This strategy outlines Cambridgeshire County Council’s commitment to meaningful engagement and consultation with residents when making decisions, and details when and how these processes will be implemented. Focused solely on external engagement, this strategy does not cover internal engagement within the council.
Engagement is an ongoing process aimed at building relationships and gathering information, helping the council to learn, share ideas, and evolve. It involves various forms of information gathering such as surveys, focus groups, and citizens’ juries.
Consultation is a formal process, over a defined period (typically 6 to 12 weeks), to seek and take into consideration people’s views on specific proposals, to inform decision-making. Residents and stakeholders can inform decisions, but do not have the final say.
This strategy explains how the council will ensure that the public:
- have a say in decisions that affect them
- know how to get involved
- understand how their feedback has been used
- understand how the council will provide feedback after a consultation has occurred
Furthermore, the strategy outlines the processes for effective engagement and consultation, clarifies the role elected members may play in facilitating these processes, and addresses the necessary legal requirements.
As a conclusion, we set out the next steps for monitoring and updating our practices to ensure they remain effective and relevant.
