Public participation in waste management decision making: Analysis and management of conflicts

Abstract

In this study an empirical analysis is presented comparing four cases of public participation in risk-related decision-making. The cases selected all involved conflicts over waste management in which the official decision-maker was willing to cooperate with public interest groups, but the degree and nature of public participation was different for each case. Conflict in connection with public participation arose in all four cases. In response to the inadequacy of a traditional problem-solving approach (Section 1), we developed a broader analytic framework for interpreting these conflicts (Sections 2 and 3). Conflict analysis takes into account the history of the adversaries' relationship(s), power distribution, attitudes toward conflict resolution, hidden agendas, various negotiating strategies, and commitment (or lack thereof) to the negotiated agreement. Though developed for the purpose of analysis, we feel this approach has specific relevance for the resolution of such conflicts as well. Section 4 explores the concept of conflict management as an approach to improving the quality of public participation. The principle features of conflict management are (1) empowerment of the public: (2) a “good” (fair) solution: and (3) active support of the final decision by all parties. Section 5 describes a specific procedure for implementing conflict management in public participation settings.