Citizen Advisory Committees in the Contingent Valuation Method Process

The contingent valuation method (CVM) is a tool of economic analysis the purpose of which is to measure, on the basis of individuals' stated preferences, the utility they attach to the production of public goods- thereby enabling a public decision maker to arbitrate between different items of expenditure. The approach has been deployed as part of a centralist conceptual scheme that leaves little room for citizens in the process and is now being challenged by the increasing prominence of multilevel governance, particularly in Europe. The objective of this article was to propose and discuss the use in this context of citizen advisory committees (CACs) rather than the other participatory tools sometimes recommended in contingent valuation studies, such as citizen juries and the scenario workshop. It also discusses certain limitations of the CAC/CVM combination to ensure that citizens' opinions could be better taken into account in the specification and implementation of public programs.