As the director of Community Engagement for PlaceSpeak, I have spent a lot of time looking at the principles of ethics and integrity in public consultations. Whether the consultations have to do with a rezoning in your neighbourhood, or reform of the financial sector—or even the goals of the Occupy movement—participants want to be sure that they not only have a chance to speak, but that their comments are heard and taken seriously by decision-makers.

At their core, public consultations—whether conducted online or off—are based on the belief that those affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. To this end, there are several principles that can enhance the integrity of any public consultation process.  Here are five taken from the IAP2’s Code of Ethics for Public Participation Practitioners.

Principles of Public Consultation

Trust

Public consultations should be conducted in a fair and respectful way to build trust and credibility for the process among the participants.

Openness

Proponents should disclosure all information relevant to the public’s understanding and evaluation of a decision.  This should include clearly communicating the issue to be addressed, the goals and scope of the consultation, and the roles and responsibilities of participants.

Access

Stakeholders should  have fair and equal access to the public consultation process and the opportunity to influence decisions.  Consultation activities should be organized to maximize the public’s involvement and effective use of their time.

Respect

Proponents should avoid strategies that polarize community interests or that attempt to “divide and conquer.” All views will be considered in a non-confrontational and constructive way.

Commitment

All commitments made to the public, including those by the decision-maker, must be made in good faith.  The outcome of each public consultation should be made public.

Each public consultation process will be different—reflecting the size and complexity of the specific initiative, the level of public interest and the needs of people who may be affected.  As such, these principles are to be considered minimum standards, and will often be exceeded.