Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development

Judy Gregory,Janette Hartz-Karp,Rebecca Watson

doi:10.1186/1743-8462-5-16

Judy Gregory, Janette Hartz-Karp + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-8462-5-16

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Abstract

BackgroundThis paper examines work in deliberative approaches to community engagement used in Western Australia by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and other planning and infrastructure agencies between 2001 and 2005, and considers whether the techniques could be applied to the development of health policy in Australia.ResultsDeliberative processes were used in WA to address specific planning and infrastructure problems. Using deliberative techniques, community participants contributed to joint decision making and policy development. Outcomes from deliberative processes were seriously considered by the Minister and used to influence policy decisions. In many cases, the recommendations generated through deliberative processes were fully adopted by the Minister.ConclusionThe experiences in WA demonstrate that deliberative engagement processes can be successfully implemented by government and can be used to guide policy. The techniques can be adapted to suit the context and issues experienced by a portfolio, and the skills required to conduct deliberative processes can be fostered amongst the portfolio's staff. Health policy makers may be able to learn from the experiences in WA, and adopt approaches to community engagement that allow for informed deliberation and debate in the community about the future of Australia's health system.

Highlights

This paper examines work in deliberative approaches to community engagement used in Western Australia by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and other planning and infrastructure agencies between 2001 and 2005, and considers whether the techniques could be applied to the development of health policy in Australia
This paper provides an overview of the techniques used in Western Australia (WA), explores key issues in using community engagement as part of policy development, and considers whether the techniques could be applied to the development of health policy in Australia
Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2008, 5:16 http://www.anzhealthpolicy.com/content/5/1/16 undertaken as part of a larger project examining consumer engagement in Australian health policy conducted by the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies (AIHPS)

Summary

Introduction

This paper examines work in deliberative approaches to community engagement used in Western Australia by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and other planning and infrastructure agencies between 2001 and 2005, and considers whether the techniques could be applied to the development of health policy in Australia. The paper reviews the deliberative approaches to community engagement used in Western Australia (WA) by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DPI) and other planning and infrastructure agencies between 2001 and 2005. In the health policy context, it is about involving community members in developing and implementing the policies that will affect them as health consumers This includes decisions about the delivery of health services and the allocation of health budgets, and broader systemic questions about the type of health system that Australians want to have. Deliberative approaches to community engagement centre on involving the community in discussion and deliberation about issues, ideally leading to concrete proposals that can be adopted by policy makers

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