In the first episode of the Institute’s new podcast, Consultation off the Cuff, we asked our listeners to consider good (or bad) examples of consultation and engagement in film. Here’s what Lucy Nicholls, Senior Consultant at Traverse, had to say…

“There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.”

At Traverse, we have over twenty years’ experience in infrastructure consultation data analysis. The  majority of our work has related to projects on earth, but we believe that lessons learned from earth infrastructure engagement can also be applied to off-planet consultations.

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the planet earth is bulldozed to make way for a significant infrastructure project: a hyperspatial express route. This which would undoubtedly fall under the definition of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project or NSIP. As such, a full public consultation would need to take place.

In this case, the consultation was undertaken by the alien race Vogons, who are key administration personnel in the Galactic Civil Service with an excellent reputation for adhering to due process. However, it is hard to see how it meets the criteria for good public consultation.

In the UK, public consultations are tested against the standards of the ‘Gunning Principles’, coined by Stephen Sedley QC in a 1985 court case.  These principles may not apply directly to other planets’ planning regulations, but as the destruction of earth had a significant local impact, it seems reasonable to expect that these legislative principles should apply. (Note: The Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council is based in Alpha Centauri.)

1. Principle 1: Proposals are still at a formative stage.

It is unclear when the final decision about the destruction of earth was made, however, the plans were on display for a significant amount of time (50 years), during which it appears that formal complaints were welcome, which would imply that the decision-makers were open to changes to the plans. As such, this principle appears to have been met.

2. Principle 2: There is sufficient information to give ‘intelligent consideration’.

Notwithstanding the argument that the human race may not be intelligent enough to consider the implications of hyperspace planning, it is hard to argue that the plans were available or accessible enough for communities affected by the plans. The plans were on display at the planning department at Alpha Centauri; this is clearly not taking into consideration transport inequalities, as hyperspace travel is not available to earthlings.

Furthermore, the plans were “on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”” It is therefore hard to argue that the plans had due prominence.

Without seeing the plans it is hard to know whether they were easily interpretable or available in earth languages, but this is another consideration that should be taken into account. Consultation plans should always be made available in a variety of languages in order to meet the needs of local affected communities. As such, this principle may not have been met.

3. Principle 3: There is adequate time for consideration and response.

Although there is no set timescale for consultation, at initial consideration, fifty years does seem reasonable and is certainly longer than the standard 12 weeks. However, bearing in mind that Alpha Centauri is four light years away, taking into account the return travel time of over 250,000 earth years would necessitate more timely inter-planetary communications in order to give the planning materials due prominence. Also, considering the significant impact of the consultation (destruction of planet), it could be argued that a longer consultation period was appropriate, and therefore it is debatable whether this principle was met.

4. Principle 4: ‘Conscientious consideration’ must be given to the consultation responses before a decision is made.

Responses to the plan were not received until after the decision was made, when earth was given two minutes’ notice of imminent destruction by the Vogon demolition fleet. As the above principles have not been met, there was not the opportunity to test this final principle, although the response of the demolition team leader suggests that objections may not have been given proper consideration (“If you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.””). This response is disappointing.

At Traverse, we’re lucky to work on consultations across health, social care and infrastructure. We provide data analysis and support for a variety of terrestrial sectors but would be very happy to talk through any inter-planetary consultation needs that you may be struggling with, because we believe that we make better decisions together.

Above all: don’t panic.

 

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