ABSTRACT
Analysis is the collection of data generated by the consultation – percentages from polls, comments from emails, reports from workshops – and the process of making sense of it. Ideally, evaluation is formative rather than summative: making sense of the consultation throughout and making changes as necessary, rather than simply assessing it at the end of the process. There is also an argument for evaluation to be carried out externally to allow for objectivity, although the counter-argument is that the process of evaluation is a useful learning experience for the team at the heart of the project. Without demonstrating that the consultation was done well, its results carry little credibility. Finally, providing feedback to those who have taken part in the consultation is an important courtesy. Feedback is an opportunity to thank consultees for their time, a means of communicating the results and potentially an opportunity to encourage those who have been supportive to continue in this vein.
