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In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to facilitate collaborative dialogue and the sharing of knowledge and ideas to create a living network of conversation and action, then the World Cafe is the perfect method to undertake.
Discovering World Café
World Café is a creative process for facilitating collaborative dialogue and the sharing of knowledge and ideas to create a living network of conversation and action. Its primary objective is for ideation and to share ideas.
World Café is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. By using World Café, organizations can plan meetings and gatherings where a unique environment is created with surprising and useful outcomes occurring.
In a nutshell, World Café is a process of helping people to remember what they already know how to do: to convene conversations that matter.
The Approach to World Café
World Café can easily be organized as it just needs one person to put all preparations together: the Café Facilitator.
- Preparation. As in every event, preparation is the most critical. In World Café, everything hinges on Café Facilitator. Hence, it is important that enough time is spent in the selection of Café Facilitator. A Café Facilitator sees to it that the guidelines for dialogue and engagement are put into action. He/she is responsible in so many ways. There is a need to work with the Planning Team to determine the purpose of the Café, the name of the Café, and framing the invitations. When everything is organized, the Café Facilitator is the one in charge in posing the questions or themes for rounds of conversation and make sure that the question is visible to everyone on the overhead, flipchart, or on cards at each table. Playing a vital role in World Café preparation and actual event, the Café Facilitator can make the difference between an interesting conversation and a breakthrough thinking.
- The World Café Event. This is your main event. The World Café is focused on facilitating collaborative dialogue. Conducted in several rounds, it makes sure that sufficient ideas are generated and shared.
The application of World Café is so vast in terms of use. It is very useful when there is a need to engage large groups in an authentic dialogue process. When we need to generate input, share knowledge, stimulate innovation thinking, and explore action possibilities around real-life issues and questions, World Café is the most suitable amongst various methods in the Consulting Workshop Series.
World Café can even deepen relationships and mutual ownership of outcomes in an existing group. It can create meaningful interaction between a speaker and the audience. In fact, it can effectively engage people in authentic conversation whether they are meeting for the first time or have established relationships with each other.
Like any other approaches and methods, World Café is also most suitable for specific conditions and less in selected conditions. When you are already driving toward an already determined solution or answer, World Café may not be one for you.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the World Café workshop technique? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: World Cafe here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If management is faced with a situation where the past or present is unlikely to be a guide for the future, Scenario Planning is the best method to use.
Understanding Scenarios as an Effective Tool to Planning
Scenarios are vision-building. It is an effective tool when the degree of uncertainty about the future is high.
What are Scenarios?
Scenarios are narrative descriptions of potential futures that focus our attention on relationships between events and decision points. Its primary objective is planning and preparing for an uncertain future.
Scenarios can be effective in improving long-term decision-making. It motivates change and generates alternative trajectories for future developments. You can use Scenarios to improve preparedness for emergencies and contingencies. Most importantly, Scenarios can be used to guide key choices and generate a vision that can facilitate action.
The Steps to Building a Well-informed Scenario
Building a well-informed Scenario takes 3 strategic stages.
- Pre-workshop Phase. The Pre-Workshop Phase is the starting point for establishing the framework of the Scenario-building Workshop. It establishes the opinions and intelligence needed for the workshop. It is also in this phase that the Scenario Team is organized to make sure that the preparations needed for the workshop proper are done in a most effective manner. This is most important as Scenario Teams are the decision makers, the experts, and the creative thinkers necessary in the development of the Scenarios.
- Scenario-building Workshop Phase. Broken down into 2 sub-phases, the Scenario-building Workshop Phase is essential in establishing the scenario logic. It is in this phase wherein key factors in the environment are identified and the approach to fleshing out the Scenarios are established. Essentially, the Scenario-building Workshop Phase builds up the fundamental core elements that will support Scenarios as a useful learning tool.
- Post-Workshop Phase. The Post-workshop Phase is the concluding phase where scenarios and analysis are presented to the relevant public to generate insights. At this stage, it most critical that Scenarios are effectively converted into actual plans.
The Challenge: Converting Scenarios to Plans
At the end of the day, it is most important that Scenarios are converted into plans. Scenarios become plans after going through 4 strategic steps – Strategic Analysis, Scenario Creation, Strategy Finding, and Strategy Formulation. These steps shall be thoroughly discussed in the editable PowerPoint.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Scenario Planning consulting workshop technique? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Scenario Planning here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
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You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If management is faced with a situation in which an urgent problem has to be resolved in a short period of time and when different options pose different benefits and risks, then the Planning Cell is the perfect method to undertake.
