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    NICE quality standards: process guide

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    5 Stakeholder involvement

    NICE aims to involve as wide a range of stakeholders as possible in its activities and applies this principle to the development of NICE quality standards. We encourage professional, patient, service user, carer, community and voluntary organisations, as well as organisations of groups protected by equality legislation, to register as stakeholders and get involved.

    The following methods are used to ensure the appropriate stakeholders are involved in the development of each quality standard:

    • The organisations registered as stakeholders for NICE guidance on which a quality standard is based are automatically registered as stakeholders for the quality standard.

    • Any organisations registered as stakeholders for evidence sources developed externally are invited by NICE to register as stakeholders.

    • The registered stakeholder list for each NICE quality standard is reviewed and, if there are any omissions, relevant organisations are encouraged to register as stakeholders. This review is done by the NICE quality standards team with the support of other NICE teams such as the people and communities involvement and engagement team.

    Stakeholders are given advance notice of the development schedule, including the dates of the topic engagement and consultation phase.

    The NICE position statement on engagement with tobacco industry organisations sets out how NICE meets obligations under Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    5.1 Topic engagement

    In the early development stages of new and updated NICE quality standards, stakeholders are invited to submit suggestions for the key areas for quality improvement. This engagement period usually lasts for 2 weeks, however, it may be reduced to 5 working days or limited to specific organisations and topic experts if a more proportionate approach is needed.

    Stakeholders are invited to:

    • identify key areas for quality improvement, including emergent areas of practice that may be considered for developmental statements

    • highlight any national or routine indicators and performance measures

    • provide examples of published information on current practice (such as, reports of variation in care or service provision, safety concerns, evaluations of compliance with source guidance, or experiences of people using services) to support the identified areas for quality improvement

    • express interest in being a supporting organisation.

    5.2 Consultation

    New and updated NICE quality standards will be subject to consultation with registered stakeholders. The consultation period usually lasts for 4 weeks, however, it may be reduced to 10 working days or limited to specific organisations and topic experts if a more proportionate approach is needed. Advance notice of a consultation will always be given.

    Stakeholders are invited to comment on which quality statements are most important and why, whether there are important areas of care or service provision that are not included and if the proposed measures are appropriate.

    Comments submitted by registered stakeholders are included in summary reports and receive a written response at publication of the NICE quality standard. Registered stakeholders are notified by email when a new or updated NICE quality standard is published.

    Comments received from unregistered stakeholders and individuals do not receive a written response and are not published on the NICE website.

    5.3 Formal support of NICE quality standards

    During both topic engagement and the consultation phase, eligible stakeholders and respondents are invited to express interest in formally supporting the NICE quality standard. The eligibility criteria are listed on the NICE website. Supporting organisations agree to undertake activities to increase awareness of the NICE quality standard and encourage those commissioning, providing and using services to use it. This may include activities such as:

    • producing print or online articles for the organisation's website or newsletter

    • using the organisation's social media channels

    • using conferences and other speaking opportunities

    • running workshops to help other organisations understand how using the NICE quality standard can add value.

    All supporting organisations are listed on the webpage for the relevant quality standard along with a link to their website.