A WOMAN WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT

So, you found an expert in Dublin who knows all about Citizens’ Juries.

Have you not managed to find a UK expert?

You have?

Good. You’ve been very busy, My Black Cat!

Ms Mattison wrote an article on Citizen’s Juries as far back as 1998.

MARKET RESEARCH MEETS DEMOCRACY

Did you learn anything new from it, My Black Cat?

“The idea, initially trialled in Germany and the USA, responds to real anxieties about the low level of communication and trust between public interest organisations and the public”

Ah, one of the functions is to get the public to trust the politicians…..

How does she describe Citizens’ Juries?

“The concept involves between 12 and 16 ordinary members of the public, who are selected to represent a profile of the local community. They are asked to address important matters of policy or planning and usually sit for four days, with market research moderators, receiving evidence and cross-examining witnesses. On the final day, they draw their conclusions. These are then compiled in an independent report and submitted to the commissioning body, which is expected to respond swiftly and comprehensively to reflect the authority and integrity of the citizens’ jury process.”

But the Birmingham jury had 1000 people according to the government. That seems a bit over the top! Is that by definition still a Citizens’ Jury?

OK, I’ll shut up. You’re telling me you’re coming to that bit, My black Cat!

“Within the past year, citizens’ juries have demonstrated that ordinary people, without training or expertise, can grasp complex issues and reach sensible conclusions- often changing their minds in the course of four days.”

A bit patronising that. Of course they can reach sensible conclusions if they are given sensible information. That has always been the case. That is because ordinary people have brains not dis-similar from extra-ordinary people.

It’s the bit about them often changing their minds in the course of four days that worries me. The human genome as you know, My Black Cat, harbours a fault. Unlike witches, humans are very susceptible to suggestion, advertising, spin, marketing, hypnosis etc. The human genome expresses this fault when lots of people are put together, whether they be of the ordinary or extraordinary variety.

Witches and Black Cats all know this, don’t we? After all, we make use of this when we play around with our Blue Bottle Spells. Humans are not at all like us.

“When developing a jury, the role of market research is crucial. Local government needs to employ a researcher or moderator, to recruit a representative jury, conduct preliminary research, construct the agenda, moderate, analyse the findings and draft the report.”

You don’t suppose Deborah Mattinson is a market researcher, do you? A consultancy?

She is?

You’ll tell me more about that later?

“The report, ideally written within two weeks of the jury finishing, is submitted to the commissioning body for their consideration after which it becomes a public document. The proceedings of the citizens’ jury are also taped and a transcript produced.”

That means we should be able to hear the whole thing from Birmingham in due course.

“Support will be sought later this year to develop an accreditation system for future juries.”

How do they accredate a jury, My Black Cat?

“Variants on the basic citizens’ jury are already being explored, for instance, one day workshops and procedures involving a greater number of jurors for quantitative research purposes”

A greater number of jurers? Is 1000 a variant of 16?

Ah… You say it’s a total of 1000 citizens overall ie about 110 per gathering. And they will be held in Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Maidstone, Reading, Norwich and York.

I’d better get on My Broomstick and gate-crash a few of these.

What is meant by “quantitative research purposes”? Does this refer to “market research” or “research” as in the Dublin paper?

I hope the Birmingham event wasn’t a research experiment, My Black Cat?

I don’t suppose so.

Lessons will have been learned about bringing in consultancies to do experiments.

Remember the MTAS experiment, My Black Cat?

Now, what about Deborah Mattinson?

Is she sitting on a shelf in the NHS Pantry?

An essential ingredient for The NHS Plan?

The Witch Doctor - Link to a random page

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LINK TO UK MISSING KIDS WEBSITE

LINK TO MISSING PERSONS WEBSITE

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