When a selection committee is responsible for selecting the winners of an award or prize, it must be careful to avoid bias. While some bias is unavoidable, it can be reduced through a thoughtful discussion of the nominations and a process that allows each committee member to vote independently. The best way to do this is to conduct the discussions in person or via teleconference, with everyone invited to participate and screen for conflicts of interest.
In order to avoid potential conflicts of interest, committee members should always make clear any relationship that they may have with a nominee and recuse themselves when appropriate. They should also take sufficient time to make a decision, since research has shown that implicit bias is mitigated when committees are given adequate time to discuss candidates and their strengths and weaknesses.
The World Selection Committee is made up of experts in the field of heritage, including academics and historians. It was formed in 2001 and is led by a chairman who is elected annually. Its aim is to promote the preservation and development of cultural property around the world. It is supported by a secretariat based in Paris.
A large number of members are appointed from States Parties, but a certain percentage of seats are reserved for independent experts. In addition, a number of non-governmental organizations are also invited to serve on the committee.
This year, the committee included a pair of surprise picks in Surendra Bhave and Raja Venkatraman. Both of these selectors are from regions outside the traditional zones, but they have extensive experience in their respective fields of expertise. This gives them a chance to bring fresh ideas to the table, and the committee is expected to be more diverse than in previous years.
One of the biggest criticisms of the traditional zonal system is that selectors frequently promote the interests of players from their own zone over those from other areas, and that this can lead to an inferior team. The BCCI tried to address this issue in 2006, but the zonal heads’ resistance scuttled efforts to reduce the number of members on the national committee to three or four.
The committee will name the six gymnasts to travel to England for worlds, and up to three non-traveling alternates. They’ll also rank the top six in each event to decide a team final lineup, and choose a vault, bars, beam, floor, and vault alternate.
Biles is poised to defend her world championship title, though Jones could challenge her on uneven bars if she’s healthy enough for the event. Hurd’s fall on bars at camp has some fans worried about her fitness for the competition, but she should still be able to qualify with high scores on the other events. Alyssa Milano, Kayla DiCello, Amelia Disidore, Skye Blakely, Jordan Chiles, Katelyn Jong, Kaliya Lincoln, Eveylynn Lowe, Zoe Miller, Joscelynn Roberson, and Lexi Zeiss are other gymnasts vying for spots. Depending on the results of Friday’s all-around competition, a few gymnasts could move up or down in the rankings.