When Planning Cell is Most Effective
The primary strength of the Planning Cell Approach is it allows participants to better learn about and choose between multiple options regarding an urgent and important issue. Having too many options can be confusing. Hence, we need to have a tool that can make things easier but effective in studying these options.
The Planning Cell works best in a situation wherein an urgent problem has to be resolved in a short period of time. Yet, with that short period of time, there are just too many different options with each option posing different benefits and risks. This can be confusing.
Since the majority of the participants are selected by a random process, Planning Cell can be used to address even highly controversial issues.
How Planning Cells can be Effectively Conducted
The conduct of the Planning Cell must be done in a systematic manner following a 3-phase approach.
- Preparation Phase. This is the critical first step to organizing the Planning Cell and designing its program. It sets the basic groundwork for the conduct of the Planning Cell such as the design program and logistics. It ensures that the required personnel, advisors, experts, and advocates are recruited and the most important element of the activity is done: the development of the program design.
- Conducting the Planning Cells. The second phase is the main core of the event. This is where participants get to learn about and choose between multiple options regarding an urgent and important issue. The schedule of the Planning Cells is often organized into multiple work units with each work unit comprising 3 major components or phases.
- Final Report Production and Dissemination. The final phase, this is the concluding part of the Planning Cell where results are summarized. The primary objective of the final phase is to ensure proper recording, documentation, and dissemination of the results of the Planning Cell. The final phase makes sure that the entire process is transparent and comprehensible.
The PLUS Factors of a Planning Cell
The Planning Cell as a participatory method has its advantages. First, due to the random selection of the participants, the acceptance of the results increases. Second, the results of the Planning Cell are completely open. Advisors can develop their own solutions and recommendations based on their experience in the Planning Cell process.
Most of all, the recommendations of the advisors can promote action in, and protect the interest of the general body. Planning Cell is a great opportunity to learn about the interest of others and make a more intelligent and informed decision out of multiple options.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Planning Cell workshop technique? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about the Consulting Workshop Series: Planning Cell here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to provide stakeholders an opportunity to stop and reflect on the past in order to make decisions about the future, then PAME is the perfect method to undertake.
Differentiating PAME from the Rest
The acronym PAME stands for Participatory Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation. It is a Consulting Workshop Method that is focused on evaluation and learning. It is an opportunity for the stakeholders of a project to stop and reflect on the past in order to make decisions about the future.
PAME as an approach can be used in various ways and in various points throughout the project. PAME is a helpful tool in avoiding pending or potential crisis and can help people determine the cause of a problem and ways to remedy it.
In the final analysis, it is most effective in shedding an understanding of why certain projects are not working well.
The 4-Phase Approach of PAME
PAME is best conducted using a 4-phase approach.
- Planning Phase. The primary objective of the Planning Phase is to help participants understand what they are evaluating, why, and how they going to do it. The preparatory phase ensures that time is well spent on preparation and planning a Participatory Evaluation. Hence, this is the most extensive of the 4 phases as it establishes the basic framework of the evaluation.
- Data Collection. The second phase, Data Collection ensures that data necessary for analysis is gathered. This phase is most critical as delegated individuals must have a good understanding of what data is needed to ensure the correctness of data collected. This will also affect the analysis of data if the wrong data is gathered.
- Data Analysis. Data Analysis is the evaluation of data using analytical and statistical tools. At this stage, the Evaluation Team must be able to decide the best way to present results, the resources, and time available.
- Presentation and Action Plan. The 4th phase of PAME, this phase focuses on presenting initial results and developing a future action plan. It is in this final phase wherein the correctness of phase 2 and phase 3 is most emphasized. The success of the final phase is dependent on the quality of data collected and the analysis conducted.
The Iterative Learning Advantage of PAME: Why PAME?
In the final phase, the initial results are presented to a larger group. The larger group has an opportunity to contribute to further analysis. Implications of the results shall be discussed in terms of conclusions that can be drawn, the learnings that can be derived from the results, and most importantly, the different options available to address the emerging issues.
The insights can inspire groups to reconsider initial objectives. This forms part of the iterative learning process of PAME. When this process of discussion, evaluation, and analysis is done, the organization can expect to come up with a future action plan that is well crafted and thought about. With PAME, expect your future action plan to be most strategic and focused on addressing issues in the most effective and robust way.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the PAME workshop technique? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: PAME here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to allow participants to question each other and to elaborate upon their answers, then the Focus Group is the perfect method to undertake.
