ABSTRACT
This chapter examines structured group processes as institutions for social decision-making. Structured group processes can assist in several phases of the planning process, but only some variants of the processes are meant to be direct aids in recommending an alternative. Both the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and the Delphi can be designed for this task, and so can other types of expert decision panels, like the panel evaluation method (PEM) described in this chapter. The PEM is in accordance with this view, as it integrates a structured group process (Delphi) with the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to deal with controversial resource allocation proposals. Then the CBA is discussed in an institutional context and from the perspective of communication in social choice processes. The chapter aims is to shed light on mainstream CBA from the perspective of the three main themes: social choice, planning and decision-making institutions, and communicative planning theory.
