Policy advisory committees: an operational view
Advisory committees are part and parcel of policy-making in every government agency. Their input is used at many levels, ranging from high level strategic initiatives and planning to very specific input into narrowly defined decisions. This chapter describes an operational overview of the different approaches used by science agencies in the United States and documents the heterogeneous way in which they are used. It suggests that some of the principles that motivated the establishment of advisory committees are not always fully served in practice. It also finds that that the financial structure and incentives of some entities, might usefully be reviewed. The chapter concludes by observing that the structure of committees might be improved by developing a more scientific approach to their constitution.