Planning Cell

Brief Description:

The Planning Cell engages randomly selected citizens to work as consultants on a particular problem.

Description:

The Planning Cell method engages approximately twenty-five randomly selected people, who work as public consultants
for a limited period of time (e.g. one week), in order to present solutions for a given planning or policy problem. The cell
is accompanied by two moderators, who are responsible for the information schedule and the moderation of the
plenary sessions.

Experts, stakeholders and interest groups have the opportunity to present their positions to members. The final results of the cells? work are summarised as a ?citizen report?, which is delivered to the authorities as well as to the participants themselves.

Used For:

Finding solutions for planning and policy problems.

Suitable participants:

Participants are randomly selected.

Cost:

High - To cover the following costs:

• Personnel
• Travel
• Accomodation
• Food
• Recruitment/Promotion
• Communications
• Facilities
• Materials

Time Requirements:

Each Planning Cell requires approximately two months of preparation, four or five days for the main event and
two-three months afterward: a total of approximately five months

When To Use / What It Can Deliver:

• If the issue is not too controversial and has not already polarised the attitudes of the affected population.

• An urgent problem has to be resolved in a short period of time.

When Not To Use / What It Cannot Deliver:

• Not well suited for issues that pose major inequities between different regions or social groups

Strengths:

• The random selection of the citizens increases the acceptance of the results because they are representative of
  the relevant population.

• The results of the planning cell are completely open since there are no pre-defined solutions.

Weaknesses:

• Since citizens are not responsible for implementing the final decision, they may make choices that are not financially or physically feasible in the long run.

• Decisions involving only a yes-no alternative are inappropriate for Planning Cells because
  participants tend to select the ?easy? solution of objecting to any new development, especially if the affected community
  does not equally share the benefits.

Origin:

Developed by the German professor for sociology Peter C. Dienel in the 1970's.

Case Studies:

Related Methods

• Citizens Jury

Restrictions In Use

Further Information

For further information, please see:

Participatory Methods Toolkit, where the bulk of the information for this entry comes from.

http://www.viwta.be/files/30890_ToolkitENGdef.pdf

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