Panels share many core features, but can come in many shapes and sizes – depending on the complexity of the topic at hand and resources available. They can either supplement current public engagement practices, replace existing bodies, or create new democratic infrastructure. We start from the standard templates below, then custom-design each Panel using the options on the following page.
ONE-TIME NEED
Lower Complexity | Higher Complexity |
CLASSIC PANEL | IN-DEPTH PANEL |
Best for a more expansive, technical, or contentious policy issue (e.g., a new hiring policy or the siting of a new library) | Best for a more expansive, technical, or contentious policy issue (e.g., a downtown plan or Metro-area visioning process) |
20–30 Panelists | 30-200+ Panelists |
4–6 full days | 5-14 full days |
10+ information sources | 15+ information sources |
5–10 page report (including criteria & recommendations) | 10–20 page report (including criteria, rationales & recommendations) |
$30,000 – $100,000 | $70,000 – $250,000+ |
1+ feedback loop | 2+ feedback loops |
Case Study: Milwaukie Jury on Council Pay 20 Panelists • 28 hrs Over a four-day weekend in 2019, residents of this 20,000-person Oregon city advised decision makers on a tough issue: how much to compensate City Councillors. The Council later passed the Panel’s recommendations into law. | Case Study: Eugene Review Panel on Housing 29 Panelists • 35 hrs From Nov. 2020 to April 2021, the Panel advised the City on significant housing code changes. The Panel heard from 20 stakeholders and experts, developed a set of core principles, then subsequently reviewed the City’s draft code proposals. |
ON-GOING NEEDS
Lower Complexity | Higher Complexity |
STANDING PANEL | GOVERNANCE PANEL |
Best for periodic feedback on a narrow set of policy topics (e.g., a public health advisory committee) | Best for serving multiple departments or a core governance function (e.g., civic engagement oversight commission) |
20–30 Panelists (overlapping terms) | 20–40 Panelists (overlapping terms) |
8–12+ full days/yr | 10–20+ full days/yr |
15+ information sources/yr | 20+ information sources/yr |
Brief, periodic reports | Brief, periodic reports |
$60,000 – $150,000/yr | $100,000 – $300,000+/yr |
2+ feedback loops | 3+ feedback loops |
Case Study: Toronto Planning Review Panel 28-32 Panelists • 64+ hrs/yr Formed in 2015, this Panel periodically consults on major city planning initiatives such as transportation plans, neighborhood visioning, and new community amenities. Each Panelist serves a 2-year term. | Case Study: Madrid Observatorio 49 Panelists • 64+ hrs/yr In 2019, the Spanish capital created a permanent Panel as an ongoing fixture of public participation. Panelists reviewed popular proposals raised by fellow residents on an online platform, then refined and prioritized proposals to send to a local referendum. |