Research project HL/DD/23 (Research action HL)
Background:
The study focuses on environmental decision-making: one of the chief components for bringing about a policy of sustainable development. When viewed from a social standpoint, environmental decision-making faces major challenges. This is because it masks a very complex reality and because diverse target groups occupy the key positions along the road to the necessary changes. Sustainable development calls for a reversal of preferences, attitudes, habits, technologies, working methods, procedures, etc. No single government can organise the necessary changes without the confidence of its citizens, industry, agriculture, etc. The government has to create open decision-making that encompasses the complexity of the various environmental issues and is able to draw target groups into the decision-making process.
Aim:
The research sets out to study and develop the methods, instruments and experiences in complex decision-making with regard to the public involvement of groups with different opinions and interests. The ultimate aim is to support decision-making. For this project goal, it is necessary to design a manual that can be used during the development of broad decision-making (e.g. preparing an environmental policy plan, and the public debate surrounding it).
Phases:
The project comprises the following phases:
- The first phase differentiates two theoretical trains of thought in which decision-making methods regarding complex technological and ecological issues can be placed under the microscope:
a) the ‘decision’ theory, which has developed on from the economic train of thought;
b) the theory regarding ‘technology assessment’, which has developed within the ‘democracy’ train of thought.
- An overview is then given of the available decision-making methods and instruments, including the available software support instruments. An assessment will be made of the methods and instruments on the basis of listed criteria.
- Next, the multi-criteria decision-making methods that may operate within a complex public-policy process are placed under the microscope. For this approach, we keep track of the variety of world views, opinions and interests by mapping out a broad range of possible actions and indicate how they perform for a series of criteria conditional upon a number of socio-economic visions. In particular, we intend to place the emphasis on the process for specifying, approaching and controlling possible alternatives, e.g. by translating general principles of environmental policy into boundary conditions for retaining or scrapping options (e.g. the ‘precaution’ principle).
- During the final phase, the research results will be compiled in a manual that can be used by environmental policy planners and the parties involved in society’s decision-making processes.
Methodology:
- Inventory and description of methods that can be applied practically when structuring decision-making processes, into which it is possible to integrate the different preferences and opinions of all the actors involved. Efforts are made here to strike a balance as regards the methods stemming from the traditional lines of research mentioned.
- This inventory is produced on the basis of existing manuals or step-by-step plans and secondary analysis of cases outside Belgium in which these methods are being put to the test and evaluated.
- Enhancement of the criteria mentioned in the light of criteria used by the assessors of cases outside Belgium.
- Evaluation of the manuals and their practical applications on the basis of this modernised set of criteria. Summary of strong and weak points and the conditions under which particular methods do or do not work.
- Design of a manual. This will include efforts to ensure the complementary application of strong points in each of the two traditional lines of research.
- The manual should be flexible enough for it to be accommodated within different situations.
- Testing of the manual in one or two case studies. At present, expertise and contacts exist within STEM in the area of decision-making on biotechnological issues and in the area of decision-making on waste-processing technology. In the first instance, these contacts will be used in order to allow involvement in the debates that are beginning in these areas.
- Adjustments to the manual in accordance with the lessons from the case study or case studies.
Besluitvorming inzake milieu: methoden en instrumenten: eindrapport
Craye, M. - Goorden, L. - Van Gelder, S. Brussel: DWTC, 2002 (SP1037)
[To download]
[Exhausted]
Besluitvorming inzake milieu: methoden en instrumenten: synthese
Brussel: DWTC, 2002 (SP1038)
[To download]
Environmental decision- making: Methods and tools: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2002 (SP1039)
[To download]
