We have the tools – How to attract the people? Creating a culture of Web-based participation in environmental decision making
Jyri Mustajoki1, Raimo P. Hämäläinen1 and Mika Marttunen2

1 Helsinki University of Technology
Systems Analysis Laboratory
P.O. Box 1100, 02015 HUT, Finland
E-mails: jyri.mustajoki@hut.fi, raimo@hut.fi
Tel. +358-9-451 3054, fax +358-9-451 3096

2 Finnish Environment Institute
P.O.Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
E-mail: mika.marttunen@ymparisto.fi

Abstract 
Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is an analytical approach to systematically structure and analyze complex decision making problems. In participatory processes, MCDA methods can be used to deal with the conflicting issues at hand so that a common understanding of the problem can be achieved. MCDA has been successfully applied in numerous environmental applications including ones in natural resources management (Gregory and Keeney, 1994; Marttunen and Hämäläinen, 1995; McDaniels et al., 1999; Mustajoki et al., 2004), forestry (Kangas et al., 2001) and energy policy evaluation (Hämäläinen, 1992).
The proliferation of the World Wide Web has opened new possibilities to support participatory decision making. In the simplest form the Web can be used as a communications channel for both informing the public and collecting the feedback. In addition, we now also have a number of Web-based tools to support decision analytical methods (see e.g. Hämäläinen, 2003; Mustajoki and Hämäläinen, 2000). These opportunities are of special interest in environmental applications where we have multiple objectives and multiple stakeholders who are often geographically in different locations.
In this paper, we discuss the ways and requirements to apply decision analytical tools in Web-based public participation. Based on this discussion, we demonstrate a framework to support participatory processes, which includes Web-based tools for decision analysis and participatory feedback. The applicability of the framework is discussed in the light of our experiences in three lake regulation applications carried out in Finland in the years 1995–2003.
In spite of the attractiveness of the tools, we still have a very limited number of users. Our main message is that there has to be a strong commitment to create a culture of Web-based participation by local case projects before the public stakeholders and the authorities can accept this new approach. It is not enough to have the tools as technology push does not work. In this respect, we also see it very important that decision analysis researches collaborate with the policy support administrators. Also the developers of eparticipation projects have to start seeing the process from a systems perspective. The way the problem is framed and how communication and interaction is organized is crucial. We see that the ideas of systems intelligence are highly relevant here (see Hämäläinen and Saarinen, 2004).
References
Gregory, R., Keeney, R.L. (1994). Creating policy alternatives using stakeholder values. Management Science 40(8), 1035-1048.
Hämäläinen, R.P. (1992). Decision analysis makes its way into environmental policy in Finland. OR/MS Today 19(3), 40-43.
Hämäläinen, R.P. (2003). Decisionarium - Aiding Decisions, Negotiating and Collecting Opinions on the Web. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis 12(2-3), 101-110.
Kangas, J., Kangas, A., Leskinen, P., Pykäläinen, J. (2001). MCDM methods in strategic planning of forestry on state-owned lands in Finland: applications and experiences. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis 10(5), 257-271.
Marttunen, M., Hämäläinen, R.P. (1995). Decision analysis interviews in environmental impact assessment. European Journal of Operational Research 87(3), 551-563.
McDaniels, T.L., Gregory, R.S., Fields, D. (1999). Democratizing risk management: Successful public involvement in local water management decisions. Risk Analysis 19 (3), 497-510.
Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R.P. (2000). Web-HIPRE: Global decision support by value tree and AHP analysis. INFOR 38(3), 208-220.
Mustajoki, J., Hämäläinen, R.P., Marttunen, M. (2004). Participatory multicriteria decision analysis with Web-HIPRE: a case of lake regulation policy. Environmental Modelling and Software. 19(6), 537-547.
Saarinen E. and Hämäläinen R.P.: Systems Intelligence: Connecting Engineering Thinking with Human Sensitivity, R. P. Hämäläinen, E. Saarinen (eds.): Systems Intelligence - Discovering a Hidden Competence in Human Action and Organizational Life, Helsinki University of Technology, Systems Analysis Laboratory Research Reports A88, October 2004, 9-37.
Related Web links
Authors’ home pages: 
	Raimo P. Hämäläinen: http://www.raimo.hut.fi
	Jyri Mustajoki: http://www.sal.hut.fi/Personnel/Homepages/JyriM.html

Software used in the projects:
Opinions-Online: http://www.opinions.hut.fi
Web-HIPRE: http://www.hipre.hut.fi

Project Web pages:
Lake regulation projects: http://www.paijanne.hut.fi
SAL – Environmental Decision Making and Participation: http://www.environment.sal.tkk.fi
Systems Intelligence Research Group: http://www.systemsintelligence.hut.fi/