- Select an advisory/planning committee to have the overall responsibility of making sure that all rules of a democratic, fair and transparent process have been followed.
- The committees should then:
- Organise a public meeting and advertise the venue, time and topic to the public, experts in the field to be discussed, the media and appropriate decision-making bodies.
- Select participants for the citizen panel, ensuring a representative sample of the geographic area and/or relevant community groups (about 14 people).
- Hire a professional facilitator to work with the citizen panel during its preparation.
- Book suitable venues for the citizen panel to meet over two weekends to work with a facilitator to formulate the questions to be taken up at the conference, and to participate in the selection of experts to answer them.
- With the help of the citizen panel, select the expert panel in a way that ensures that essential opposing views and professional conflicts can emerge and be discussed at the conference. Good experts are not only knowledgeable but also open-minded and good communicators with an over-view of their field.
- Hold a formal conference (2-4 days) at which:
- Panelists hear experts' responses to questions.
- After hearing these responses, panelists can ask follow up questions.
- The audience is given opportunity to ask questions.
- The panel deliberates and prepares a position statement to achieve consensus on the issue.
- Panelists present outcomes.
- Planning committee prepares a report of the outcomes and distributes to panelists, media and Decision Making bodies.