Imbalances in representation in policymaking may prevent the identification of and attention to critical problems and may potentially have dire consequences, since those who could have identified those problems and offered suggestions on how to resolve them were not present. Even if problems have been identified correctly, the solutions chosen may have unintended consequences for the groups that did not participate in the consultations and negotiations. Also, owing to the lack of a diversity of viewpoints, analyses may be constrained and the range of solutions less inventive. Lastly, the solutions may turn out to be—or may be perceived as being—non-representative of the very community whose problems they have been chosen to address, or they may not be adopted owing to their irrelevance and/or the lack of consensus, or, if adopted, they may ultimately turn out to be ineffective.