Policy Consultation

Online policy consultation provides a way to use digital resources, such as online polls, surveys, websites and discussion forums to extend the reach and potential participation of citizens in the discussion of policy issues.

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About online policy consultation

An objective of the Australian Government is to enhance citizen engagement. Through the use of new technologies, agencies are engaging more widely with the public through online policy information, feedback and consultation. Online consultation provides opportunities to enhance and compliment traditional consultation mechanisms and generate better policy outcomes.

Why consider online policy consultation?

Policy consultation has traditionally been undertaken using methods such as submissions, seminars, public hearings, consultative committees and surveys. The methods agencies choose depend on a variety of factors, including the nature of the policy issue, the goals of the consultation, the key stakeholders and the capacity of the agency.

The internet provides agencies with the opportunity to complement existing consultation methods. The benefits of online policy consultation parallel those of traditional consultation. That is, they improve the transparency of government deliberative processes, increase the accessibility of policy-based and decision-making information, and may increase uptake by citizens of government programs.

Online methods, however, extend the reach of government consultation through greater access, including availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Online methods can also provide a safer and more deliberative way in which agencies can engage with citizens through secure, faster and more manageable ways of handling a large-scale group input. Online methods can also attract sectors of the community (eg youth) who may not usually engage with government.

Project managers in charge of an online policy consultation would be expected to refer to their existing agency guidelines on consulting stakeholders and citizens. However, the use of online measures to engage with citizens presents unique challenges, in addition to common issues such as protecting citizens' privacy and security. Project managers may wish to note some of the additional challenges and benefits of using online methods. Careful planning will help agencies to successfully integrate online policy consultation into existing practices.

Beyond the simple provision of a discussion document online, some of the online consultation methods that can be used by agencies are consultation portals or websites, email lists, surveys and opinion polls, discussion forums, and e-submissions.