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The authors draw upon survey evidence of expert conceptualisations of the value of public knowledge in environmental decisionmaking. In the context of local air quality management in particular, they consider how experts understand the potential benefits of technological citizenship, and what status they accord to lay knowledge relative to their own roles. Evidence suggests a continuing expert-deficit model of lay knowledge, with suspicions that the public misunderstand environmental issues. Although the need for public ‘buy-in’ to the solutions to problems such as air pollution is supported, this does not translate to a more proactive engagement of lay knowledge in the assessment of such issues. Experts seem to be personally challenged by such notions. The authors discuss the need for a cultural shift in expert understanding of the value of lay knowledge, supported by a move away from an oversimplification of the need for, and value of, public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increased support for extended public engagement in risk decision-making, significant questions remain over the best means to integrated deliberative processes with conventional 'scientific' or technical elements. This paper analyses the barriers to analytic-deliberative processes as a means by which the public can influence risk decisions, including the generation of data and the derivation of acceptable policy options. Using evidence from waste management decision processes in Britain, the discussion identifies technical, institutional and cultural barriers to effective process. The barriers are seen to limit systematic analysis appropriate to the problems as framed by the public. The principle that the nature of the risks and the assessment required needs to be determined through discussion with the public not in advance of discussion with them is challenged by proceduralization cultures within decision authorities and ingrained technical cultural perspectives. It is evident also that fundamental barriers lie in fragmentary decision processes and weak regulation. The paper discusses the requirements for a decision-support framework for multicriteria decision-making with full public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation in decision making through the use of deliberative processes is now widely promoted as the means of enhancing institutional legitimacy, citizen influence and social responsibility and learning. Different methods are being tried but key questions remain about what works best and how practice could be improved. This paper discusses four examples of the application of community advisory committees and citizens' juries to waste strategy development by English local authorities. It evaluates the processes using criteria based on the concept of the fair and competent process, and identifies lessons for the optimum process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]