Consultation meetings
This handout is about consultation meetings, shortly, meetings with the executive about the things that matter. Consultation meetings are easy to understand, but difficult to master. In this text we’ll take you through it.
Co-determination bodies have a right to consultation with their executives. At these consultation meetings, you ask critical questions, monitor your executive director and chase commitments. These meetings are the perfect time to negotiate on advisory and consent rights and introduce initiatives. So these are very important moments for making your voice be heard! Yet (preparing for) such a meeting can be complicated and involves quite a bit of legislation. On this page, we will take a closer look at consultation meetings, the rights of co-determination in this area and tips to get the most out of these important moments. We first cover what the law has to say about consultation meetings, then walk through the process of a consultation meeting from start to finish.
The Law
The Higher Education and Research Act (‘WHW’) regulates that a central and decentralised council get at least two consultation moments (where they set the agenda) with the executive (WHW 9.30a subsection 5; WHW 10.16b subsection 5). At many institutions, consultation moments are scheduled every six to ten weeks. Furthermore, with good reason, an extra meeting can be requested by the director, the council, or the student or employee section of the council (‘WHW 9.32 subsection 1; WHW 10.19 subsection 1).
These meetings are aimed at discussing proposed policy and the general course of affairs. In any case, matters on which the council has right of advice or consent are discussed here, furthermore, both the director and the board can put other matters on the agenda.
Commitments made by the board during these meetings are binding, so make sure they are properly minuted! Sometimes an audio recording of the meeting will be made. This can help you avoid misunderstandings and it is also less stressful for the note-taker. Note: if a policy officer makes a statement, this rule does not apply. So always have your executive confirm commitments made by policy officers!
Preparing for a consultation meeting
A consultation meeting usually lasts only about two hours. That’s valuable time! So make sure you walk in well prepared to make the most of it. There are a number of things that are important to include in your preparation. We cover them in the following order: making an agenda, technical meetings, preparing documents, and argument diagrams.
Making an Agenda
A good agenda is the cornerstone of any productive (deliberative) meeting. We have a whole separate page on (effective) meetings, which also covers agendas, we also cover a lot of useful tips there. In a consultation meeting specifically, it is important to prioritise. You may have a very full agenda and not have time to cover everything in full. In that case, you may choose to postpone some topics to the next meeting to leave enough time for the rest. However, don’t be put off! Stalling for time or creating agenda pressure are well-known strategies to slow down progress on files. Tight chairing (and good preparation) also play a big role here.
Technical Consultations
At many institutions, it is common practice to prepare substantive points at consultation meetings in advance with technical consultations with policy staff. A big advantage is that this is enormously valuable for image-forming: you get a good picture of the dossier and what the executive wants in it, it is a way to get policy staff on your side in advance and you save a lot of time at consultation meetings.
If you have prepared well enough on the basis of technical consultations, you can already agree on a dossier before the consultation meeting, and during the consultation meeting you only need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s and make sure the relevant commitments are minuted.
Technical consultations can also have a downside: for instance, it is also a way for the director and/or policy staff to cut off an initiative early on, or to negotiate you into a corner. Very occasionally, it is also valuable to surprise your director during a consultation meeting, an opportunity you may lose with technical consultations.
Preparing documents
In preparation for consultation meetings, the board and the director send documents back and forth. These documents can be official correspondence, explanations of dossiers, proposals/initiatives, informative documents, etc.
Make sure you stick to the agreed deadlines for submitting these documents as much as possible, and communicate well if you fail to do so. Especially if it concerns a council initiative proposal, it can be valuable to deliver these documents far in advance.
Executives need time to read through documents and weigh them up, and are more likely to react neutrally or negatively when time is short. Having to explain your views at length during the meeting can also cost precious meeting minutes. This naturally works the other way around as well. You need time to read and form opinions about the documents the executive sends you too. Be sure to make clear agreements on this, and perhaps refuse to discuss a document because it was not sent in time.
Argumentation diagrams
The smooth running of a consultation meeting is also very important. Again, this can be worked on in preparation by, for example, appointing a first and second speaker and drawing up an argumentation schedule. Furthermore, it is essential to set goals and breaking points in advance. For example, you could set a target in advance of €50,000 towards a certain policy goal, and decide in advance that you would agree to an amount above €35,000, but you would not agree in any case if it falls below that.
It is important here to look not only at your substantive arguments (and counterarguments), but also at form. With what emotion do you respond? And when do you choose to interrupt a director?
During and after a consultation meeting
You have prepared for the consultation meeting, the agenda has been strategically laid out and agreed with the director, the right people have been invited, you have technically consulted and set up argument charts, and now it is time to start. The chair opens the meeting and off you go. What do you take into account? And how do you increase your chances? And what do you do after the meeting?
Handling
- First of all, it is important to exude consideration and care. Consider coming in neat(er) clothes, stay focused on the topic during the meeting and avoid side conversations (consider putting away all laptops, for instance).
- Stay calm, friendly and clear, but don’t be afraid to make yourself heard.
Remember the minutes!
- Be aware that ultimately it is the minutes of the meeting that will count. So always note down the commitments that are made, the deadlines that are mentioned, etc.
- Make sure that commitments, information provided, deadlines mentioned etc. are specifically named and specified so that it will be easier to hold the director to them in the future. For example, if a promise is made to improve facilities. Always ask what facilities are meant, what the improvement will look like in concrete terms and when it will happen (and then ask for a concrete date if something like ‘in the autumn’ is mentioned).
- Always have your director confirm commitments made by policy staff. Technically, only then are they binding.
Setting goals
- Keep your end goal in mind at all times and try to work towards it. Progress on a file does not always have to be a commitment. A negotiation, setting a response deadline, setting priorities for a executive, etc. can also be of value. Keep a record of these too!
New information
- Also be aware that the council may need to reconsider internally if new information comes to light. It is always possible to temporarily suspend the meeting, and ask the executive to leave the room until the board has reached a new decision.
- Stay alert, and don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions if something passes quickly. Also, if an executive gives an update at the beginning of the meeting, or makes an announcement that surprises you, feel free to spend time on it!
Concluding agenda items
- Conclude each item with a brief summary of what was discussed, the commitments made and the action points that emerged from the discussion – this is usually done by the person chairing the meeting. If possible, give these action points a deadline and make it clear who will work on them. During such a summary, a board member may revert to an earlier promise, or indicate that he made a mistake. If necessary, do not be afraid to reopen the agenda item. You are clearly not done talking yet!
After the meeting, you continue working. You wrap up the meeting, write/check the draft minutes and start working on action points. It is very important that the draft minutes include all commitments, information provided and named deadlines. So always check these carefully! Furthermore, it is very important to celebrate, and follow up on, your wins: for example, ask how progress is going at the next consultation meeting.
Last but not least: preparation for the next consultation meeting starts immediately: plan technical meetings again, consult with your council and make sure that unfinished dossiers are discussed again at the next consultation meeting!