Consultation events can be tricky to organise and manage when you’re in an agency like mine, which consults on some tough and sensitive topics. Even the preparation can be hard.
I’ve been preparing for a workshop with an important group of stakeholders that feels slightly disenfranchised by the process so far. Improving the lives of the people represented by these stakeholders is a priority for my agency.
Because of that, my agency recognises this event is a rare chance to do really good fieldwork and get intel so we can create good policies – policies that will actually mean positive change across areas where it is sorely needed.
It’s exciting work to be part of, for sure.
However, my excitement has turned a little bit to ash in my mouth during the preparation for the event. Or, more accurately, the derailment of that preparation by my Director (let’s call him/her, David). David has been casually hijacking and repurposing the agenda, over and over, in the lead-up to the event.
All the decision makers in the agency, including David, agreed upfront on the direction and aims of the project. Nothing has been said or done to officially change that agreed aim – our work is still to consult these stakeholders specifically on a very sensitive topic with targeted questions so that we can go and do good policy work. We sent invitations to stakeholders on the back of this agreement, so it’s what they’re expecting too.
I used that agreement as the basis for the workshop agenda. I gave it considerable thought and had the topics, questions, timing – everything – drafted and discussed and agreed well in advance.
David has repeatedly derailed this agenda, making different changes, frequently in different directions, at different times.
Sometimes he seems to see the workshop as primarily a chance to present bucketloads of information on all the good things the agency is doing, most of which goes well beyond what is really useful for that audience. Much of it could be made available through other channels, and not at the expense of very limited time set aside for engaging stakeholders in a very important, two-way conversation.
Sometimes he seems to see it as a chance to ask broad, general questions about a range of topics that are not directly relevant to the agreed objective of the workshop.
Sometimes he seems to think the most important thing is that the participants ‘feel good’ about the workshop, rather than that we have a meaningful exchange of ideas. At other times he wants to cancel the event all together.
I’m not sure what is driving David’s frequent changes of direction from the approach we all agreed up front, but all these changes are sending confusing signals to the team. Some of my colleagues have also become unclear about the main purpose of the workshop, all because of how far David’s repeated changes have drifted from the original aim.
I’ve tried my best to keep us on track because I believe our work could make a big difference, but David’s (unknowingly) been thwarting my efforts at every turn.
I’m worried we’ll blow our shot at getting information that we really need and won’t deliver on what we’ve promised. Who knows how many chances we will get? If we waste our opportunity, we might damage the agency’s reputation with these stakeholders, and prevent any future opportunities to work with them to develop better public services. I don’t believe David is deliberately trying to ruin the workshop, but I don’t understand how to prevent that from being the outcome.
