1. Decision Making and Consensus Building
School Community Councils

2. Session objectives Participants will
understand the dynamics of group decision making
develop a deeper understanding of consensus and decision making rules within their School Community Council
understand the core values and benefits of participatory decision-making

3. Grouping Activity: Line up
Each person finds their place in the line according to their birthday--month and day
Turn to the person next to you and discuss
The BEST thing about being born in your particular month
Facilitator leads the “wrap-around” of the line from one end (January) to the other (Dec)
Each group of four will “hut” with their hands up to form a team and choose a leader

4. Family Feud game
Your groups of 4 will be your “family” team and will compete against the other teams
On your Team Answer Form (Handout A), write your team name
Facilitator will give a topic and each team will choose the top two answers and write it on the Answer Form

5. Name a shape Christmas cookies come in
PRActice Round
Name a shape Christmas cookies come in
Write your teams top 2 answers on the two lines under Practice
Each group will share their answers round robin with the large group
Facilitator gives the top five answers and respective percentage of responses
Teams check their answers and record corresponding percentage points if appropriate

6. Practice Round results
Name a shape Christmas cookies come in
Our Survey says…
Trees 58
Star 19
Santa Claus 13
Bell 7
Angel 2

7. Family Feud
Let’s play 2 rounds of game

8. Debrief of Rounds 1 and 2
How did your group decide which two answers to go with?
How did your process change between rounds 1 and 2?
As an individual in your group, how did you feel?

9. Consensus Latin origins Consentire
con (together with) + sentire (to think and feel)
Translation: to think and feel together
Consensus is the process—a participatory process--by which a group thinks and feels together en route to their decision

10. Which decision rule(s) did your group use in rounds 1 and 2?
Common decision rules
Answers the question:
How do we know when we’ve made a decision?
Unanimous agreement
Majority vote
Person-in-charge decides after discussion
Delegation
Person-in-charge decides without discussion
“flip a coin”
Which decision rule(s) did your group use in rounds 1 and 2?

11. Family Feud—Rounds 3 and 4
For these rounds, let’s try using a very simple form of consensus as the decision-making rule
When deciding on your group’s top two answers, use the Fist to Five strategy

12. Fist to Five Strategy Five fingers = I like it
Four fingers = Basically, I like it
Three fingers = I can live with it
Two fingers = I have no opinion
One finger = I don’t like this but I don’t want to hold up the group
Fist = I disagree but I will support the decision

13. Family Feud—Rounds 3 and 4
Let’s play rounds 3 and 4!

14. Debrief As an individual in the group, how did you feel?
What happened to your group’s decision- making process when you used the Fist to Five strategy?
How did your group’s dynamics change?

15. Comparison of two types of groups
Everyone participates, not just the vocal few
People give each other room to think and get their thoughts all the way out
People are able to listen to each other’s ideas because they know their own ideas will also be heard
The fastest thinkers and most articulate speakers get more air time
People interrupt each other on a regular basis
People have difficulty listening to each other’s ideas because they’re busy rehearsing what they want to say
Participatory
Conventional

16. Comparison of two types of groups
Each member speaks up on matters of controversy. Everyone knows where everyone stands.
When people make an agreement, it is assumed that the decision still reflects a wide range of perspectives.
Some members remain quiet on controversial matters. No one really knows where everyone stands.
When people make an agreement, it is assumed that they are all thinking the exact same thing.
Participatory
Conventional

17. Participatory Decision-making core values
Full participation
All members are encouraged to speak and say what’s on their minds
Members become more courageous in raising difficult issues
Can acknowledge the diversity of opinions and backgrounds in their group
Mutual understanding
Members understand and accept the legitimacy of one another’s needs and goals
This allows people to develop innovative ideas that incorporate everyone’s point of view

18. Participatory Decision-making core values
Inclusive solutions
Integration of everyone’s perspectives and needs leads to wise solutions
These solutions take advantage of range and vision of the whole group
Shared responsibility
Members feel a strong sense of responsibility for creating and developing sustainable agreements
Members recognize that they must be willing and able to implement the proposals they endorse so they make every effort to give and receive input before final decisions are made

19. Benefits of Participatory values in groups
Personal Learning
Improve leadership skills
Stronger powers of reasoning
More confidence
More commitment
Better communication skills
Greater ability to assume broader and more difficult responsibilities

20. Benefits of Participatory values in groups
Effective Groups
Greater ability to utilize multiple talents
Access to more types of information
Development of a respectful, supportive atmosphere
Clear procedures for handling group dynamics
Increased capacity for tackling difficult problems

21. Benefits of Participatory values in groups
Sustainable Agreements
More ideas
Higher quality ideas
Solutions that integrate everyone’s goals
Wiser decisions
More reliable follow-through

22. Significant results
Adherence to these Participatory Values will produce significant results in your SCC:
Stronger individuals
Stronger groups
Stronger agreements

23. Resources
Kaner, Sam with Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk and Duane Berger, Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, New Society Publishers, April 2003, 13th printing, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada and Philadelphia, PA
School Community Council Handbook II