The objectives of this weekend are:

• to familiarise members with processes of deliberation and give them a sense of ownership over the ground rules;
• to help members develop confidence to speak up during both small-group and plenary sessions;
• to introduce members to the questions that they will be considering;
• to enable members to develop understanding of the options that are available and of the ways they might go about evaluating these options; these objectives are pursued both by teaching members about options and what is known about them and by encouraging members to reflect on their own experiences;
• to give members the chance to express their initial feelings;
• allow CA members to hear a diverse range of perspectives on the questions before them;
• allow actors with a diverse range of perspectives to voice them and feel part of the process.

In addition, as with all weekends, members are surveyed at the start and the end of the process.