Understanding the Focus Group as a Consulting Workshop Series Method
Focus Group is a Consulting Workshop Method that exposes different groups’ opinions on an issue and why these are held. It is a planned discussion among a small group of 4 to 12 stakeholders facilitated by a skilled moderator. It aims to expose different groups’ opinions on an issue and why they are held.
Conducting focus interviewing is effective in obtaining information about various people’s preferences ad values pertaining to a defined topic and why these are held by observing the structured discussion of an interactive group in a permissive, non-threatening environment.
Its application cuts across various agenda. It can gauge the nature and intensity of stakeholders’ concern and values about issues. It can obtain a snapshot of public opinion when time constraints or finances do not allow a full review or survey. Likewise, whenever there are proposals, it can be used to get detailed reaction and input from a stakeholder or client group. Additional information or modification may be gathered to develop the proposal further.
In an overall context, the Focus Group can be seen as a combination of a focused interview and a discussion group.
Starting a Focus Group in a Systematic Approach
Undertaking a Focus Group must be done in a systematic approach. While the method may be relatively simple, it is an effective tool in generating opinions in a more natural, social context.
- Pre-Focus Group Planning. This is most critical of the 3 phases as it sets the initial stages of planning the Focus Group. It is at this point where the direction and purpose of the Focus Group are determined and established. Sufficient time must be allocated for preparation and planning.
- Conducting of the Focus Group. Phase 2 is the main event – the Focus Group Discussion. It is in this phase wherein different groups’ opinions are exposed on an issue and explained why these are held. For narrow topics, Focus Groups normally last for an hour or two. But when the discussion is more policy-oriented, it can be organized into multiple sessions with each session not exceeding two hours.
- Post-Focus Group. This is the final stage. The Post-Focus Group phase ensures that there is a proper analysis of results and that reports are properly developed. A most important element of the Post-Focus Group is the analysis. When the analysis is properly done, conclusive responses to topics raised can be done.
The Great Advantage
Is there a power differential existing within your organization? When the power differential between the participants and the decision-makers is great enough to discourage participation, the Focus Group is the best method to use.
It provides the security of a peer group. Furthermore, the method is particularly useful when one is interested in complex motivations and actions.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Consulting Workshop Series: Focus Group? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Focus Group here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 methods of conducting Consulting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to have specialized input and opinion undergo evaluation, then the Expert Panel is the perfect method to undertake. An Expert Panel is a consulting workshop method that synthesizes a variety of inputs on a specialized topic and produces recommendations
Understanding the Expert Panel as an Effective Consulting Workshop Method
An Expert Panel is an effective tool in clarifying complexities in organizational issues. The method uses a broad range of subject matter experts on various fields thus enhancing its effectiveness and depth.
Once, consultants have a good understanding of the Expert Panel, it can be used in various applications. An Expert Panel is effective in addressing appropriate issues that require highly technical knowledge and/or those that are highly complex. It is useful when a conflict exists that opinions are necessary to provide credibility and resolve these conflicts.
At times when there is a variety of opinions, an Expert Panel can provide a credible alternative opinion based on credible expertise. Most importantly, it is best used when there is a possibility of legal ramifications.
The Expert Panel and Its 3-Phase Approach
The Expert Panel is designed using a 3-phase approach.
- Preparation. The Preparation Phase is the most critical phase as it is the defining stage of the project. It ensures that there is a proper understanding of the project supported by a well-composed and technically qualified panel.
- Conducting the Expert Panel. This is the main core of the event. This is where the Expert Panel is expected to investigate and study the topics assigned and set forth their conclusions and recommendations in written reports. A typical First Meeting Architecture is often composed of 6 sessions.
- Presentation of the Panel Report. The presentation of the Panel Report is the final phase which includes the issues, conclusions, and recommendations of the report. Upon completion of the report, it may be disseminated to appropriate persons and to the entire organization. However, prior to its dissemination, it is advisable to submit it initially for peer review for comments and further improvements.
When Quality Matters in Selecting the Expert Panel
The use of this method requires a careful selection of the members of your Expert Panel. Even prior to recruitment and selection, careful consideration should already be undertaken. One is the development of the Nomination Package. Next is having the right guidelines for proper selection. Most importantly, is understanding the 5 Key Elements of a Panel Profile.
The 5 key elements essential to the organization of your Expert Panel are Project Scope, Degree of Controversy, Technical Support, Uncertainties, and Disciplines. Each of these elements will guide consulting firms to have a well-composed and balanced profile of their Expert Panel.
As mentioned earlier, the Expert Panel is expected to investigate and study the topics assigned and set forth their conclusions and recommendations. Hence, diligence and thoughtful selection is needed to have an effective Expert Panel for the organization to achieve the results expected during the event.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Consulting Workshop technique of the Expert Panel? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Expert Panel here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to solicit informed input for policy decisions, then the Citizens Jury is the most appropriate method to undertake.
