The benefits of e-consultation include: * increasing the ultimate take-up of a policy * reducing the amount of resistance to change * developing a general sense of civic participation and “being heard” * targeting people who operate in an online environment and are unlikely to participate in other methods of consultation, such as young people, some categories of professionals, the time-poor, people in remote areas of your region and people with disabilities * using video and other online elements to appeal to various sorts of literacy This question was asked on the wiki: eConsultation guide for local governments.