Participatory appraisal and consensus decision-making

There are lots of different ways of making decisions. You can do something straightforward, such as taking a vote or making an executive decision on your own, or you can try a method that gives more people an opportunity to take part. In the last few years these methods have gained increasing importance in the voluntary sector.

Participatory appraisal (PA) has been heavily used in making decisions in developing countries. It's now being used in the UK, particularly on environmental issues. PA doesn't rely on discussion and written documents to let people to have their say, but instead uses tools such as 3D models, mapping and diagrams to allow people to both visualise decisions and make their own contributions. It avoids a situation where crucial discussions are dominated by stronger voices, and it enables people with different skills and abilities to be included.

Consensus decision-making is another good way of making group decisions. The nuts and bolts of consensus involve forming a proposal, which is then modified through discussion, and which people can express reservations to, block (veto) or create alternatives. Everyone gets to have a say, and their ideas are gradually synthesised into a final decision that, hopefully, everyone can live with. Since collectively-made decisions are often better than those made by individuals, consensus can mean getting a really high-quality decision at the end.

If you'd like more information on either of these, see resources

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