Understanding the Citizens Jury Method
The Citizens Jury is one of the methods in the Consulting Workshop Series that derives a decision that is representative of average citizens who has been well informed on the issue. It is most applicable when one or more alternatives to a problem need to be selected the various competing interests are arbitrated.
The Citizens Jury can lead to concrete action when this is directly linked to a decision making process.
The Citizens Jury Approach
Making the necessary preparation is the initial step towards organizing a Citizens Jury. While it may not be the main event, it is most critical as it contributes highly to the successful conduct of the event.
- Preparation. The Preparation phase sets the groundwork for the effective conduct of the Citizens Jury Event. Each step in the Preparation is essential, extensive it may be. The Preparation includes recruitment of personnel and setting the tasks, jury selection, juror recruitment, establishing the charge, developing the agenda and selecting and recruiting the expert witnesses.
- Citizens Jury Event. This is the very core of the over-all undertaking – the Citizens Jury Event. It is the main event where deliberation and people’s participation in policy decision are undertaken. Facilitated by 2 moderators, the event is done in 3 stages – the Introductory Day, the Hearing Days, and the Deliberation. The Deliberation is the heart of the Citizens Jury Model.
- Follow-up. The Follow-up is the final phase of the Citizens Jury. It focuses on measuring the results of the event. It also ensures proper documentation and dissemination of the final output. This includes the evaluations, the final news conference, the debriefing, and the dissemination of the final report.
The preparation of the Citizens Jury is extensive. To ensure a systematic flow of the Citizens Jury, timelines are essential. Timelines begin after a contract or agreement has been signed and funded for the conduct of the Citizens Jury. Being able to select the appropriate timeline in structuring the Citizens Jury can contribute much to its successful conduct.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Citizens Jury? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Citizens Jury here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to expose all opinions and options regarding a complex issue, then the Delphi Workshop Method is the perfect approach to undertake. By using Delphi, organizations can gain the benefits of pooling and exchanging opinions to learn from other’s views.
Understanding Delphi as a Consulting Workshop Series Method
Delphi is a structured communication technique originally developed as a systematic interactive forecasting method that relies on a panel of experts. Its main objective is to expose all opinions and options regarding a complex issue.
Delphi is most effectively used in technology forecasting, as well as business forecasting such as sales of new products. It is used in the implementation of multi-stakeholder approaches for participating policy-making. It is also effective in patent participation identification and public policy issues such as economic trends, health, and education.
A dialectical process, it has been designed to provide the benefits of pooling and exchanging of opinions to learn from other’s views.
Discovering the Delphi Approach
Delphi can be approached in 3 different angles. Depending on the objective of the activity, we can determine which is the most strategic way to approach Delphi.
- The Conventional Delphi. Called a pen and paper Delphi, it is aimed at a consensus of the most probable future by iteration. It has three main characteristics: the anonymity of the participants, the structuring of information flow, and regular feedback. These three key characteristics help participants focus on the issues at hand.
- The Policy Delphi. The Policy Delphi is a tool for analysis of policy issues. It is employed to generate the strongest possible opposing views on the potential resolutions of a major issue. Generating a consensus is not its primary objective and survey questionnaires are given greater emphasis.
- The Delphi Conference. A Group Delphi, it allows for more discussions and debate. In the Delphi Conference, participants forego anonymity. Time constraints may require a fixed number of cycles and consensus can be increased from one to two rounds of voting. The Delphi Conference often takes less time than the traditional Delphi.
In undertaking the Conventional Delphi, the Policy Delphi, and the Delphi Conference, organizations must be keen on following the right procedure in undertaking any of these Delphi. Because of its different approaches, the steps that are undertaken also varies. Taking the right step is necessary for better understanding and clarity of flow, as well as optimizing the use of Delphi in achieving the appropriate results at the end of the activity.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Delphi consulting workshop method? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Delphi here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to cultivate creativity and innovation with their organization, then the Charrette is the perfect method to undertake.
Understanding Charrette
Charrette is one method of conducting consulting workshops that can generate consensus among diverse groups of people and form an action plan. Charrette provides time for a deep intellectual exploration of matters significant to the success of the firm. Charrette allows people to work not only at their own pace but also on projects that matter most to them.
This is one method that can effectively assemble practical ideas and viewpoints at the beginning of a planning process. It encourages input and collaboration from a wide range of participants. When the process is mature, it can facilitate decisions on difficult issues and resolve indecisions or deal with dead blocks between groups.
