Reflections of Citizen Participation in Taiwan`s Science Park Development

Abstract

民眾參與政府決策作成之過程，不但能保障民眾權益，亦可增加行政決策之正當性，特別是由政府發動設置的科學園區開發流程更需要加強民眾參與，惟現行科學園區開發流程中，籌設計畫之許可、環境影響評估及開發許可等三個階段之整個民眾參與規定有何問題？以及民眾如何參與對話、溝通？研究結果認為，這三個階段之整個民眾參與規定，並沒有提供對外公開的民眾參與方式，僅以行政機關內部會議讓民眾參與，不但無法達到實質的對話、溝通，反而加深溝通鴻溝，且行政院核定後再讓民眾參與影響有限，以及主管機關權責不清造成民眾參與錯亂。爰建議科學園區之主管機關檢視這三個階段之整個民眾參與規定，並設計適合之民眾參與方式，而集中事權的確定計畫聽證程序，正可解決上開民眾參與問題，相較於現行民眾參與之規定，較能促進政府與民眾之間的實質對話、溝通，以減低行政部門做成錯誤之決策，及減少制度外的抗爭。

Citizen participation (CP) is crucial in the decision making of public policy since it not only protects public interest but also enhances the legitimacy of public policy. This is particularly true in the development project of science park launched by the Taiwan government. The paper inquires what kinds of CP problems took place within those three major policy stages --- initial of the developmental project, environmental impact assessment of the development project, and approval of the developmental project? What kinds of participation do citizens have? Can they have full participation? Unfortunately, the paper argues that the public cannot freely and completely participate in those aforementioned three stages of science park development. Rather, the public can only participate in the internal meetings held by different governmental departments. This form of CP fails to establish an effective channel of communication between the public and the government but instead, widens communication gap and enlarges mutual distrust. In addition, CP becomes useless because the Executive Yuan usually approves the developmental project of science park in advance. We hereby recommend the competent authorities of science parks to review the overall CP regulations in the three project developmental stages and to formulate a suitable CP approach. Project approval hearings that consolidate authorities are effective means to resolve the aforementioned problems. Compared with existing CP regulations, the proposed approach suggested by the paper can more effectively initiate a constructive dialogue between the public and the government, and to prevent the administrative authorities from making wrong decisions. It can also minimize citizens` protests against the developmental project.