JTW-JME-13
Justice, Trade & Work
Justice & Market Ethics
CORE
Excellence
v2.9.7
Consultation (Shura) in Organisational Practices
Assesses the integration of meaningful consultation (Shura) in decision-making, a core leadership duty (amānah). This ensures decisions reflect the public interest (maṣlaḥah) and uphold justice (ʿadl), building stakeholder trust and improving organizational effectiveness and accountability. Note: Shura is a consultative governance mechanism and does not override the legal decision-making rights of trustees/directors, but informs them; for membership bodies, it complements voting rights, while for service charities, it prioritises beneficiary voice.
Assessment Questions
- How does the organization ensure that meaningful consultation (Shura) is integrated into its strategic and operational decision-making processes?
- What formal policies guide Shura, including the Materiality Matrix and selection of 'ahl al-ra’y'?
- At what stage are stakeholders consulted (problem definition vs implementation)? Provide an example where input changed the option set.
- How is data protection managed in consultations, particularly for special category data and vulnerable groups?
- How does the organization measure Shura effectiveness (coverage, diversity, impact) and use this data for improvement?
- What mechanisms exist for handling dissent, complaints about the consultation process, and protecting participants from retaliation?
Evidence Requirements
- Formal Shura Policy and Materiality Matrix.
- Key Decision Register with consultation status tracked.
- Completed Decision Templates with stakeholder analysis, dissent recording, and accessibility checklists.
- Consultation Charter including complaints/escalation route.
- Data protection documentation: Privacy notices, DPIAs, and retention schedules for consultation data.
- Shura Effectiveness Dashboard reports.
- Minutes of Board/SMT meetings demonstrating 'due regard' to consultation outputs.
- Published 'We Heard, We Did' summaries.
- COI Register for advisory groups.
- ROPA (Record of Processing Activities) entry for stakeholder engagement.
Scoring Guidelines
| Level | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5/5 | Shura is deeply embedded. Coverage (completed templates/material decisions) ≥80% for 4 quarters. Loop closure median ≤30 days. Evidence of ≥2 co-design initiatives (beneficiaries involved in design & testing). Dissent documented in ≥70% of material decisions. |
| 4 | 4/5 | Formal process consistently used. Coverage 60–79%. Loop closure ≤45 days. Evidence of at least 1 co-design initiative. Board papers consistently reference stakeholder views. |
| 3 | 3/5 | Consultation occurs but is inconsistent. Coverage 30–59%. Materiality matrix exists but application varies. Inconsistent documentation of dissent or data protection rationale. |
| 2 | 2/5 | Consultation is limited to occasional surveys with little follow-up. Coverage <30%. Minimal loop closure or safeguarding checks. |
| 1 | 1/5 | No meaningful consultation process exists. No policy or process. |
Discussion (1)
Administrator
2026-03-07 11:07:56.932308
📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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