Joint Fact Finding
And the Stubborn Policy Problem
University of Tokyo
September 30, 2014
Peter S. Adler, PhD
The ACCORD3.0 Network
padleraccord@gmail.com

Today• Talk about why JFF is
an important addition
for public consultationin policy making.
• Give you specific caseexamples.
• Think together about
what our countries canlearn from each other.

Some Stubborn, Persistent and ImportantProblems in the United States• Water and drought• Energy and the transition tomore renewable sources• Pesticides and public health• Genetically modifiedorganisms• Transportation investments• Urban decongestion

Why We Need More Constructive
And Collaborative Approaches• Many stakeholders• High levels of public conflict• Science and fact intensive• Local, national and international
implications• Major economic consequences• Intergenerational impacts• Politically difficult

Improving Public
Policy Decisions

Using the Best
Scien fic andTechnical
Informa on
Available

JFF
c
Enhancing
Coopera on andReducing
Unnecessary Confli t

The Challenge of Mediating“Fact” Intensive Problems• Mistrust between
scientists and laypeople.
• Interdisciplinary silos.
• Science as a sword orshield.
• Beliefs often trumpfacts.
• Cognitive bias.

Mediated “JFF” by Many Names• Independent Review Panels• Technical Advisory Groups• Stakeholder Panel WorkingGroups• Study Groups• Peer Review Meetings• Stakeholder Panels• Dialogues• Science AdvisoryCommittees• Roundtables

A Growing List of Good Examples
1. Children’s Health Protection – Washington
2. Storm Water Management ‐ Virginia
3. Vaccine Safety – Washington
4. Water Sharing ‐ Namibia
5. “Important Agricultural Lands” – Honolulu
6. Agricultural Water Measures – California
7. Fisheries, Communities and Wind – Japan
8. New Desalination Plant ‐ California

Chinatown
Should we limit festivals, alcohol and street closures?

Local Issues

Geothermal Energy
Are there negative health impacts?

Regional Issues

4th Generation Nuclear Power
What will the cost‐per‐kilowatt‐hour be?

National Issues

GMO & Pesticides
What pesticides are in use and with what effects ?

The Roadmap to Renewables
What are the costs to get to “green” and who pays?

Transit Oriented Development
Who decides what goes where and how?

1. Not a Panacea
Cannot fix all theshortcomings of how wemanage public policies, theuses of science, and thecomplexity of reconciling
different views.

BUTCan add significantly tobetter decision‐making if we
can accelerate the update ofJFF.

2. Adds to…Not replaces
Is a specialized form ofconsultation and publicengagement.
A complement to and not
a replacement of ourlegislative, judicial, andregulatory decision‐making processes.

3. Has Utility
MORE USEFUL FOR

LESS USEFUL FOR

Sorting out “fact” centeredproblems, i.e. how many
animals and plants areendangered; how will thisnew road affect drive times;
at what levels do emissions
become toxic; etc.

Sorting out “value” centeredproblems, i.e. which animals
and plants should weprioritize for recovery; howwill this new road affect ourlifestyles; etc.

4. Has Many Different Uses
•Isolating specific factual questions are at the heart of public policy
debates.
•Narrowing or resolving specific complex factual disagreements.
•Agreeing on the kinds of disciplines and expertise required topresent evidence that will be respected by all sides.
•Identifying the specific scientific or technical expertise needed andcommissioning specific research.
•Creating agreed upon estimates, forecasts and trends; moreaccurately describing cause and effect relationships; providing apertinent summary of peer‐reviewed literature.

5. Is Adaptive• Can be a “standalone” process.
• Can be “embedded”
as a phase of othercollaborationprocesses.

A Checklist for Organizing a JFF✔

High level political support✔

A willingness to participate by key stakeholders andand technical experts.

✔

Independent facilitation.

✔

Sufficient time for a process.

✔

Sufficient funding.

Thank You for this Invitation to Speak