Participation level:

Medium (Opinions noted)

Innovation level:

Medium (Some new elements)

Facilitator skill level, and other support required:

High (Specialist skills)
Medium (Computer & other expertise)

Can be used for:

Engage community
Discover community issues
Develop community capacity
Communicate an issue

Deliberative Opinion Polls aim to develop well-informed core group representatives, who have been privy to good quality information and who can take this information back to share within the community.

Deliberative Opinion Polls will deliver a report which reflects informed public opinion on an issue or proposal. Such reports may then be distributed to the wider community via the popular media.

The DOP uses a random sample of the population so that the results can be extrapolated to the community as a whole. The DOP advises decision makers and the media what the public would think if they had enough time to consider the issue properly.

DOPs involve a large number of participants (between 250 and 600), therefore set-up costs are high.
Informing the participants normally irequires access to experts in a number of fields of knowledge
Speakers need to be organised
With so many participants' opinions, managing data is a significant undertaking.
Organising and running the event can be time consuming.
Organisers need to allow time to select participants, undertake an initial opinion poll, allow two-four days for the deliberation process, and then allow time for another poll, and formulating the report.

Organizing Deliberative Opinion Poll

How many people to organize?

Large (> 12 people)
Medium (2-12 people)

Time required:

Long (> 6 months)
Medium (6 weeks-6 months)

Cost:

High (> AUD$10,000)
Medium (AUD$1,000-AUD$10,000)

Determine a random sample of the population, so that participants are representative of the wider groups in the community.
Conduct baseline survey of opinion.
Contact experts and politicians who may be required to inform the participants on specific aspects of the issue.
Brief participants and dispatch written information.
Give participants 2-4 days to compose questions and engage politicians and experts in plenary discussions.
Record views on a particular issue before the poll begins and again at the completion of the poll.
Changes in opinion are measured and incorporated into a report.
DOPs are often conducted in conjunction with television/media companies.