Standardised models of public participation in science policy making unnecessary, finds report
An interim report on civil society's role in governing the European Research Area (ERA) concludes that rather than documenting a specific set of public participatory processes, the Commission should promote a pool of context-sensitive methodologies to be used as required. 'Governance of the ERA: the role of civil society' was produced for the European Commission by the Institute for Organisational Communication (IFOK), and sought to classify and compare different types of civil society participation in science and technology based policy making. The interim report formed the basis of an international conference on the same subject held on 12 and 13 June in Brussels. It suggests that: '[T]he role of the European Commission should be seen primarily in initiating and disseminating successful models of participation in the processes of policy making.' However, it warns that the Commission should not 'simply stop with the documentation of a specific set and number of participatory processes', but rather 'look for a pool of methodologies that fits in with the emerging new networks of various players in research policy making.' The report goes on to give an overview of the current range of methods for public participation in decision making, such as the use of advisory committees, citizens' juries, consensus conferences and public hearings. Some such models are already applied to certain areas of research policy, particularly technology foresight and risk assessment, but many were found in related research based areas such as environmental policy. The move towards more open and inclusive models of research governance is due to the increased complexity of social and scientific considerations connected with science and technology policies, claims the report. According to Hans-Peter Meister, Director at IFOK: 'There is an obvious gap between decision makers and civil society. Participatory processes not only improve the transparency of decision making, but also increase levels of knowledge and understanding and balance competing interests.' As such, Mr Meister believes that civil society participation in governing the ERA is essential to its success, and in achieving Europe's wider goals on research investment and creating the world's most competitive economy by 2010 - a conclusion echoed by Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin at the conference. By promoting and disseminating successful models of participation, as well as applying them in their own decision making processes, the Commission can become a trend setter in civil society participation, suggested Mr Meister. IFOK will produce a final report by August 2003, which will focus more strongly on the identification of useful practices and the conditions necessary to encourage a culture of consultation within research policy making and the ERA.