It's all about consultation

The Access to Valletta project, popularly known as The Park and Ride scheme, is one positive exercise that has many merits. It is not only positive in the effects of the scheme itself, but was, and hopefully stays, an excellent exercise in consultation.

I am irked on many occasions when bureaucrats or politicians make a farce of consultation. There is always some PhD here or MBA there who thinks s/he knows it all and drafts a plan and than calls stakeholders to reveal his/her brainchild. The Mr and Ms Know-it-all that have infiltrated the public sector are far too many. But, occasionally, and I must say the occasions are increasing as months roll by since EU-day, I meet that individual who not only knows what effective consultation in a modern age is but has the flair and the intelligence to do it right.

David Spiteri Gingell is a great loss to the public service, not only because of his technical ability, but also, and perhaps even more, for his consultation techniques. He made the people he consulted with comfortable, listening, summarising and then providing feedback without any of the academic arrogance normal to people in the position he held.

Another excellent communicator is Manuel Delia of the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology. We worked together and patiently in the Victoria, Gozo traffic management scheme. It was the first experiment of its nature and it needed huge stores of stamina to make sure that all the statistics are right and that all stakeholders are involved. Negativism prevails as soon as one tries to introduce something new even if grossly beneficial, as we are all "experts" and none of us want to budge. Mr Delia's skill is to surpass negativity even though it can be killing.

When Mr Delia came to the piloting of the Valletta Accessibility Project he brought along his experience as well as his natural attributes. Experience thought him not to jump the gun, and to not lump all stakeholders in one room and lambaste them as if he's Malta's gift from the gods.

The Delia approach is to get each stakeholder, one by one, when you have all facts and statistics and after careful research far beyond what is available to each individual stakeholder. Cause each stakeholder to research and consult so as to provide verifiable advice. Listen, plan, listen and change. Revert back to the first stakeholder, after consulting the second, and to the second after consulting the third. Widen the net of consultations once the basics are right. Bring all stakeholders on scene only when you are sure each is sufficiently involved and committed not to stampede out.

You still won't have the perfect model at the end. But if stakeholders can produce something to which they are all agreed to in toto, this place would not be called Malta. But it is the approach that works. It will not lead to perfection, but it leads to an acceptable plan to which all are committed and from which all believe to benefit. Furthermore, they all feel they have done something for the benefit of all. It may appear to be too long and too winding an approach, but it works.

I have high hopes for the Valletta Accessibility Project. There is still much to be done and the cooperation of all stakeholders is essential. But, if, as I said on Budget Day, we turned the corner, then we should have all left behind us the negativism that blocked us during the years of budget austerity.

I strongly believe that we can look forward to a brighter future. Effective consultation is a torch that keeps that future bright.

Mr Farrugia is director general of the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU.