Keywords
Human biases; heuristics; decision support; open data; open policy
Start Date
25-6-2018 10:40 AM
End Date
25-6-2018 12:00 PM
Abstract
Science and policy governance, including the development of modeling and decision support tools for the management of natural resources and environments, can be improved with enhanced: (1) stakeholder and public engagement; (2) societal and institutional continuity in the evaluation of management and policy decisions, and (3) recognition of the role that biases, beliefs, heuristics, and values (BBHV) play in science and decision making.
Here we suggest that creating a multi-media hierarchically-structured “Record of Engagement” (RoE) that would support this enhancement by offering:
(1) a reward system for engagement (possibly coupled with additional incentives);
(2) a record structure and system for a) evaluating processes and outcomes, b) understanding the system/issue in the future, and c) fostering transferability and “lessons learned” to other systems or issues, and
(3) an opportunity to systematize, facilitate, create efficiencies, and improve the engagement of experts and stakeholders in participatory modelling, planning and governance, including in the recognition of the role of BBHV.
The RoE would document the nature of the system/issue, available evidence, and the facilitation processes used for engagement. The constituencies engaged in the science and decision making processes, and their relative power to provide knowledge and affect decisions, would also be documented. Recognizing the importance of BBHV, the RoE would further document the ethical principles, beliefs, other factors used in arguments for suggested decisions, emotions expressed by different constituencies, and the behavioral and group dynamics of the engagement. A diversity of technological tools (e.g. artificial intelligence and natural language processing, machine vision and behavioural analysis, expert system design, gamification) and approaches (e.g. soft systems methodology, behavioural operations research, companion modelling) would help create the RoE while ensuring that key principles of stakeholder engagement are applied and adapted as needed.
From Needs to Decisions: Creating Records of Engagement for Participatory Modeling and Governance
Science and policy governance, including the development of modeling and decision support tools for the management of natural resources and environments, can be improved with enhanced: (1) stakeholder and public engagement; (2) societal and institutional continuity in the evaluation of management and policy decisions, and (3) recognition of the role that biases, beliefs, heuristics, and values (BBHV) play in science and decision making.
Here we suggest that creating a multi-media hierarchically-structured “Record of Engagement” (RoE) that would support this enhancement by offering:
(1) a reward system for engagement (possibly coupled with additional incentives);
(2) a record structure and system for a) evaluating processes and outcomes, b) understanding the system/issue in the future, and c) fostering transferability and “lessons learned” to other systems or issues, and
(3) an opportunity to systematize, facilitate, create efficiencies, and improve the engagement of experts and stakeholders in participatory modelling, planning and governance, including in the recognition of the role of BBHV.
The RoE would document the nature of the system/issue, available evidence, and the facilitation processes used for engagement. The constituencies engaged in the science and decision making processes, and their relative power to provide knowledge and affect decisions, would also be documented. Recognizing the importance of BBHV, the RoE would further document the ethical principles, beliefs, other factors used in arguments for suggested decisions, emotions expressed by different constituencies, and the behavioral and group dynamics of the engagement. A diversity of technological tools (e.g. artificial intelligence and natural language processing, machine vision and behavioural analysis, expert system design, gamification) and approaches (e.g. soft systems methodology, behavioural operations research, companion modelling) would help create the RoE while ensuring that key principles of stakeholder engagement are applied and adapted as needed.
Stream and Session
C5: Participatory Modelling 2.0: Interfaces, Tools, Methods and Approaches for Linking Stakeholders Decisions, and Environmental Modelling
Organizers: Nagesh Kolagani, Alexey Voinov, Steven Gray, Miles McNall, Laura Schmitt-Olabisi