Public involvement & policy influence In British Columbia

The public involvement process has attracted a great deal of interest as a means of including the public in important decisions and providing innovative solutions to challenging issues. However, there has not been a sufficient amount of inquiry into the influence public involvement actually has on policy outcomes. This research project addresses this issue by examining four public involvement cases in British Columbia to assess what forms of public involvement are most influential. The evidence in the cases reveal that the design of the process as well as the stage that public involvement occurs in the policy cycle are important variables that result in policy influence. The findings indicate that public involvement is a useful policy instrument that for designing policy. Policymakers should consider using this method when public input is necessary for policy alteration.