Dilemmas of engagement : the role of consultation in governance /
Stewart, Jenny,
Dilemmas of engagement : the role of consultation in governance / Jenny Stewart. - 1 online resource - ANZSOG monograph series . - ANZSOG (Series) .
Includes bibliographical references.
Conceptualising engagement -- Why engage? -- The 'how' of engagement: contexts and achievements -- What works for managers? Cases studies from the field -- Improving consultation practice -- Risks, opportunities and challenges.
'Consultation' has become something of a mantra in contemporary governance. Governments well understand that policy occurs in a highly contestable environment in which there are multiple, and often competing interests. They well recognise the political imperative to 'engage' stakeholders in order to manage potential conflict and, hopefully, obtain acceptance for their policies and programs. As a result, politicians and public officials frequently emphasise the need for consultation as an essential element of the deliberative processes underpinning the development of policy or the implementation of programs and services. But, moving beyond the rhetoric of consultation and engagement, how well is it done? In this monograph, Professor Jenny Stewart maps out the principal approaches used by governments to consult with and engage affected communities of interest. Stewart critically assesses the available literature and draws directly upon the experiences of political actors, bureaucrats and community sector organisations in order to identify the 'good, bad, and the ugly' of engagement. Through a judicious use of selected case studies, Stewart distils the essential dilemmas and contradictions inherent in many consultation strategies and highlights their relative strengths and weaknesses. This monograph is a probing and dispassionate analysis of the rationales, methodologies and outcomes of consultation and engagement. It is not intended to be a 'cookbook' or a 'how to' manual for those consulting or the consulted. Nevertheless, there is much here for the policy practitioner, the researcher and members of those 'communities of interest' who might, one day, find themselves the target of engagement.
English.
9781921536830 1921536837 1921536829 9781921536823
459074
ANU E Press, WK Hancock Library, The Australian National University Acton ACT 0200 22573/ctt236v89 JSTOR
Political planning--Citizen participation.
Political participation--Australia.
Policy sciences.
Political science and theory.
Politics and government.
Society and social sciences Society and social sciences.
POLITICAL SCIENCE--Essays.
Policy sciences.
Political participation.
Political planning--Citizen participation.
Australia.
Policy sciences Political planning Political participation Governance Australia
Electronic books.
H97.7 / .S84 2009
320.6
Dilemmas of engagement : the role of consultation in governance / Jenny Stewart. - 1 online resource - ANZSOG monograph series . - ANZSOG (Series) .
Includes bibliographical references.
Conceptualising engagement -- Why engage? -- The 'how' of engagement: contexts and achievements -- What works for managers? Cases studies from the field -- Improving consultation practice -- Risks, opportunities and challenges.
'Consultation' has become something of a mantra in contemporary governance. Governments well understand that policy occurs in a highly contestable environment in which there are multiple, and often competing interests. They well recognise the political imperative to 'engage' stakeholders in order to manage potential conflict and, hopefully, obtain acceptance for their policies and programs. As a result, politicians and public officials frequently emphasise the need for consultation as an essential element of the deliberative processes underpinning the development of policy or the implementation of programs and services. But, moving beyond the rhetoric of consultation and engagement, how well is it done? In this monograph, Professor Jenny Stewart maps out the principal approaches used by governments to consult with and engage affected communities of interest. Stewart critically assesses the available literature and draws directly upon the experiences of political actors, bureaucrats and community sector organisations in order to identify the 'good, bad, and the ugly' of engagement. Through a judicious use of selected case studies, Stewart distils the essential dilemmas and contradictions inherent in many consultation strategies and highlights their relative strengths and weaknesses. This monograph is a probing and dispassionate analysis of the rationales, methodologies and outcomes of consultation and engagement. It is not intended to be a 'cookbook' or a 'how to' manual for those consulting or the consulted. Nevertheless, there is much here for the policy practitioner, the researcher and members of those 'communities of interest' who might, one day, find themselves the target of engagement.
English.
9781921536830 1921536837 1921536829 9781921536823
459074
ANU E Press, WK Hancock Library, The Australian National University Acton ACT 0200 22573/ctt236v89 JSTOR
Political planning--Citizen participation.
Political participation--Australia.
Policy sciences.
Political science and theory.
Politics and government.
Society and social sciences Society and social sciences.
POLITICAL SCIENCE--Essays.
Policy sciences.
Political participation.
Political planning--Citizen participation.
Australia.
Policy sciences Political planning Political participation Governance Australia
Electronic books.
H97.7 / .S84 2009
320.6