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Checklist for Officials: Helping Consumer Representatives to be Effective

• Cost
  • Examples
• Isolation
  • Confidentiality Agreements
  • Having a Vast and Diverse Constituency
  • Minority Status
  • Lack of Consumer Representative Network

Officials should, where appropriate, assist consumer representatives to be effective. Use this checklist of identified problems and solutions to help you.

Cost

Consumers are often unable to accept nomination as representatives because they cannot afford leave without pay, or the cost of travel, or other costs of being a representative. The government interest here is in enabling the best consumer representative to accept appointment.

Cabinet Office Circular CO(01)8 (Fees Framework for Members of Statutory and Other Bodies Appointed by the Crown) is the instructing circular. It sets limits and allows sufficient flexibility to enable reasoned and reasonable decisions.

Officials should develop budgets and make administrative decisions (time/day of meetings, location of meetings) which take the actual costs for consumer representatives into account, provide suitable options, and are within the parameters available in Circular CO(01)8.

Examples

1. To attend week-day meetings, consumer representatives may need to take leave without pay. In this case options are to pay fees or schedule meetings at another time.
2. Reasonable travel costs need to be met and flexibility may cost no more. A late flight and a night's accommodation may cost the same as two business flights but the difference may be a between a 17 hour day and a reasonable day. Another alternative may be a teleconference.
3. Consumer representatives are less likely to have office back-up or professional support. Perhaps support could be provided.
4. E-mail costs (hardware, connection, printing and so on). A change in timing can mean ordinary mail and telephone/toll budgets work as well.

Isolation

Confidentiality Agreements

There are good and sound reasons why members of boards, advisory bodies, departmental working parties, and committees are now routinely asked to sign confidentiality agreements. This in itself is not a problem. The problem for consumer representatives comes when confidentiality clauses entirely prevent consultation outside the body and thereby compromise their ability to deliver.

Officials should develop mechanisms for confidentiality agreements which take into account the need for consumer representatives to network and consult.

Having a Vast and Diverse Constituency

Consumer representatives need to be in contact with the people they are representing if they are to be effective. The value they bring comes as a result of their knowledge of the daily lives and opinions of their constituency.

Officials should identify ways in which the body can assist the consumer representative to stay in touch with their constituency.

Minority Status

There is a significant imbalance when there are one or two consumer representatives and 5-10 industry and/or professional representatives on a body. This causes isolation for consumer representatives who find that theirs is always the different perspective which annoys or is seen as a challenge and needs to be justified, and that they must speak more often than others to balance the process.

The immediate solution identified by consumer representatives is for chairpersons to take a participative (inclusive) approach.

Officials are expected to ensure that every chairperson receives a copy of the Guideline for Chairpersons (attached) and is encouraged to apply that Guideline as appropriate.

Lack of Consumer Representative Network

All representatives need access to mentoring and training.

Officials should, where appropriate, encourage bodies to provide financial assistance so that consumer representatives can attend mentoring, training, and networking meetings. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs particularly recommends cross-sectoral networking amongst consumer representatives.

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