Iowa State University Extension

Extension to Communities

Group Decision Making Tool Kit

Individuals, organizations, and community groups are often faced with difficult problems to solve and important decisions to make. For a group to be successful, it must find methods to creatively solve problems and focus on reaching goals and achieving results.

The following group process techniques can be used to identify and solve problems. These techniques are "thinking strategies" to bring out the creative energies of individuals and generate ideas and approaches to solving problems and making consensus decisions.

Keep with you at all times!
index cards
label dots
felt marking pens
newsprint
masking tape
 Planes image
Wrench image Brainstorming
  1. verbal throwing out of ideas
  2. recorder writes down all ideas without discussion
  3. group discusses and combines ideas
  4. vote to determine top 3 - 5 ideas
  5. outline implementation steps
Nominal Group Technique
  1. silent generation of ideas in small groups - written
  2. round robin recording of ideas - no discussion
  3. group discussion and clarification
  4. prioritize top 5 (individuals write on cards)
  5. discussion
  6. final vote

Tools image
Paired Comparisons
  1. one-on-one camparision of all ideas/alternatives
  2. points totaled for individual and group activity
Card Sort Technique
(Good for large number of issues.)
  1. statements/alternatives/ideas collected on cards prior to meeting
  2. cards sorted in "yes", "no", "maybe"
  3. top 5 selected by individuals
  4. rank 5 by small group
  5. vote top 5 as a whole 2.group
Charette Procedure
  1. small groups choose a recorder
  2. all ideas written down
  3. recorder rotates to new group
  4. new group adds to list and prioritizes
  5. new topic is discussed
  6. repeat rotation
Storyboarding
  1. concise statement of the problem
  2. list benefits of solving problem
  3. post ideas generated for solving problem on wall
  4. combine and clarify ideas
  5. eliminate irrelevant ideas
  6. group ideas using "header cards"
  7. if necessary, break header card topics down into bite-size pieces
  8. identify top three ideas

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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.
Questions or comments? Contact the Extension to Communities Secretary, lindaek@iastate.edu
last updated Thursday March 01 2001