ARCHIVED - Quality Services - Guide I - Client Consultation
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Guide I: Client Consultation
October 1995
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Consulting people is not a new idea. What is new is the growing prominence and frequency of consultation activities, particularly those involving large numbers of participants. As the prominence of consultation increases, it is sometimes unclear precisely how client consultation helps managers make better decisions. Managers need to know that, and how to design the consultation process accordingly.
Client consultation is linked to the measurement of client satisfaction. You must identify the gaps between what clients expect or need from the organization and the service they feel they are actually receiving.
Definition
In the context of delivering quality services, consultation is a process that permits and promotes the two-way flow of information between clients of government services and the government. Consultation also makes Canadians more aware of the services government provides.
Goal and Objectives
The goal of client consultation is to discover your clients' opinion of the services they receive from your department and the way these services are provided.
The objectives of consultation may range from sharing information to developing and implementing solutions to a problem. All participants must understand the objectives of the consultation from the outset.
Rationale
You should consult with your clients in order to
- seek improvements to delivering quality services;
- increase their satisfaction with the service rendered;
- better understand their needs for and expectations of the services you provide;
- help them understand the services you provide;
- manage their expectations where these exceed the organization's limitations or mandate; and
- accommodate their desire to be consulted about the services they receive.
Client consultation allows you to
- devise public policy solutions;
- improve service, and reduce or eliminate services that clients do not value;
- meet emerging client needs;
- build partnerships; and
- target high service priorities so that you can allocate resources efficiently and effectively.
Success Factors
The fundamental elements for meaningful and credible consultations are:
- shared understanding of the purpose;
- integrity, mutual respect and trust;
- clear, open and transparent communication;
- opportunity for clients to influence the decision-making process;
- commitment to respond to expressed client needs and concerns
- involvement of staff at all levels;
- management accountability;
- valid tools and methods; and
- sufficient resources.
Performance Indicators
Performance indicators show whether a client consultation process for quality services improvement is effective.
Indicators to determine if you are "doing it"
You'll know you are consulting when:
- client consultation is included in the business plan;
- sufficient resources are allocated;
- reports are generated, provided to senior management and acted upon; and
- a means is in place for client recognition and feedback.
Indicators to determine if you are "doing it well"
You'll know you are consulting well when:
- clients continue to participate willingly in the process;
- clients understand the issue and provide their response;
- managers accept the ideas received;
- results are usable and goals are met; and
- partnerships are developed and maintained.
Strategic Considerations
Client consultation as a way of doing business
Consultation must move beyond the major policy issue or initiative: it must become part of the routine way in which you do business. When planning, managing and evaluating a consultation strategy, you should consider issues relating to the critical nature of input, and the money and time needed to consult clients. The option and impact of not consulting should also be carefully considered.
Client consultation in the decision-making process
Consultation in some form may be appropriate in any or every phase of a decision-making process. A carefully planned strategy will likely identify the need for many forms of consultation throughout the decision-making process. Each consultation must have a strategic purpose: it must ensure that the decision is sound, that implementation is successful and that the desired impact is achieved.
When planning client consultation, you should consider
- which people or groups can help define a desirable impact, and judge whether or not a desirable impact has been achieved;
- who must be involved or consulted to ensure that implementation is successful;
- who must be involved as the actual decision is being made, and whether these people should be informed or more directly involved in making the decision; and
- informal or formal consultation initiatives that you are already planning and how these initiatives fit within your strategic plan for decision-making.
To develop credibility and client trust in the consultation process, you should channel feedback to the clients to let them know how their input has influenced the decisionmaking process.
Client consultation in implementing new initiatives
When you begin major initiatives, you should develop a consultation strategy that is coordinated within and among government departments as appropriate.
Client Consultation Process
The approach to consultation will vary according to the issue as well as to time and resource constraints. In the ideal consultative process, managers and those involved at the initial stages of the exercise are still there at the end and are held accountable for implementing the outputs. They ensure the outputs are translated into actions as quickly as possible and that a feedback mechanism is put in place to follow up on the consultation.
To develop and implement a client consultation, you should follow these key steps, of which preconsultation is perhaps the most important.
Identify services and clients
- Identify the services about which you want to consult.
- Identify the internal and external clients for each service.
Begin preconsultation
- Determine the issue, mandate and objective.
- Set the ground rules for the process and subsequent talks.
- Identify the players, ensuring a representative selection of both users and stakeholders.
- Agree on timeframes.
- Determine resources available.
- Ensure that public opinion research approval and contracting follow Treasury Board policy.
Preconsultation may include:
- a client presurvey;
- a review of existing records and information;
- focus groups with front-line staff who have direct contact with clients; and
- client focus groups that reflect the diversity of clients.
Clarify objectives
- Involve your clients and staff.
- Focus on the real issues.
- Obtain commitment from all parties to the purpose of the consultation and their role in it.
- Review to ensure objectives are realistic.
Determine measurement techniques
These may include:
- interview methods;
- questionnaire/survey methods;
- ongoing feedback mechanisms;
- focus groups that reflect diversity of clients; and
- polling.
Analyse results
- Collate.
- Analyse.
- Draw conclusions.
- Prepare a report.
Develop an improvement plan based on consultation results
- Set up new services, or modify, reduce or eliminate existing services.
- Develop, adjust or modify service standards.
- Assign responsibility for implementation.
- Establish timelines.
Follow up
- Evaluate the effectiveness of improvement by measuring client satisfaction on an ongoing basis.
Communicate findings to those consulted
Conclusion
Consultation with Canadians is intrinsic to effective public policy development and service to the public. It is the responsibility of every manager in the Public Service. For satisfactory consultation, all levels of the organization must buy into it. Consultation also requires good planning, research, analysis, advice and feedback. Incorporating the responsibility for consultation into the management accountability framework will emphasize the management responsibilities for client consultation.
References
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