Scientific decision-making and stakeholder consultations: The case of salt recommendations

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2013-05, Vol.85, p.79-86
• Main Authors: Timotijevic, Lada, Barnett, Julie, Brown, Kerry, Raats, Monique M., Shepherd, Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advisory Committees - organization & administration; Biological and medical sciences; Committees; Decision making; Decision Making, Organizational; Humans; Institutional risks; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Miscellaneous; Models, Theoretical; Nutrition education; Nutrition Policy; Post-normal science; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk assessment; Risk governance; SACN UK; Salt; Science; Scientific advisory committee; Sodium Chloride, Dietary; Stakeholder consultation; Stakeholders; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.032

Scientific advisory committees (SACs) are seen as “boundary organisations” working at the interface between science, policy and society. Although their narrowly defined remit of risk assessment is anchored in notions of rationality, objectivity, and reason, in reality, their sources for developing recommendations are not limited to scientific evidence. There is a growing expectation to involve non-scientific sources of information in the formation of knowledge, including the expectation of stakeholder consultation in forming recommendations. Such a move towards “democratisation” of scientific processes of decision-making within SACs has been described and often studied as “post-normal science” (PNS) (Funtowicz & Ravetz, 1993). In the current paper we examine the application of PNS in practice through a study of stakeholder consultations within the workings of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee for Nutrition (SACN). We use the theoretical insights from PNS-related studies to structure the analysis and examine the way in which PNS tenets resonate with the practices of SACN. We have selected a particular case of the SACN UK recommendations for salt as it is characterized by scientific controversy, uncertainty, vested interests and value conflict. We apply the tenets of PNS through documentary analysis of the SACN Salt Subgroup (SSG) consultation documents published in 2002/2003: the minutes of the 5 SACN SSG's meetings which included summary of the SACN SSG's stakeholder consultation and the SSG's responses to the consultation. The analysis suggests that the SACN consultation can be construed as a process of managing sources of risk to its organisation. Thus, rather than being an evidence of post-normal scientific practice, engagement became a mechanism for confirming the specific framing of science that is resonant with technocratic models of science holding authority over the facts. The implications for PNS theory are discussed. ► Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) are “boundary organisations” working at the interface between science, policy and society. ► Recent trends to democratise scientific processes of decision-making has been described as “post-normal science” (PNS). ► We examine the application of PNS in practice through a study of stakeholder consultations within the UK SAC for Nutrition. ► Documentary analysis of the UK SACN Salt Subgroup's consultation documents (issued in 2002/2003) was carried out. ► The analysis shows the SACN's simultaneo