Public Engagement and Consultation

How we can help

There is often a gap between policy goals and public experience. What the citizen, service user or customer needs can be different from the aims of decision makers. Engagement and consultation are an increasingly popular means of bridging this gap. They seek to actively involve stakeholders and the public in the research process - adding value to traditional data gathering by enabling participants to engage in informed discussions about complex issues and shape decisions.

But why do some kinds of engagement lead to better policies or services and other not?

Certainly, good research design and solid analysis are part and parcel of effective engagement. Innovative methods can bring consultation to life, empowering people and providing a wealth of potentially valuable information.

But just as important is understanding the bigger picture how engagement can inform the complex business of policy making, the organisational opportunities and constraints, how a method can add value and where its limits are, and how the outputs from engagement can support policy outcomes.

At BMRB we can help you with all your engagement needs. We tailor our engagement work to the context in which you operate. Our techniques provide real understanding of peoples issues, aspirations and concerns connecting them to policy and improving delivery. Our analysis and interpretation generates insight for decision making.

Deliberative

We specialise in developing real insights from deliberative research, to improve policy, strategy and delivery. As a full-service market research agency, BMRB has the resources to tailor each project to the specific context in which you operate. We have public engagement research covered – from briefing through to analysis and maximising outcomes.

• Experienced consultancy support at every stage of your project
• Input that takes account of the political context of your work
• In-house recruitment services, enabling us to retain full control over project construction
• Innovative methods, combining rigour and experience
• Techniques developed to enable participants to engage in informed discussions about complex issues
• High quality analysis that provides a firm foundation for robust decision making
• Policy workshops to maximise the strategic impact of the research