During the 1990s there has been an increasing focus on greater government efficiency, accountability and public responsiveness. In order to develop closer relationships with the community and strengthen the organisation's customer focus, a Western Australian public sector road agency initiated a proactive consultation strategy to help determine road network strategies. Nine Issues and Directions documents were released in September 1996 followed up by a series of "consultation workshops" for key stakeholders from peak bodies and government organisations. A total of 12 consultation workshops were held with 170 external stakeholders and 55 key members of the agency over a three-month period. An independent evaluator carried out a survey of 10 percent of the stakeholders who participated. The consultation process improved communication between the community and the road agency and strengthened relationships with other government departments. Overall, the consultation process contributed positively towards the corporate image of the agency and assisted the organisation to meet its corporate objectives. This presentation will discuss the lessons learned in this consultation process and recommendations for other import agencies that would like to involve stakeholders in determining strategies. (A)
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