Ensuring consultation and engagement decisions stand up.
tCI support public bodies and their partners in providing public consultation and engagement that is fair, lawful, defensible and genuinely trusted, through expert advice, independent assurance, professional training and a community of practice.
Talk to the experts
Whether you’re planning a consultation, already running one or dealing with a challenge, we’re glad to help. Tell us a little about what you’re working on and one of our team will get back to you.
Or call 020 3422 9970
Independent consultation assurance and expert advice
Know your consultation will stand up to scrutiny.
Expert, independent review that your consultation or engagement is fair, lawful and defensible, at the point you need it most.
Explore quality assuranceExpert help on live consultation and engagement.
Practical guidance from people who have run consultations themselves, from board briefings to hands-on delivery support.
Moving from consultation by default to participation by design.
The Government’s Rewiring the State agenda proposes replacing consultation by default with more effective forms of public participation. But what does this mean for public bodies and the decisions they make?
tCI’s Participation by Design framework sets out how organisations can make informed, defensible decisions about when consultation is necessary and when other approaches to public involvement would be more effective.
Building on our published response to Rewiring the State, we offer a practical 10-week implementation programme to help organisations review existing practices, establish clearer decision-making procedures and test new approaches against live proposals.
Consultation support tailored to your needs
I have a consultation coming up
Independent assurance and expert advice that your consultation or engagement is fair, lawful and defensible, before and after it runs.
Consultation assurance → iiI need to train myself or my team
From Foundation e-learning to a certificated professional qualification, open courses or delivered in-house.
Consultation training → iiiI want year-round support
Tools, case law briefings and a network of practitioners, for individuals and whole organisations.
Membership → ivNot sure where to start? Free
Take the Training Diagnostic: a self- or team-assessment that maps your consultation skills across eight domains and points to the training that fits.
Start the diagnostic →“Nick and Andy have clearly got so much experience, they know it like the back of their hand. Learning from them was brilliant.”
Qualifications in consultation and engagement
Advanced Certificate in Consultation and Engagement
A structured route to a recognised tCI qualification. The ACCE reaches the same 210-point level as the Foundation Certificate of Development, but is taken as a defined four-month programme through a fixed set of compulsory courses, plus three online courses of your choice.
- 210
- points, the same level as the FCD
- 4
- months to complete
- 11
- compulsory courses, plus 3 of your choice
“I worked in consultation and engagement for a number of years without any formal training. I had felt there was something missing.”
Public sector consultation expertise
Local government
Consultation and engagement support for councils and combined authorities.
Local Government →NHS and health
Support for NHS service change consultation and patient and public involvement.
NHS and Health →Transport and infrastructure
Consultation on major schemes, including nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Transport and Infrastructure →Central government
Policy consultation that meets legal and public expectations.
Central Government →Emergency services
Engagement on service changes for police, fire and ambulance services.
Emergency Services →Regulators and ALBs
Consultation support for regulators and arm’s-length bodies.
Regulators and ALBs →Online tools to help you plan a consultation
Training Diagnostic
Map individual or team skills across eight domains and see the training that fits.
Start now → ToolBrief Builder
Pull together a clear, complete brief for your consultation.
Open → ToolVulnerability Checker
Spot the weak points that could leave your consultation open to challenge.
Open → ToolEngageMap
Map who you need to reach and plan how to engage them.
Open →
A community of practice
You don’t have to work it out alone.
Members join a network of practitioners across local and national government, health, transport and the third sector, sharing what works on consultation and engagement.
“I don’t often get the opportunity to speak to other people who work in consultation and have the same questions I do… the network I found has been really important.”
Frequently asked questions about consultation and engagement
What are the Gunning Principles?
The Gunning Principles are four tests of a fair consultation, set out in R v London Borough of Brent ex parte Gunning (1985) and endorsed by the Supreme Court in 2014. Consultation must take place while proposals are still at a formative stage; give enough information for people to respond intelligently; allow adequate time for consideration and response; and the responses must be conscientiously taken into account before a decision is made.
When does a public body have to consult?
A duty to consult can come from legislation, from a promise or established practice that creates a legitimate expectation, or from the general requirement to act fairly. Once a body decides to consult, the consultation must be carried out properly, whether or not it was legally required.
What is consultation quality assurance?
Quality assurance is an independent, expert review of your consultation or engagement process to check it is fair, lawful and defensible. We offer reviews at different stages, from early assurance at the planning stage to a Certificate of Assurance once the process is complete. Explore quality assurance.
Can you train our whole team in-house?
Yes. Alongside our open courses, we design and deliver bespoke training for teams and organisations, shaped around your sector and the consultations you have coming up. Find out about bespoke training.
Is tCI independent?
Yes. We have no stake in the outcome of any consultation; our only interest is that your process is sound and your decision defensible.
Can’t find your answer? Ask the team.