Procedural Ethics: 1997 Linda Moulder

Moulder, "Bioethical Decisionmaking Process"

Notable for giving more attention to stakeholders than to anything else

Moulder, Linda. "Ethical Decisionmaking Process." 1997. http://www.biology.ewu.edu/students/Courses/bio340/decisionmaking.html (10 Jun. 1999).

Context
1. What is the bioethical decision to be made?
2. Who must make the decision?
3. What factual information is relevant?
Stakeholders
1. Who are the stakeholders?
2. What values does each stakeholder have?
3. What immediate priorities does each stakeholder have?
Alternatives and tradeoffs
1. What are the alternative courses of action?
2. How would each stakeholder be affected by the alternatives?
Solution
1. What solution do you propose?
2. What values do you have which cause you to choose this solution?
3. How would you convince each stakeholder?

The same checklist was applied to all procedures.

This method is most useful when the DECISION-MAKER ...
- has high initial sensitivity to relevant ethical "features" [step 1]
- has keen insight into human motivation [step 2c]
- is skilled in causal or consequential reasoning [step 3b]
This method is most useful in a SITUATION ...
- that will change little over time
This method is most useful when STAKEHOLDERS ...
- share values [steps 2b, 4b and 4c]