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Extended Peer Evaluation of an Analytical Deliberative Decision Support Procedure in Environmental Health Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Hans Keune ,
Gudrun Koppen ,
Bert Morrens ,
Ann Colles ,
Johan Springael ,
Ilse Loots ,
Caroline Teughels ,
Hana Chovanova  and
Karen Van Campenhout
Hans Keune
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
Gudrun Koppen
Affiliation:
Environmental Toxicology, Flemish Institute of Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
Bert Morrens
Affiliation:
Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Ann Colles
Affiliation:
Environmental Toxicology, Flemish Institute of Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
Johan Springael
Affiliation:
Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Ilse Loots
Affiliation:
Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Caroline Teughels
Affiliation:
Envrionment & Health, Felmish Government, Environment, Nature and Energy Department
Hana Chovanova
Affiliation:
Flemish Agency for Care and Health, Division of Public Health Surveillance
Karen Van Campenhout
Affiliation:
Envrionment & Health, Felmish Government, Environment, Nature and Energy Department
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Abstract

How can we assess the quality of an analytical deliberative decision support procedure in environmental health practice? Objectifying quality criteria is difficult for several reasons. Opening up evaluation to a diversity of critics is one approach to take into account different actor perspectives and complexity. We describe how social scientists organized extended peer evaluation of a participatory multi-criteria procedure that was applied in Flemish environmental health practice. International peer review was combined with local extended peer evaluation. Social scientists collaborated closely with natural scientists and policy representatives in designing several evaluative activities and in interpreting the results.We discuss how these different perspectives came to reach conclusions, with a special focus on methodological decision-making. A process of learning by doing and negotiating, finding a methodological path amidst practicalities, complexity and ambition.

Type
Symposium on the use of Social Sciences in Risk Assessment and Risk Management Organisations in Europe and North America
Information
European Journal of Risk Regulation , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 25 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014

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