- Current Status:
Public participation is well-organized and institutionalised in terms of a legislative framework and widespread knowledge and acceptance of participative planning principles, theory, methods and techniques. However, its practice is in a developmental stage, with many proponents not willing to recognize the time and resource requirements for the effective implementation of participation programs.
- Sectoral Differences:
The practice of public participation is more established in government agencies, often through working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs); it is still new and less common in the private sector which is more likely to provide information to the public after decisions are made.
- Differences by Field:
Public participation is more common in transportation, urban infrastructure and environmental planning but is rare in health and education.
- Trends:
From participation late in the planning process, which often leads to opposition, to participation from the initial exploratory phase onwards. In major government advisory bodies, participation is increasing, especially after large scale infrastructure projects met public resistance. It is still difficult to get public participation accepted into long-term, national or regional planning. However, methods of public participation are improving and a routine is developing.
- Techniques:
A wide range is used - newsletters, workshops, conferences, information markets, telephone contacts, panels, forums, electronic participation etc. When bottom-up interactive planning did not lead to usable outcomes, there is now a tendency to combine bottom-up and top-down plan development in an interactive way - a crucial, critical and very interesting phase. Mediation is being adopted from the U.S.A. Recently, a "science court" was used to review a proposed social policy concerning the elderly, with a large group of the elderly acting as a kind of jury. A "TV Congress" is being explored as a national opportunity to stimulate public participation in preparing social policy for the elderly.
- Pressures for Economy & Efficiency:
Project managers are concerned about cost, time and the usefulness of the results. The opportunities for stakeholders to legally obstruct projects are being reduced; efforts are being made to get stakeholders involved as early as possible to make them co-owners of the problem. Parliament, political parties and the press want speed in order to curb the current small recession.
- Stakeholders vs. Public:
Yes, because stakeholders are affected by the problem or proposed solution and are prepared to take action; the general public does not take action. Yes, stakeholders always were more important to proponents; sometimes the general public is a stakeholder. Stakeholders, like environmental pressure groups, are very active; mature participation processes provide opportunities for stakeholders to defend their interests.
- Public Participation vs. ADR, Mediation, etc.:
They are used in different circumstances, often in a complementary way.
- Employment:
Most government agencies and engineering firms have hired policy scientists and communications experts, especially in the field of transportation. Consultancy firms very often help with participation processes; they can develop trust more easily than in-house staff.
- Policy vs. Project Focus:
Most of the emphasis is still on projects; participation for policy and program development is mostly between government agencies and interest groups, not the general public. On the other hand, policy, program and project are linked to each other; all require public participation. Increasingly, large projects consist of several elements whose participation programs need to be integrated or linked. A national court of audits has to ensure that program participation and evaluation are carried out properly.
- Comments, Suggestions, etc.:
Public participation is very important in a democracy, especially if you have as little space as we have in the Netherlands. We don't have the final answers yet. The "court model" is of growing importance.
