Are Stakeholder Involvement Processes Democratic? The Answer Is a Resounding, "It Depends!" O. R. Ehart, Next Wave Institute, 25 Heather Lane, Belle Mead, NJ 08502-5125
The Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management recommends a stakeholder involvement process in its 1997 final report. "Stakeholder" implies representation of affected groups. Stakeholder processes can be workable, fair, representative and successful, although they may also result in institutionalization of special interests, an issue that should be of concern in our democratic process. When risks and authority are clear, and laws are well-written and based on well-accepted evidence, stakeholder processes have a better chance of resolving existing contentious issues. Realistically, however, few issues are viewed this universally, and stakeholder processes will not automatically be successful. Regardless, they must be democratic to result in supportable, ethical, long-term policies and active acceptance and adoption of them. Uses of the process must be nonpartisan. Those who administer the process must see it as an end rather than a means to an end; also, preconceived agendas should not exist. Stakeholders should want to find solutions to problems. Individuals, if qualified, should not be eliminated from participation just because they do not belong to certain groups. The democratic nature of the process depends upon: who is selected, who is not, who sets the agenda, who leads the group, who staffs the effort, who is listened to, who is placated, who determines recommendations, who writes the report and whether recommendations are implemented and feedback is provided. Other potential hindrances include: too large a group, too few meetings, too broad or restrictive a representation and/or agenda, too little validation of issues brought up by stakeholders, too little emphasis on correcting misinformation, too few experts in government to interpret the meaning of value statements and world views and too few checks and balances. Examples of effective and ineffective processes will be compared and contrasted vis-a-vis the Commission’s recommendations and other potential pitfalls. Recommendations will be made to reduce the need for such a skeptical outlook and emphasize the ethics needed in stakeholder processes to support their use in the democratic setting and improving of public policies.
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