Delib is a consultancy firm that provides products and bespoke services including opinion research. They conduct budget consultations for public sector organizations using various methods like paper surveys, focus groups, public meetings, and online surveys. The most commonly used methods are paper surveys, focus groups, and public meetings. Some organizations also use existing consultation groups or combine different methods.

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Budget consultation: a survey of public sector organisations. 5 of 18
The primary method for budget consultation reported by
Section 1: consultation methods
responding authorities was a paper survey (28.75%), followed
closely by a focus group (26.25%) and a public meeting
Survey respondents were asked a number of questions around
(25.00%). Online surveys were also popular (22.50%), as were
the budget consultation methods they used in the last year,
existing consultation groups such as citizens’ or viewpoint
including what response rate they received from them and how
panels.
useful the information gained was.
This is an interesting finding as it appears authorities are
generally mixing consultation methods, using both static forms
such as surveys and more interactive and deliberative forms,
Consultation method(s) used during the last budget year
for example public meetings and focus groups. However, few
seemed to have made moves to combine these methods
through the use of deliberative surveys.
25
20
Other consultation methods used
15
For those authorities that stated they used other consultation
methods, four stated that they ran budget workshops, one with
10 handheld voting units for collecting attendee responses; two
ran specific workshops for young people through their youth
council or similar. Another two ran public road shows about the
5
budget in different locations, and two surveys in their local
newspaper as part of the publicity around the process. Finally
0 two met with local business or partner organizations to gain
A B C D E F G H I
their views into the authority’s budget setting process.
Base = 80
A: Paper survey
Key finding
B: Focus group
C: Public meeting
Public sector authorities are still predominantly using
D: Online survey
offline methods to consult on budgets, but within this,
E: Citizens’ panel
many are mixing consultation methods, using both static
F: Other method
forms such as surveys and more interactive and
G: Invitation for comment
deliberative forms.
H: Telephone interviews
I: None
For further information, contact Delib: info@delib.co.uk 0845 638 1848 http://www.delib.co.uk

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0845 638 1848
info@delib.co.uk
http://www.delib.co.uk
Delib Bristol Delib London
Ropemaker Court 50 Frith Street
11 Lower Park Row Soho
Bristol London
BS1 5BN W1D 4SQ