Application of an Online Questionnaire to Secure the Diversity of Planungszelle Participant Attributes

Planungszelle (PZ) has attracted attention as a new consensus formation method. One of the core features of PZ is random sampling of participants, aimed at securing the diversity of participant attributes. In this research, a method for selecting participants that ensures the diversity of their attributes was developed through an online questionnaire on PZ implementation to discuss the future of a sustainable water use system. To select PZ participants, we carried out a screening survey with registered monitors and asked candidates about their willingness to participate, as well as collected the demographics and psychographics of monitors. Participation requests were sent by e-mail, controlled by real-time monitoring with the demographics and psychographics information of candidates. This method enables the PZ organizer to easily control participant selection and reduces lead-time by a factor of ten in comparison with the traditional mail method.