A matter of trust: perceptions of the value of risk assessment

There are dozens of published pest risk assessments and pest risk assessment frameworks, but only a fraction of those published are actually used in decision-making. A crucial question, then, is ‘what makes a pest risk assessment or framework useful to a decision maker?’ For this study, 26 decision makers in New Zealand’s biosecurity system – central government, local government and industry – were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis methodology. One key theme was that trust is central to participants’ views on risk assessment quality and usefulness. Trust is recognised in the literature about risk communication as being an important factor in whether the public accepts information about risks from government agencies and companies. However, it is less common to find it documented as important in the relationship between adviser and decision maker. These results have implications for how pest risk assessments and frameworks are developed and delivered to those who use them.