Stakeholder Engagement: Best Practice for Local Government (Course full - register on the reserve list) - Friday 3 October 2008

Date: 3rd October 2008 at 9:00 AM to 3rd October 2008 at 4:15 PM

Trainer: Eileen Beamish and Donal McDade, Social Research Centre Limited

Venue: Antrim Civic Centre, 50 Stiles Way, Antrim

Cost: £60

Other Information:

Top performing organisations have always used stakeholder feedback as the starting point for designing, delivering and evaluating their services - and so has local government. So what's new?

What's new is the high priority now being attached to engaging stakeholders and the rigorous, transparent and mainstream way in which it is now expected to be done. All of the major policies that currently (and will in the future) influence the operation of local government in Northern Ireland are consistent and emphatic about stakeholder engagement.

This course now offers Councils the opportunity to avail of specialist training in this area.

This interactive, practically-focused, 1 day course has been specifically designed for local government. It is a unique opportunity to fill this important skill deficit in an efficient and economical manner. Wholly compatible with the strategic objectives of councils in terms of community engagement and with the leadership and management training that many councils are now undertaking.

Who should attend

Local authority staff who have:

• Responsibility for policy development and/or service design and delivery.
• A requirement to consult local stakeholders on policy or service-related matters.

On the course, participants learn

• What stakeholder engagement is and why is it so important right now.
• How to design robust, reliable and inclusive consultations with stakeholders.
• Best practice techniques in relation to carrying out surveys and focus groups.
• Where to find and how to use important statistical information about your local area.
• How to build and sustain relationships with stakeholders.
• How to improve the co-ordination of consultation exercises within councils.

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

Registration / Coffee                                                                         9.00 – 9.15

Session 1: Introductions and your objectives                                       9.15 - 9.30

Session 2: What is Stakeholder Engagement and why is it so important right now?                                                                                                9.30 – 9.40

Exercise A – Learning from experience                                                9.40 - 10.00

Exercise B – What is 'Good' Stakeholder Engagement                          10.00 - 10.30

Tea / Coffee                                                                                    10.30 - 10.45

Session 3:  How can we make the engagement robust?                       10.45 - 11.05

Session 4: Introduction to the Case Study                                          11.05 - 11.30

Session 5: Best Practice in Quantitative Research Design                     11.30 - 11.55

Exercise C – Design a Quantitative Research Plan                                11.55 - 12.15      

Session 6: Best Practice in Questionnaire Design                                 12.15 - 12.40

Exercise D – Design a Survey For Local Residents                                12.40 - 1.00        

Lunch                                                                                                1.00 – 1.30  

Session 7: Best Practice in Qualitative Research Design                         1.30 - 1.45

Exercise E – Design a Qualitative Research Plan                                    1.45 - 2.15

Session 8: Best Practice Principles in Conducting Focus Groups               2.15 - 2.25

Exercise F – Focus group simulation                                                      2.25 - 2.45

Session 9: Making best use of existing data sources                               2.45 – 3.00

Tea / Coffee                                                                                       3.00 – 3.15

Exercise G – Using existing data sources                                               3.15 – 3.30        

Exercise H – Sustaining stakeholder engagement                                   3.30 – 3.40

Session 10: Designing Your Own Community Engagement Exercise         3.40 – 3.45

 Review of objectives and Question and Answer                                     3.45 – 4.00

Complete feedback forms                                                                     4.00 – 4.15

Bookings should be made online by the TLO, or someone authorised by the TLO.

Note to TLO'S - If you wish to amend the name of the delegate attending the course please Email the details, ie,  Name, Course, Date and new participant name to andrew.morton@lgsc.org.uk

Cancellation Policy:

Substitutions may be made at any time, but please give as much notice as possible.  In the event of a cancellation notified between two weeks and one week before the start of a course, a charge of £60 per training day will be levied.  For a cancellation less than one week before the start of a course, or a nominee's failure to attend a course, a cancellation fee of £120 per training day will be charged to councils.  This principle will also be applied if a participant fails to attend on any day of a course lasting two or more days.  No charge will be levied if a cancelled place is filled from a reserve list.

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