This workshop focuses on the types of decisions that have to be made in the partnerships and the approaches used for decision making. It enables partnership members to look at the way in which their partnerships now make decisions and analyses the best method for each type of decision.
The workshop will relate to how the partnership makes internal decisions, as addressed in the last session today on Internal Assessment. It also relates to how the partnerhip handles planning decisions (Units 1D and 1E) and especially how it involves the community in decision making.
The room should be set up in rounds of tables with movable chairs. Participants will be working individually, in pairs and in a large group. The room should be large enough so that the pairs are able to work without undue distraction.
There are several places in the delivery where the trainer is asked to write on newsprint while the group is working on a task. Although it is just a word or two, the trainer may be more comfortable preparing these sheets ahead of time. In addition, the trainer must prepare PN-1 and PN-2.
In addition to resources listed below under Trainer Resources, trainers may wish to consult the following resource:
---. (1991). The encyclopedia of team development activities, ed. J. William Pfeiffer. San Diego, CA: University Associates.
The purpose of this workshop is to help partnership members to analyze and improve the decision making process of their partnership.
Often decision making approaches in groups and organizations are not consciously analyzed and selected. They can grow from tradition and habit in a manner that does not make for effective decision making.
Sometimes groups or organizations are vague or confused about who should make what decisions, with what information. People who ought to be included are not and people who do not need to be are included.
In this workshop, participants will begin the process of analyzing how decisions are made and how they can be more effective by the use of appropriate approaches.
B. Objectives (PN-1)
Participants will:
Analyze the preferred decision making style of their partnership.
Describe 5 decision making approaches.
Identify 3 principles to consider in selecting a decision making approach.
Analyze a decision facing their partnership and recommend a decision making approach.
Explain that we want to get an idea of the range of decisions the partnerships have to make.
Tell them that they will have a few minutes to think and then they will brainstorm a list of decisions that partnerships make.
B. Run the Exercise
Ask participants to take a few minutes to think about the decisions their partnerships make or need to make. (These can include things like how to structure the partnership; policies; procedures; programs; type of evaluation; how to use the 10% of service funds; etc.)
While people are thinking, prepare blank newsprint by writing "Decisions" at the top of it.
Call time and start the brainstorm.
If you have a co-trainer, have him or her take down the items. If not, put them on the newsprint as people call them out.
C. Process the Exercise
Point out clusters or groups of similar items.
Tell participants to be thinking about a decision their own partnership is facing that they would like to work on later in the session.
Explain that the way in which partnerships make decisions is likely to differ from partnership to partnership.
Emphasize the importance of understanding the way in which decisions tend to get made in the partnership now in order to examine when that way might be effective and when it will be ineffective.
B. Run the Exercise
Read the instructions given on the Partnership Decisions Checklist (HO-1). Have each person fill it out. (5 min.)
Read the instructions given on the Partnership Decisions Interpretation Chart (HO-2). Make certain that everyone understands the instructions. Have them complete the chart using their checklist. (5 min.)
While they are working, make a copy of the chart on newsprint. (You can also make this ahead of time.)
When they are finished, have them read their circled numbers and record them on the newsprint chart.
C. Process the Exercise
With the group, identify the most and least common approach.
Ask them to think about the significance of each approach for the goals and mission of the partnership as you explain them in the next lecture.
An important question regarding decision making is, Who actually makes the decision?
Another important question is, Who needs to be involved and providing input?
Both of these questions are important to partnerships looking at how decisions currently get made and how they might most effectively get made depending upon the type of decision.
In answering the first question (Who makes the decision?), it is useful to look at various approaches to deciding. There are 5 approaches listed in the interpretation chart (HO-2 in the exercise just completed), ranging from only one person involved to all persons involved in making the decision.
The 5 approaches (Five Decision Making Approaches, PN-2 and HO-3)
Individual decision: One person, the manager or director, makes the decision. Others who are involved in the situation are expected to abide by the decision.
Minority decision: A few people of those involved in a situation meet to consider the matter and make a decision, and this decision is binding for all concerned.
Majority decision: More than half of those involved in a situation make a decision, and it is binding for all concerned.
Consensus decision: An entire group considers a problem on the basis of reason and discussion, and each member expresses a view. The group reaches a decision that all members can accept, although they may be less than fully satisfied with it.
Unanimous decision: Each person fully agrees on the action to be taken, and everyone concerned fully subscribes to the decision that is made.
Trainer Note: Now review the chart developed in the last exercise and discuss the significance of the decision making approaches for the partnerships.
B. Selecting the Most Effective Approach (HO-4: Factors in Selecting an Approach)
There are a number of factors to consider in choosing a decision making approach.
When people are involved in making a decision, they are much more likely to be committed to that decision than they would be if a single individual or small group made a decision on their behalf. This is especially true if these same people are greatly affected by the decision or will be involved in the implementation of the decision.
Even if people are not involved in making the final decision, they can provide the information that will contribute to a more effective decision. This is especially true when they have information about what is going on or needed at the local level.
The paradigm shift, with its values of innovation, risk taking, empowering others, and sharing responsibility, would indicate a move toward involving more people at the decision making level. This is especially true when the decision will affect them.
However, the more people there are involved in making the decision, the longer it takes, and the harder it is to arrive at agreement.
Another factor in considering a decision making approach is the issue of responsibility and accountability. As power is shared in the decision making process, responsibility and accountability must be redistributed as well.
The secret of effective decision making is to use the right approach for each decision, based on a number of factors.
For example, it may be more appropriate for grassroots groups to determine the type of services most needed in their neighborhood. On the other hand, it may be more appropriate for the evaluator hired by the lead agency to decide on the particular evaluation tool to use to meet the requirements of the grant.
In determining which approach to use, answer two questions: Who should have input into the decision? Who should make the final decision?
Trainer Note: You can at this point put these two questions on newsprint or have them made up ahead of time.
Considerations include:
What is the specific decision?
Who is accountable or responsible for the results?
What information or expertise is needed to make an informed decision? (This includes information about wants, desires, attitudes, and needs at the grassroots level.)
Who has the information/expertise needed? Where do we go? Who do we ask?
Who is affected by the decision? How are they affected?
Who will be implementing this decision? What will they be doing?
What is the time frame for making the decision?
In addition to looking at the appropriate approach for each decision, it is important to continue to consider how to incorporate effectively into the decision making process those persons who will be most effected by the decision. How can the structures and processes that are put into place support more inclusivity into the decision making process so that the "appropriate" approach more often rests at the top of the scale toward greater participation.
Explain that in this exercise, each person will have an opportunity to analyze a decision that his/her partnership has to make. Each will determine the type of approach that will work best.
The steps that participants follow to determine the decision making approach will be useful back home in helping the partnerships look at the way they make decisions and in learning to take more inclusive decision making approaches.
B. Run the Exercise
Have each person select a decision that is on the list generated earlier or select one of his or her own choosing to work on in the exercise. Encourage participants to select a decision that is currently facing their partnership.
Ask each participant to fill out HO-5 (Worksheet for Selecting an Approach), working with the decision that they have chosen. (15 min.)
Have each person pair up with someone else. People from the same partnership can pair up or meet as a small group. They are to present their sheets and get feedback from the other person or the group. (15 min.)
C. Process the Exercise
Ask for some examples of the work people did. (10 min.)
Lead a brief discussion on the way in which the process they used in the exercise could be useful to the partnerships. (5 min.)
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