It is also a time when council can acknowledge the contributions of particular individuals, interest groups and other stakeholders.
In addition to keeping the community informed, the process of providing feedback allows council to validate their decision-making process and provide for follow up actions on emerging issues.
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