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Collective Wisdom: The Power Of Public Consultation

Industry experts from UK and Asia Pacific to discuss the challenges of public consultation at PR Academy Conference

10 June 05

How is Hong Kong positioning itself to be “ Asia ’s World City ”? How did Thailand convince the hundreds of families and industries in a section of Bangkok that they needed to make changes to accommodate the South Outer Bangkok Ring Road, near the Chao Phraya River ? And how did a small-scale community project to teach children to monitor water quality in Australian streams snowball into a movement involving 200,000 participants as far away as Europe . All these projects had one thing in common – involvement of the community through public consultation and participation.

These countries’ experiences in public consultation are testimony that people want to be involved in issues that affect them or their countries, and seek opportunities to do so. And governments the world over, including Singapore , are responding positively to this need. But not everyone tasked with conducting public consultation know how to conduct it, or how to meet the challenges and dilemmas that crop up in the course of planning and completing a consultation exercise successfully.

To fill this gap in knowledge, the PR Academy’s annual conference this year will focus on public consultation and its challenges. Entitled “Collective Wisdom: The Power Of Public Consultation”, it sets out to explore these issues though case studies, experience sharing, and the transfer of specialist skills.

The conference on 30 June 05, the fourth in the Academy’s four-year history, aims to provide delegates with an understanding of public consultation practices and public consultation’s role in good governance, and the benefits that the people, public and private sectors can derive from engaging their stakeholders.

Among the overseas experts are Mr Howell James, the first Permanent Secretary of Government Communications from the UK Government; Mrs Ava Ng, a key player in the Hong Kong 2030 (“Asia’s World City”) study; and Mr Renato Ramsay, an Australian who turned a small community project into an international “movement”. The Singapore perspectives will be provided by Dr

Gillian Koh from the Institute of Policy Studies. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, will deliver the conference’s opening address.

Asked why the Academy had chosen this topic as its conference theme, Ms Sulosana Karthigasu, Managing Director of the PR Academy explained, “Public consultation is not new. For instance, the government consulted the stakeholders extensively in the HDB Main Upgrading Programme. In recent years, the government has not only signalled that it will consult more widely on issues that lend themselves to consultation, but has indeed done so. HOTA, the Junior College Review, marriage and procreation, Remaking Singapore, and the IR (Integrated Resort) project, are just some of these examples. And with more consultation exercises on the horizon, there is an urgent need to develop the necessary skills across the board. The conference seemed to be one quick way of doing this. By bringing these experts under one roof, we are providing our delegates an opportunity to learn best practices, avoid pitfalls, and enhance existing systems.”

The conference, targeted at policy makers, senior managers and corporate communications directors in the public and private sectors, expects to draw an attendance of about 150 delegates, including some from our neighbouring countries.

 ISSUED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS ACADEMY

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

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