Public participation: Picking the players

When citizens become involved in the public policy decision-making process, who picks the players? Are there any criteria for determining which members of the public should sit at the table? These are questions frequently asked by new participants and observers of the public involvement process. In the interest of trust and credibility, the process must be one of self-selection. Any exclusion on the part of the sponsoring organization would probably be interpreted by the public and the press as manipulative self-interest. Clearly, at times there are irrational people attending public meetings or submitting written comments. But if an organization begins excluding participants, the risk increases that the process will be perceived as a travesty