The Health Canada Policy Toolkit for Public Involvement in Decision
Making
Level 5 Technique:
Deliberative Polling
What Is It?
Deliberative polling combines small-group discussions involving
large numbers of participants with random sampling of public opinion.
Its overall purpose is to establish a base of informed public opinion
on a specific issue. Citizens are invited to take part at random,
so that a large enough participant group will provide a relatively
accurate, scientific representation of public opinion.
How It Works
Deliberative polling usually involves 250 to 600 participants,
selected locally or nation-wide. The size of the participant group
is determined by organizers, but this is one setting in which bigger
is often better - a larger sample size usually assures a better
cross section of views, and increases the confidence and credibility
with which results can be seen to represent public opinion. It
is advisable to hire a facilitator with specific experience in
deliberative polling to help organize the process.
The sampling stage of a deliberative poll begins with a general
population survey, to capture public opinion and demographics.
Mail surveys can be conducted with the help of a market research
firm, using voters' lists or subscriber lists purchased from telephone
companies. Depending on the issue, the sampling component of a
deliberative poll may be conducted in partnership with a television
network, in order to reach a broader population base. In this case,
the network might invite viewers to take part in a telephone survey
by calling in to a phone bank.
After the survey results are compiled, small-group participants
are recruited according to demographics and their attitudes on
the issue, and are asked to review a package of background materials.
They then take part in a series of consultative meetings over a
two- to four-day period. At this stage, participants decide the
agenda themselves, identifying issues of interest and putting forward
specific questions that enable them to learn from each other and
seek a deeper understanding of the issue. On the second or third
day, any unanswered questions are addressed by a panel of experts
in a news conference format. Following questions and discussion,
a second survey is distributed, and participants' responses are
analysed and compared with the views expressed in the original
poll.
When Is It Most Useful?
Deliberative polling is designed to:
- expand public understanding of an issue and participation in
decision making
- make broader use of both public and government information
networks in order to increase public awareness of the issue
- establish a network that will facilitate decision makers' efforts
to understand and interpret public opinion, in order to represent
the community more effectively.
Deliberative polling is used to measure diverse public opinion
by examining participants' views after they have been given the
time and necessary information to understand an issue. It can also
capture changes in public opinion that occur during the process.
While deliberative polling is primarily a social research technique,
designed to expose participants and organizers to a range of unique
perspectives and expert arguments, the results of the poll can
be interpreted to represent broader public opinion.
Logistics and Limits
As noted, deliberative polling is an expensive technique that
relies on extensive surveying of relatively large population groups.
Cost Implications
The high cost of deliberative polling relates directly to the
large number of participants involved. Significant costs include
printing, distribution of poll materials, prepaid envelopes for
completed surveys, and staff time for a qualified facilitator.
Polls conducted in partnership with a television network will also
have to cover the cost of air time and network personnel.
Expectation for Feedback or Follow-Up
Participants may ask for a final report on the process and for
follow-up information on the sponsoring organization's response
to their findings. As well, a deliberative polling process may
generate considerable media attention if the topic is a matter
of current news interest and a television network is involved as
a partner.
Timelines
The duration of the sampling stage depends on the methods used.
After suppliers and partners have been identified, at least two
to four weeks should be set aside to put logistics in place for
a large-scale opinion research project.
Potential Pitfalls
- If random sampling is not conducted for the survey or for obtaining
group participants, results may not be statistically valid for
the population
- Participants are not able to set a clear agenda or identify
common issues
- Lack of a skilled facilitator.
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