Public consultation is essential to ensuring that parliaments’ decisions meet the needs of the societies they represent. In democracies, citizens have the right to a say on decisions that affect them. On a more instrumental level, citizens are also a vital source of information that can help to guide legislation and policymaking to better outcomes.

Public consultations can be carried out in many different ways and can be used to gather contributions from specific groups and communities as well as the ‘general public’. Drawing from a wide range of examples from parliaments across the world, this Guide presents four main consultation approaches for Members of Parliament and staff to consider when thinking about how to consult members of the public in the course of their work.

This publication was developed by the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN), in partnership with Inter Pares. It was produced with the financial support of the European Union as part of the Inter Pares I Parliaments in Partnership project, implemented by International IDEA. Its contents are the sole responsibility of International IDEA and IPEN and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Explore the full suite of Citizen Engagement Guides for actionable tips and inspiration to strengthen your parliament's engagement with the public on the Inter Pares page. Click for more information.