Process
The QAP was developed to support effective delivery this policy's principles. Council specified that members of staff undertaking engagement or consultation activities must notify the ET that work is planned. Officers will then follow the QAP process.
The engagement or consultation advice process follows 16 key stages and is supported by template documents. Each stage identifies the activities that will need to take place and the documents that support this activity, depending on the scale and scope of the piece of work. After each stage has been completed, the ET will ensure sign off with you. Once signed, the documents provide a record of decision making throughout your engagement or consultation.
Whilst the ET can support and advise you with your engagement, it is important that you consider and identify any resource requirements when planning any activity. This could include:
- securing venues
- identifying a member of staff responsible for collating and analysing feedback
- staffing your consultation or engagement event or activity
- the production of any materials and postage
The ET has planning templates and references and can guide you through this part of the process as well. With regard to questionnaire or survey development, the ET will advise on the content, wording or format. We are not able to extract and analyse survey data. However, we can connect you with corporate business support who undertake this activity. Business support colleagues will produce a data analysis report from completed SNAP survey forms free of charge. Please note that this does not include interpretative analysis that would need to be undertaken within your service or agreed in advance with business support (at an hourly cost). The survey approval process was revised in 2018. It is under constant review as new online tools become available.
For more information on any of the above contact the ET by email: engagement@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Quality assurance process
- Request - open new folder in 'Live Engagement Projects'. Add to engagement register. Service area to confirm portfolio holder is happy to proceed
- Introductory meeting - clarify activity and ET offer at first meeting
- Legal advice - check if legal advice has been sought regarding contentious subjects
- Initial documents - run through scoping and responsibilities template, engagement plan, EIA and any other relevant documentation
- EIA process - begins with version 0.1 completed by service area lead and shared with allocated ET officers at each version control change
- Engagement plan - define methodology, tools and processes for stakeholders. Identify communications team tasks and check if local councillor needs to be notified
- Timeline and development of questions - develop questions for survey. Ensure corporate process is followed for surveys
- Testing - initial test of the EIA and questions with relevant stakeholders, for example individuals, organisations with or representing 'protected characteristics'
- Sign off - if high risk, obtain sign off from Legal. If not contentious, relevant head of service (level) signs off. ET send process documents to the DET or IA team
- Consultation or engagement activity starts - ET add activity to the engagement database
- Review - mid-point review of engagement-based activity (including EIA), involving allocated ET officers, service area lead and relevant experts
- Analysis - service area analysis of outcomes and factual information (data). Survey data extracted for service area lead by corporate business support team
- End of activity review - lessons learned discussion involving ET officers, service area leads and relevant experts
- Feedback - service area lead to make findings publicly accessible and send to ET lead, complete engagement activity evaluation form
- ET evaluation - ET manager sends feedback form to service area lead to evaluate ET advice and support
- Close - close off on register. Timetable three-month evaluation of outcomes and six-monthly review of EIA