A public dialogue provides in-depth insight into the views, concerns and aspirations of members of the public. Public dialogue is a process during which members of the public interact with subject matter specialists, key actors, researchers and policy makers to deliberate over a relatively extended period of time on issues which are often complex or controversial.
The aim of public dialogue is usually to feed into future policy decisions or research agenda. Unlike other mini-publics such as Citizens' Assemblies and Juries, participants normally aren't asked to deliver specific recommendations, but rather invited to explore their informed reactions to the questions which are posed to them.
In the UK it is a methodology that is used in relation to science, technology and data. The Sciencewise programme has led this work on national government level, delivering over 70 dialogues on topics from early human embryo research to public perceptions towards climate adaptation. Find out more through Hopkins Van Mil’s film series about the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology-commissioned public dialogue on trust in digital identity services.
So, how much does a public dialogue cost?
You could run a public dialogue for £200,000 - £450,000 depending on how long you run it for and the number of participants. It requires independent expert facilitation and costs to support public participants from diverse backgrounds and with different needs.