Expert Panel
An Expert Panel is a moderated session in which several specialists from different fields present their views on an issue, question each other, take questions from participants and arrive at conclusions or recommendations. It is used where a topic is complex or contested and a group needs credible, varied specialist judgement before it decides. The format has no single originator; this description follows the one in the Engagement Toolkit of the Department of Sustainability and Environment in Victoria, Australia (2005), as summarised by BetterEvaluation.
Facilitation script
- 1
Welcome, state the question the panel is here to answer and what will be done with the result. Introduce the panellists in one sentence each.
5 min - 2
Opening statements: each panellist gives their view within the agreed time limit. Keep time visibly.
20 min - 3
Moderated dialogue among the panellists. Ask them to respond to each other, and name the points where they disagree.
20 min - 4
Questions from participants. Collect them in batches, group similar ones, and direct each to a specific panellist.
25 min - 5
Conclusions: ask each panellist for one recommendation on the original question, then summarise where the panel agrees and where it does not.
15 min - 6
Close by explaining how the recommendations will be documented and who receives them.
5 min
Tips
Choose panellists for their differences; three experts who agree give the audience one view three times.
Hold opening statements to a strict limit, around five minutes each, and say so in the briefing, because inputs that run long are what turn panels into lecture series.
As moderator, prepare questions that make panellists address each other's points, and decide beforehand how you will interrupt politely.
Common pitfalls
Inviting panellists who all share one position, so the audience hears agreement and mistakes it for the full state of knowledge
Letting opening statements overrun, which uses up the time for dialogue and questions and leaves a series of short lectures
A moderator who only passes the microphone along; without follow-up questions panellists talk past each other and never engage with the disagreement
Audience 'questions' that are long statements, which take the floor from other participants unless the moderator sets and enforces a format
Ending without conclusions or a record, so the session was informative but nothing reaches the people who decide
Variations
Remote: run the panel as a video conference with questions collected in writing and selected by a co-moderator. To involve a large audience, insert a few minutes of table or pair conversation before the question round so that questions are better formed. If the experts cannot be brought together at all, or their independent written judgement is needed, the Delphi Technique is the remote counterpart. For a less formal exchange between experts and practitioners, a Fishbowl with an empty chair lets audience members join the conversation.
Where it fits
When to use it
A group has to decide on a technical or contested issue and lacks the specialist knowledge to weigh the options
Several credible positions exist and participants should hear them side by side, not one at a time
A consultation process needs outside expertise that participants can question directly
A participatory process has produced proposals that need an informed reality check before they go forward
Decision-makers want recommendations that carry the weight of recognised specialists
When not to use it
The knowledge that matters is in the room, among the participants; use Open Space Technology or a World Café so they talk to each other
You want to hear from one leader or expert in depth; a Celebrity Interview or an Ask Me Anything session is tighter
Experts are dispersed, or their judgement would be swayed by the most senior voice on stage; run a Delphi Technique
The audience is expected to own the outcome and act on it; a panel positions them as listeners, so use a Fishbowl or a Consensus Conference
The panel's conclusions will have no path to the people who decide; the event then only produces frustration
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Expert Panel?▾
An Expert Panel is a moderated session in which specialists from different fields present and debate their views on an issue, answer questions from participants and give conclusions or recommendations. It is used to bring credible specialist judgement into a decision or consultation on a complex or contested topic.
How many experts should be on a panel?▾
The source does not set a number. In practice three to five panellists plus a moderator works well: enough to show different views, few enough that each can speak more than once. With more than five, opening statements alone take most of an hour.
How long should an expert panel run?▾
The source gives no duration. Sixty to ninety minutes suits most panels, and up to two hours is workable if the audience has time to discuss and ask questions. Plan at least a third of the time for questions from participants.
What does the moderator do?▾
The moderator frames the question, keeps time, draws out differences between panellists, manages audience questions and summarises the conclusions. The moderator should understand the topic well enough to ask follow-up questions but should not be one of the experts advocating a position.
How is an expert panel different from a Delphi?▾
In a panel the experts meet, hear each other and are questioned by an audience in one live session. In a Delphi the experts answer separately and anonymously in writing over several rounds. A panel is faster and more transparent to an audience; a Delphi protects independent judgement from status and group pressure.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria), The Engagement Toolkit, via BetterEvaluation.