In search of informed input: a systematic approach to involving the public in community decision making

Given the task of distributing scarce resources, decision makers are faced with the question of how to involve an increasingly threatened and disenfranchised public in decisions affecting their communities. This article introduces a systematic approach to public involvement in community decision-making and identifies key elements in the design of institutional driven public participation exercises. Examples are drawn from the health care system restructuring experiences of three Ontario communities.