PUBLIC DECISION SUPPORT- USING A DSS TO INCREASE D

InternationalJournalofPublicInformationSystems,vol2005:[e-mail]nceStockholmUniversityandKTHForum100SE-16440Kista,[e-mail]ÅKEGRÖNLUNDDept.ofInformatics/ESIÖrebroUniversitySE-70182Örebro,[e-mail]ndMediaMidSwedenUniversitySE-85170Sundsvall,[e-mail]studyinwhichadecisionsupportmethod(ADL)wasemployedbyalocalgovernmentinordertoguideandaiddecisionsonthreecomplicatedandpoliticallyinfectedissueswhichhadremainedunresolvedformanyyears.Theresearchinquirywaswhetherawell-definedandopenlyaccessiblemethodwouldaidacommonunder-standingofthedecisionproblems,andwhetherpeoplewouldbeabletoacceptaclearlymotivateddecisionevenifpoliticallytheypreferredadifferentoption.TheADLmethodhasbeenusedinseveralpublicsectorprojectsrangingfromverylargepurchasingdecisionstotheselectionofnationalpolicies,butthistestcasewasnovelinthatitinvolvedcloseinspectionbythepublic.Thiscasewasalsodevisedasatestofnewmethodsforpotentialinclusionintonormalpractices.Thepost-caseanalysisshowsmixedunderstandingofandbeliefinthemethod.Theresultsraiseissuesconcerningboththepotentialfordecisionsupportmethodsinapoliticalcontextandthenatureofpoliticaldecisionmaking.Keywords:Decisionsupport,multi-criteriadecisionanalysis,democraticdecisionprocess,e-DemocracyInternationalJournalofPublicInformationSystems,vol2005:1(approximately75,000inhabitants)ontheoutskirtsofStockholm.TheprojectwasajointcollaborativeeffortbetweenthemunicipalityofNacka(theproblemowner),researchersfromtheDECIDEResearchGroup,aconsultingcompanyspecializinginthepublicsectoractingasprocesssupport,andanindependentinvestigatorevaluatingtheresultspost-case.Thepaperconsistsofthreeparts.Thefirstpartpresentsthedecisionproblemsfacedbythelocal(municipal)governmentandabackgroundtoDSSuseine-democracy.Thesecondpartdiscussesthedecisionsupportsystem(ADL)usedinthecase.Theoutcomeofthedecisionprocesswassubsequentlyinvestigatedbyanindependentresearcher,whohadtakennopartintheexecutionofanystepoftheprocess.Thelastpartcontainstheresultsofthepost-caseinvestigationintotheeffectstheADLmethodhadonthedecisionprocessanditsparticipants.2.TheProblemThemunicipalityofNackabelongstotheGreaterStockholmAreaandpartsaresituatedintheinnerStockholmarchipelago.TwooftheislandswithintheNackabordersareÄlgöandGåsö.Älgöisclosertothemainlandandisconnectedtoitbyabridge.GåsöisjustbeyondÄlgöandonlyaccessiblebyboat.Althoughoriginallyinhabitedinthemainbysummerresidents(thefishermenlivedfurtherout),someoftheislands,particularlythosethatareeasilyaccessiblebyeithercarorcommuterboats,thesummerhouseshavenowevolvedintopermanentresidences.ThisisparticularlytrueofÄlgö,withGåsöhavingfewerpermanentresidents.TheproximitytoStockholmhasmadepropertypricessurge,soonislandssuchasÄlgö(andtosomeextentGåsö)expensivehousesbuiltbyrelativelyaffluentnewcomersnowneighbourolderhousesinhabitedbyresidentswhohavebeenthereforgenerations.Thisinfluxofpermanentresidentsintotheareashasraiseddemandsforpublicservicessuchasroads,watersupply,andsewers,andalsoformarinastofacilitatecommutingtoislandsinaccessibletocars.Untilnow,suchfacilitieshadbeenruncooperativelybytheinhabitants,butaccordingtoSwedishmunicipallaw,permanentresidentialareasinSwedenrequirethemunicipalitytotakeoverresponsibility(althoughnotnecessarilyoperation),bothbypublicdemandandbylaw(notthemarinas).Foralmostadecade,thedebateregardingtheissuesconcerningwhethertheabove-mentionedservicesshouldremaininprivatehandsorberunbythemunicipalityhadbeenon-going.InhabitantsofÄlgöweredividedintotwoopposinggroupswithreferencetotheroad,waterandsewersissues,butwhowereunitedinadisputewithGåsöinhabitantsovertheissueofthelocationofacommutingmarina.Allgroupshadlobbiedpoliticiansformanyyears.Swedishlawrequiresprospectiverealestateownerstoapplyforpermitsforeveryplannedbuilding.However,themunicipalityhastheabilitytopostponeapermitapplicationforonlytwoyears,afterwhichitautomaticallypasseswithoutalteration,thuscreatingaplanningchaos.Permitapplicationscanonlybealteredorturneddownprovidedthatspecificplansfortheareaexistandhavebeenacceptedbylocalgovernment.InÄlgö,timewasrunningoutsincethebacklogofpostponedpermitapplicationswasreachingthetwoyearlimit.Thus,timepressureswerefacingthepoliticianswithregardstoasetofthreedifficultdecisionsconcerningtheÄlgöarea:InternationalJournalofPublicInformationSystems,vol2005:1•Anewwaterandsewagesystem•Anewroadplan•AnewcommutingmarinaThedecisionshadbeenpostponedonseveraloccasionsovertheprecedingsevenyearsandwerelabelled“infected”bysomeofthestakeholders.Therewerepoliticalpartiesinthelocalcouncilsupportingbothfacti