Ear to the ground
14th Nov 2011
In this new era of localism and devolved powers, the Government assures us that the days of tick box consultations are behind us. The Localism Bill will ensure more decision making will take place at a local level and not in Whitehall. We have seen the introduction of e-petitions where members of the public have the opportunity to influence Government policy in the UK. Since the formation of the Coalition Government, the rhetoric has shifted and been consistently more focused on local decision making for local people and communities.
A good example of this can be seen with the new Government plans for rail franchising. Our intelligence suggests that far more consultation with different stakeholder groups will take place and shape the final decision when letting and re-letting rail franchises. The passenger and local communities will become more significant in the decision making process.
Having an effective communications strategy to aid in building good stakeholder relationships has never been so important. Building an effective communications strategy for your organisation must carefully consider this shift in Government thinking. Using effective communications now could give your organisation the advantage over its competitors in the future.