Charrette can effectively lead to developing feasible projects and action plans with specific practical steps. It can be applied to development, design, and planning projects and identify potential funding sources for projects.
The 3-Phase Approach to Charrette
Charrette must be done in phases with each phase directed towards attaining a specific objective.
Each phase is undertaken following a specific number of steps. These steps are necessary to achieve the specific objective of each phase and reach the ultimate goal of the entire workshop using Charrette as one of the methods in the Working Consulting Series.
A Purview on the Pre-Charrette Phase
The Pre-Charrette Phase focuses on developing and working with a Steering Committee. A Steering Committee is vital as it serves as the coordinator of Chafrette activities. The committee will be the one to establish a timeline and meeting schedule, as well as a preliminary list of issues the Charrette will focus on.
Once a Steering Committee has been organized, the organization is now ready to take on the 5 specific steps underlying the Pre-Charrette Phase.
- Issue/Problem Identification
- Identify and invite Charrette participants (team)
- Develop community relations and public awareness
- Assemble support information
- Logistics
Before undertaking these 5 specific steps, there are preliminary preparations that must be undertaken. First, there is a need to hold an organizational meeting with the Steering Committee and the Charrette facilitator to set the goals and arrange a basic schedule. It is essential that the Steering Committee must hold a regular meeting to ensure that all necessary preparations are being made.
A well-executed Charrette will set the pace towards a fun and productive opportunity for the organization to build and visualize its future.
Interested in gaining more understanding of Charrette? You can learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Charrette here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Are you a management consultant?
You can download this and hundreds of other consulting frameworks and consulting training guides from the FlevyPro library.
In today’s business environment, management consulting firms must be ready to address client challenges and needs that will transform their 
business by 10 or 100 times. Tools and methods must be scaled up to ensure applicability to the widest possible audience globally.
The Consulting Workshop Series provides a good understanding of the 10 Methods of conducting Workshops that are custom designed to fit specific workshop objectives. Different methods are developed for the purpose of providing organizations the most appropriate tool necessary to support organizations to achieve their strategic goals and targets.
If it is the management’s goal to generate consensus and options regarding a controversial topic or issue, then the Consensus Conference is the most appropriate method to undertake.
Understanding the Consensus Conference
Consensus Conference is a 3-day intensive program that provides a vehicle for organizations to meaningfully influence policy decisions. Strategically, its application spans a broad range of uses. It can be used in the development of new regulations, generating new debate and understanding, consolidating politics, building bridges between interest groups and perspectives, and removing organizational silos.
Consensus Conference is also useful for combining many forms of knowledge and a method for obtaining informed opinions. Interestingly, the Consensus Conference provides a vehicle for organizations to meaningfully influence policy decisions, conflict assessment, clarification of attitudes, and assessing the relevance of an issue.
Approach to Consensus Conference
The Consensus Conference starts with Planning and the Recruitment & Selection of Panel. Thereafter, significant issues relevant to the topic of concern are discovered, drawn, and documented during the first 2 weekends prior to the Consensus Conference.
- Planning. The primary objective of the Planning stage is to determine the Management Staff and Advisory Committee. This also includes defining the scope, topic, and allocating budget.
- Recruitment & Selection of Panel. At this stage, the planning team starts screening and onboarding members of the Panel. Potential members of the Panel are qualified in accordance with established criteria.
- First Study Weekend. The First Study Weekend is the start of a steep learning curve for the members of the Panel. It is the beginning of relationship building between the Project Management Team, the Facilitator, and the Panelists.
- Second Study Weekend. The Second Study Weekend takes on the agenda planned by the Panel during the First Study Weekend. At this stage, there is further development of competence for the final week and shifting of control of the process decisions and facilitation to the Panel.
- Consensus Conference. The main event, the Consensus Conference provides the avenue for discussion on topics and issues of great importance and impact to the organization. Its primary objective is to influence policy decisions and assess the relevance of issues undertaken.
- Dissemination and Evaluation. One month after the Consensus Conference, a Final Report is prepared and disseminated to policy-makers, departments, and individuals in the organization. A debriefing is conducted 1 to 2 months after the conference. An evaluation is conducted 1 to 12 months after the conduct of the Consensus Conference.
Conducting a Consensus Conference is intensive. Hence, it is necessary to gain mastery of the approach to allow organizations to effectively use Consensus Conference as a tool for assessing an identified critical topic.
Interested in gaining more understanding of the Consensus Conference? Learn more and download an editable PowerPoint about Consulting Workshop Series: Consensus Conference here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
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